10 Questions Your Wedding Photographer Will Ask You
Hi! This blog post is a little different than my usual posts but I wanted to come on here and talk about some questions that I often ask my brides/grooms before we sign a contract. If you run a wedding photography business, you know how important your services are for the bride and groom’s big day. They depend on you to capture every special moment that makes their day so beautiful and special. It’s important to ask the right questions in order to know your clients’ expectations of you.
Here are 10 questions I ask my couples before their wedding day to make sure I am prepared.
What date is your wedding on?
This is one of the most important questions to ask from the beginning because you want to make sure you are available for their wedding.
What time does your ceremony start? What time do you expect your wedding to end?
When it comes to the ceremony start time, there are a few things you may want to consider. For example, when would you like to do your bridal portrait, before or after the ceremony? Also, what time does the sun go down? In the winter months it is better to start the ceremony earlier in the day as the sun sets around 4pm.
How many guests do you expect to attend?
This helps me as a photographer know what to expect when arriving on your special day.
What is your color scheme or theme?
This is important because photographers like to bring additional props to styling your details and we can make it more personal if we know what theme/style you are going for.
How many are in your bridal party?
I personally like to plan ahead, so knowing how many are in your bridal party helps me start to plan all the posing for the big group shots.
What time do you want the photographer to show up? When is your MUA showing up?
There is a lot to think about when it comes to this one. I like to say that the photographer should come about an hour before your hair and makeup is done so I can get some nice detail shots and getting ready photos as well. I also like to advise that the hair and makeup be done about an hour to an hour and a half before you would like to leave for the first look/location.
Do you have any locations in mind? If not, What do you want to have in the background of your photos?
(buildings, forest, water, Etc…)
As the photographer, I have a list of my favorite locations to go to with each season, but I love it when the bride and groom have a special location they want to go to. Also, narrowing down a location is easier if you have an idea of what colors you want in the background of your photos.
Do you have any special requests/expectations for your photographer to capture? Anything that’s important that you MUST HAVE captured?
Personally I have a shot list of things to make sure I capture on your special day (getting ready, details, photo with parents, first look, first dance, etc…) but if there is something that is very special to you and you want to MAKE SURE I capture it then make me a list. There is nothing too big or too small, and I want to make sure you get every memory captured.
What is the family dynamic? Is there anything I need to know before your wedding?
This is just another one of those things I need to know before I arrive on your wedding day. Are there any family members that don’t get along? Is there someone who will be following me around with their cell phone? Any little details that helps me get know you and your family is important to me.
Tell me your story. How did you meet? What made you fall in love? What do you love most about each other? etc…
If you would like to write me an essay telling me about your unique love, I would love to read it. I just want to get to know you and be able to tell your story through my photographs so tell me about yourself!
There are a lot more questions that I could and do ask, but thats it for this blog post. Maybe one day I will write a part 2. I hope this helped you think about how you would answer these before meeting with your photographer, I know it will help your meeting go by faster and smoother if you already thought about these questions. The next blog post of this type will be about “things I ask my engaged couples to do before their wedding day” so stay tuned!