JRD3 Loc: Richmond, VA

My daughter is in the beginning stages of planning her wedding for 2023. Our family is looking into wedding photographers. Would very much appreciate thoughts on questions to pose to potential photographers. What might be a good method to help us select someone to help with this most important day. Have already reviewed websites for 8-10. I note some difference in final product, but all seem to be very competent. Websites all seem to be very professional. Thanks.

scooter1 Loc: Yacolt, Wa.

When my wife and I got married we checked out numerous photographers. The one we finally chose had a great website and really nice photos displayed there. We met with her a month prior and everything sounded good. Turns out she wasn't very good. I think she made herself look like she was very experienced and from the photos from previous places and people she looked the part. We were very disappointed in the service and photos. It's a once in a lifetime memory so make sure you know what you're getting. Referrals etc. Good luck. This is one place you need to make an educated decision or it will haunt the bride and groom.

TimHGuitar Loc: San Francisco, CA

There are some photographs that will really stand out when you are finally old enough to value things that matter in life. I've spent time with my aunts and uncles when they reach the age of 80 or more, and more often than not, their conversations involve getting me to look over old photographs and they ask me to copy them and to enlarge them so that they can see them better. I return the next weekend and they tell me the stories behind each photograph. As it turned out, those stories were not known to the family beforehand, and I am now considered the family historian because of my experience with the older generation. I am now 70 years old and have become that older generation.
Wedding photographs are often neglected when it comes to the old family photograph albums. This is because so few older folks had the money to spend on their wedding photos. Often there's only one that survives.
I would suggest that you look at old wedding photographs from your own family's history. Notice the ones that mean the most to you. These are probably the ones that include family members who are now gone. Perhaps they came from far away to attend the wedding, and many of the younger members did not often see them.
In this case, the group photos are important. If so, make sure that the photographer you hire can set up a group photo where everyone is in focus. Their faces are clearly shown and their expressions are all decent. In the old days, it was common to press the shutter just when someone in the group would blink. Nowadays, assuming the photographer is shooting digital, they can replace heads with the best expression for each individual. The photographer, in this case, exposes a number of shots of each set up and looks for the best expression of each person in the group and replaces certain head shots with ones from another exposure, thereby providing you with a group photo where everyone is decently represented.
These concerns are often those of the parents because the bride and groom are more interested in their wedding party and their close friends who will be attending. But it is my experience that in the long run, family rules. Friends come and go, but family is there for the long term. This scenario escapes the bride and groom until they reach the age of 50 or more. That's when family history becomes more important. It's when we begin to lose the older generation when we realize that we should have spent more time with them and listened to the stories of their lives.
For what it's worth, that's my recommendation. Make sure the photographer can capture meaningful group photos (along with the post processing work in photoshop) along with the current popular "candids" that are flooding the wedding market.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Off the top of my head:
- Is our date available?
- How many weddings have you shot?
- How many have you shot in the past year?
- How many weddings do you work in a weekend?
- Can we see examples of your recent portfolios?
- What do your standard packages include?
- What are some common extra-cost items?
- How fast should we expect to see the proofs?
- How do you share the initial proofs?
- Can you provide several references?
- Do you shoot strictly digital, film, both?
- Do you have a published price list?
- Can you share your standard shot list?
- Are you the photographer who will shoot our wedding?
- Do you have a second (or third) photographer/ assistant and, if so, will the assistant be on our job?
- Who would cover for you if you got sick?
- How do you handle emotional and/or inebriated guests? Children?
- What was the hardest wedding you ever shot?
- What equipment do you use to shoot? To edit?
- What lighting equipment do you bring?
- Have you shot at my venue before?
- What's your policy on file sharing and ownership?
- What's your payment schedule?
- What do you shoot prior to and following the wedding?
- What if our event runs long? Costs?

rwww80a Loc: Hampton, NH

References from prior customers?
Ask to see album samples, not the website which can be tailored to show off?
Are they printing their own photos or sending them out to a commercial printer?

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Since younger people are heavily into digital exchange of photos I would check with the photographer to see if they supply digital photos and whether they are permitted to send the images to friends and family.

crhoetzl

Hi,

I photographed weddings for 4 decades as a stringer for several studios. Look for quality over quantity. There are certain photographs of the family that will be a record of the day. Look at how well he poses those group photos. be sure you get the photographer that took the photos the studio shows you. You paid for a professional let him do his work and don't interfere.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Ask for references.
Once you have narrowed it down, see if your daughter knows any of her friends who have had wedding photographers and what they thought of them.
Your main concern is finding a photographer that your daughter is comfortable with, he/she will be with you all day and becomes part of the wedding experience.
As a former wedding photographer, most all my weddings came from referrals. Your daughter I am sure has many friends who have recently got married, she should check those folks out first.
And NO, I will not come out of retirement for her wedding.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

DWU2 answered your question with great recommendations.

Please note that the following ideas were gleaned from the UHH wedding site from another MUCH WISER & EXPERIENCED UHH member than me.
I apologize for not remembering their name to give them credit.
Some Potential Wedding Poses:

At Groom’s House
 Groom, getting ready,
 Groomsmen, playing around
 Groom, in mirror
 The groom dressed in a GQ pose W/Jacket over the shoulder
 Groom full length
 Groom with Mother close-up
 Groom with Father close-up
 Groom with both Parents full length
 Groom with both Parents close-up
 Groom with Grandparents full length
 Groom with Grandparents close-up
 Groom with Sisters / Brothers
 Groom with immediate family
 Groom and Best Man full length
 Groom and Best Man close-up
 Groom and Best Man shaking hands
 Groom and all Groomsmen

At the bride’s house
 Bride dressing
 Mother helping with veil
 Mother/Maid of Honor adjusting veil
 Bride looking in the mirror
 Bride with Mother looking in the mirror
 Bride putting on garter with Bridesmaids looking on
 Bride full length
 Bride half-length
 Bride close-up
 Bride with Mother close-up
 Bride with Mother full length
 Bride pinning corsage on Mother
 Bride with Father full length
 Bride with Father close-up
 Bride pinning-on Father’s button-hole flower
 Bride with both Parents, full length
 Bride with both Parents, close-up
 Bride with Grandparents close-up
 Bride with Grandparents full length
 Bride with Sisters
 Bride with Brothers with immediate family
 Bride and Maid of Honor full length
 Bride and Maid of Honor Close-up
 Bride with Attendants
 Bride with Flower Girl/Ring Bearer
 Bride leaving the house with Parents and Bridesmaids
 Father helping Bride into the limo

The Ceremony
 Flowers
 Singers
 Groups of guests and everybody
 Flower Girl walking down the aisle
 Ring-Bearer walking down the aisle
 Maid of Honor walking down the aisle
 Bridesmaids walking down the aisle
 Father walking down the aisle with Bride
 Father “giving the Bride away”
 Bride and Groom exchanging vows
 Bride and Groom exchanging rings
 Bride and Groom kiss
 Bride signing register
 Groom signing register
 Bride and Groom walking back down the aisle
 Bride and Groom outside the church
 Bride and Groom getting into the limo

Formal photos
 Wedding party in place (front & back)
 Bride alone full length
 Bride alone ¾
 Bride alone close-up
 Bride alone headshot
 Bride alone peeping over flowers
 Bride and Groom kissing
 Bride and Groom full length
 Bride and Groom close-up
 Groom full length
 Groom ¾
 Groom close-up
 Close-up of rings
 Group shot of Bride & Attendants/Bridesmaids
 Groom & all Groomsmen
 Group shot of the entire family

The reception
 Wedding party announced
 The bride and Groom announced
 Bride and Groom's first dance
 Wedding party dancing
 Bride's dance with Father
 Groom's dance with Mother
 Best man toasting Bride & Groom
 Bride & Groom toasting each other
 The cake
 Bride & Groom posed at the cake
 Cutting cake
 Bride & Groom feeding each other cake
 Throwing bouquet
 Bouquet catch
 Groom taking off garter
 Groom throwing garter
 Garter catch
 Bride & Groom with catchers
 Guests
 Posed departure of Bride & Groom (kissing, waving, etc.)
 Bride & Groom leaving reception venue
 Bride & Groom leaving in a limo
 Close up of invitation
 Picture of Band or DJ

Smile,
JimmyT Sends
Good Luck!

ppkwhat Loc: Gibsonton, FL

For me, the most important are the referrals. When you nail down the few photographers to consider for your final decision. look for referrals on them. Not only from people your daughter's age, but from their parents also and then, decide who's the best for the event.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

ddgm Loc: Hamilton, Ontario & Fort Myers, FL

Here's my take on this. When my daughter got married 34 years ago my wife wanted a professional photographer to record the wedding, because "That is the only thing left of the day" and I agreed just was a little surprised at the cost. He took the usual before , during and after photos which were quite good but mostly of the bride & groom. This marriage lasted about 6 years, no kids. Nobody looks at these photos now. Unfortunately, this is a not uncommon thing. I have been happily married for 56 years. We had a very small wedding, just our parents and best man & maid of honour, only about 20 photos taken but we look at them quite often.

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

As a wedding florist who solicits photos for promotional use, I have looked at hundred of thousands of wedding photos, perhaps millions, from dozens and dozens of photographers. Some of them are companies employing several shooters, others are small teams, couples, or solo artists.
DWU2 has given you a great list of questions for candidates, although I wouldn’t fuss too much about what equipment they use.
Check their websites, and get a sense of their style and feel. Break it down by category- prep, ceremony, formals, candids. Get a sense of what’s most important to you, and convey that to your candidates.
Our best clients come to us from referrals by other vendors. There are always instances where a couple brings in a photographer, caterer or band from out-of-state, but for the most part we all work with each other very frequently. Ask your other vendors for recommendations, and ask why they are recommending them.
Lastly, meet them in person and find out who you connect best with. And while you don’t want to micromanage them, be sure that they understand why you chose them and what you want.
Hopefully budget won’t be an issue!

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

All good responses but once you have it narrowed down to 3 or 4 make sure the bride and groom have a face to face with the actual photographer. Run through some basic questions, including how they handle unforeseen circumstances such as a rain storm, bug fest, hair disasters etc. and get a feel for the photographer and his/her general demeanor. Does the photographer carry bobby pins, safety pins, tape etc. to handle off beat problems. Keep in mind that the photographer, while not officially a day planner, they should be able to keep things running as smoothly as possible and be able to switch it up if required. In the end, if your not comfortable, move on.

Bayou

Any fly by night outfit can be made to look like a major player with a good website. Don't put much faith in that.

Beware that there are increasing numbers of wedding photographers who have a personal style that wanders far from the traditional. Know what you want, and be sure to look closely at recent portfolio(s) to assure compatibility.