How will you protect my photos so they don't get damaged or lost?

This is the most important question you can ask. Your photos are the only thing you keep from your wedding day so you cannot afford to have the files lost or damaged.

Memory cards fail. Hard drives die. Laptops get stolen. Unexpected things happen and your photographer needs a plan.

A professional should be able to walk you through their process and tell you things like their camera records to two memory cards at once, cards stay with them (not in a checked bag or an unlocked car), and multiple backups will be in different places, including off-site or cloud storage. If the answer is "I've never had a problem," that's not a plan.

Does your style match what I actually want?

This one is less of a single question and more of a conversation, and it's partially up to you to review their portfolio and make sure you like their photos. Photography is an art and professionals have their own styles that may not be your taste so pay attention before inquiring. There are two key parts to style—posing and editing.

Posing. Some photographers are hands-off and purely documentary. Others direct every shot. Many, like me, mix both, stepping back to capture the day as it unfolds, then guiding you during portraits. Do you want to be told exactly where to put your hands, or do you want to forget the camera is there? Do you like dramatic editorial posing or whimsical movement-driven poses? Do you want to spend hours on portraits or have a more casual 20 minutes of posing?

Editing. Light and airy, warm and golden, true-to-color, dark and moody. Editing style shapes how your photos feel for the rest of your life, and it's hard to change after the fact. Look at full galleries, not just highlight reels, and make sure you love how skin tones, greenery, and indoor reception light look.

If the photographer's work doesn't look like your inspiration, they're probably not the right fit, and that's okay. It's far better to figure that out now than when your gallery arrives.

How long until we get our sneak peeks and our full gallery?

After months of planning, the wait for your photos can feel endless, so know what to expect up front. Sneak peeks usually arrive within a few days to a week. I like to deliver mine early the next day when possible. Full galleries often take anywhere from several weeks to a few months, depending on the season and how many photos are being edited. Some photographers prioritize fast turnaround and others have a long backlog and you won't see any photos for months.

I have developed a system of uploading photos as I edit throughout the 6-8 weeks and it helps couples to see where I'm at in the process and enjoy new moments from the wedding constantly. You'll never wonder how editing is going or how far along I am because you can see everything I've edited so far in your gallery.

The Questions You Can Skip

"Have you photographed my venue before?" An experienced photographer knows how to read light, find good backdrops, and work around tricky spaces at any venue so it doesn't really matter if they've been there before. "What equipment do you use?" Honestly, it doesn't matter. Do you love their photos? Do they look crisp, clear and beautiful? Then don't worry about it. “Can we get the RAW or unedited files?” Editing is half the work and part of the style you’re hiring them for. Unedited files aren’t the “real” photos, and most photographers don’t hand them over.