What To Ask Your Wedding Photographer Before Booking

Protecting Your Day

Note: Information and policies vary from photographer to photographer, information presented on a vendors website, a directory or other source may be outdated. It is important to contact your photographer directly to receive the most updated information on their services.

When it comes to asking your Wedding Photographer questions up front, normally it’s the same suggestions. Ask what their style is, ask how they make their couples feel comfortable while taking photos, and ask what deliverables you will get after the services are complete.

And while these are important questions, it’s also important to ask about their planning process, how they handle obstacles throughout the day, and even some mundane but crucial information that is essential to having a smooth photography experience before, during, and after your wedding day.

Do They have Insurance?

This is one of the biggest things that couples overlook when choosing a wedding photographer. Some photographers, especially those who are new to the industry and operating at lower price points, may not carry liability insurance. Many venues across Albany and Upstate NY require a certificate of insurance when a vendor, like a photographer, steps onto the property, especially if that photographer plans to set up any light stands or other equipment needed for the day of your wedding.

Not only is this important to making sure the photographer is allowed onto the venue grounds to capture your day, but it’s also important for the safety of your guests throughout the day. Imagine during reception dancing, a guest knocks over a light stand and hits someone in the head. That could easily lead to a lawsuit involving you, the venue, the photographer, and the injured guest, which is not something you want to think about after an event like your Wedding.

You can find this information out easily by asking the photographer directly when you’re inquiring, or you can also check their FAQ or service page to see if they provide this information.

Do they have experience photographing at your venue?

While this is not 100% required, this is something to keep in mind when choosing your photographer. Venues can vary a lot between the way they are presented online vs. how they are in person, especially when it comes to the lighting and the way the space photographs on camera.

For example, one of the most well-known areas at your venue that you have your heart set on, potentially for a first look, may look completely different in person. Your photographer can tell you in advance if it requires a certain time of day to get the look you want, or if the photos you’re looking at online had studio lights brought in that you can’t see off camera

If they haven’t photographed at your specific venue, ask them if they have shot at another location that is similar to yours. For example, if it’s a vineyard, ask if they’ve shot at one before. If it’s a dimly lit estate building, ask for a gallery or blog with low-light photos. If it’s an outdoor garden, ask how they are able to make the light work during midday and what their suggestions are.

Again, most photographers can adapt, but especially if your venue has a unique layout when it comes to space constraints and varied lighting, it’s important to ask what they are familiar with.

What is their back up plan for the weather?

This is extremely important, especially if you are not working with a planner or same-day coordinator. In Albany and Upstate NY, the weather can change quickly, especially during the summer. While things like the ceremony location should be left up to the venue or whoever is in charge of the location your wedding is at, things like the first look, getting-ready photos, and just-married portraits are mostly left up to your photographer.

It’s important for them to have pre-scouted the area and decided which weather-protected spots will photograph well as a backup plan for your portraits. For example, with an outdoor garden venue, the fountain surrounded by roses may not be ideal during a downpour, but maybe the stone patio with vine-covered arches overlooking the gardens may be a great backup.

Or, if your planned getting-ready space is too dark and the photographer suggests you move to another room, such as the lounge that has large windows with natural light, it’s important to ask them how they handle these situations when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Make sure to ask for a rainy-day blog post or gallery.

How many miles of travel is included in their package?

This varies from photographer to photographer, but this is something to consider, especially if your ceremony and reception locations are not close to each other, or if your engagement session location prior to your wedding is far away.

I had a couple who wanted to do an engagement session in Washington Park in Albany, which is very local to me, but they changed the location a few days prior to the Sagamore Resort in Lake George. This location is 70 miles from Albany, NY, where I’m located. My packages include up to 30 miles of travel, so in order for me to do a session there and cover the time it takes to get there and back, I charge a separate travel fee, which I am upfront with my couple about prior to the session.

In that scenario, a travel fee was needed. However, on their wedding day, the same couple had their ceremony location in Colonie, NY, and then had their reception at The Erlowest in Lake George, which is about 56 miles between each location. This would have been a separate travel fee again, but due to prior discussion with the bride’s family, they had arranged transportation for myself and my team that day. So, in this scenario, there was no need to apply a travel fee.

Based on this, it’s important to coordinate with your photographer beforehand to see if there are any fees that need to be discussed up front, so there are no surprises during your wedding planning.

Are they actually from the Capitol Region?

This can get confusing very quickly. Many photographers, especially those on directories such as The Knot, WeddingWire, Zola, and even your local Facebook groups, will tag as many locations as possible to say that these are areas they serve, to get the most business, when in reality, they may actually be located in New York City, across Western New York in Buffalo, or even as far as a state like California.

Yes, this photographer can theoretically service these areas. However, you have to hope, one, that they can accommodate the date of your wedding by making arrangements to get to NY State for your wedding, or, two, expect a pretty heavy travel fee for them to come to your event, which is on top of their listed service price.

Ask directly where your photographer is located, whether that be their studio address or which area they are registered as a business. Ask if there are any travel fees or accommodations that have to be made if they are traveling far, and make sure to read through the contract carefully, especially for cancellation policies if they are a distance away.

Another suggestion is to look through their portfolio, social media, or other past blogs to see how many weddings they have actually shot in your area to determine their main location.

I’m dedicated to making your wedding or portrait session in Albany, Upstate NY, & Hudson Valley a smooth, personalized, and memorable experience. Ready to begin? Explore my wedding or portrait photography services, view the heirloom album experience, or get in touch here!

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Thanks for reading!

-Raf