8 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer

Your Hawaii wedding photographer is the person you will end up entrusting your treasured memories with. Searching for your Hawaii wedding photographer is one of the first few tasks you’re going to do early on, after securing a date and booking a venue. As you begin your search for the perfect wedding photographer for you, here are some questions you should be asking to ensure your memories are captured and documented well.

1. Do you have insurance?

Insurance is a must for your wedding vendors, including your Hawaii wedding photographer. Most venues require proof of liability insurance from vendors before allowing them to work on their premises, so this is a good question to ask before you proceed with a wedding photographer. Having equipment insurance also makes sure that your wedding photographer is covered in case of an accident that damages their gear during your wedding. You want to make sure that details like these are covered before you sign the dotted line.

2. What happens if you are ill on the day of my wedding?

While this is a rare occurrence, it can happen: people can get sick or have sudden emergencies that can force them to not be able to make it on the day of your wedding. While these situations are understandable and sometimes unavoidable, you need to know what your wedding photographer’s back-up plan is in case something happens on the day of your wedding and also get an assurance that quality will be maintained even if a back-up is sent in case of an emergency. A plan B is essential, and this is a question that should be answered for your own peace of mind.

4. What do you love about what you do?

While this may seem like a weird question, this tunes you in to just how passionate the photographer is about weddings and what they do and allows you to see if they’re a good match for you. A photographer who is enthusiastic about weddings and genuinely excited for you will not see it as just a job or a gig, but make it their mission to provide you with beautiful and emotional images, and this is someone you want on your team.

4. What is your photography style? What makes your photography different?

Your photographer should be able to explain their style and show you samples to back up what they say. Knowing this will allow you to be able to visualize how your wedding photos will turn out, and allow you to determine if this is what you want for your big day.

6. Do you have online reviews and testimonials?

Websites, packages, and collections are helpful. So are online galleries and portfolios. However, firsthand experience from couples who have worked with your photographer is gold. These reviews allow you to take a peek into how it actually is to work with them on the day of the wedding. Ask them for their Yelp or Google pages and scrutinize what other couples have to say about their experience.

6. Can I request specific images to be taken?

While you should allow your photographer to exercise their creativity and skill, it’s also great to be able to let your photographer know if there are any special photos you would like taken such as family portraits, or a photo with some special friends. Creating a wedding shotlist and a wedding timeline is a surefire way to be able to communicate what you want captured to your wedding photographer.

7. When do I receive my images? How will I receive my images?

Once the wedding day is over, we’re pretty sure you’ll be excited to see your photos. Your photographer will be spending at least 30+ hours working on your images after the wedding. Ask your photographer what a realistic timeline is for your images to be delivered. You can also ask in what form you will receive your images as some send galleries through a convenient email with one click download or provide a them in a USB drive.

8. Do you have print, album, and wall-art options?

Asking about options for printing albums or wall-art is great as it provides ways for you to display your wedding photos after the celebration. As much as we love how technology has made viewing images faster and convenient for us to preserve memories, there is nothing like albums and wall-art to help us sit down, enjoy and remember memories that are important to us.