9 key questions to ask your wedding photographer

Award-winning wedding photographer Kristian Leven gives his top questions that you should make sure to ask before booking your wedding photography. We know you don’t want to think about your wedding day being over just yet, but humour us for this article, the photos of your wedding will become lifelong precious possessions.

If not, it might be worth asking for some recommendations, particularly for any photographers who shoot in the same style and are of a similar budget to themselves.

Generally, a single photographer is more than enough to capture all the moments (big and small) that happen on the day. However, there are some instances when having a second photographer could prove useful. For example, if you’d like to have pictures of the Bridal and Groom prep, but you’re both getting ready in different places, it might be worth checking to see if they can offer a second photographer to ensure both are captured.

Do they just charge for the coverage or are albums included? Are they there for eight hours, or until the last man is standing? And do they offer extras, such as engagement shoots or a second shooter? These are all important points to clarify when making the final decision.

You wouldn’t want any surprises later, so it’s best to double-check whether everything is inclusive or not.

Though this isn’t a pre-requisite, it might give you peace of mind to know whether they’ve shot at your venue before. Ultimately though, a professional wedding photographer will be able to work anywhere and adapt very quickly to their surroundings without a problem. 

Though unlikely, getting sick could happen to anyone, and you’d want to make sure your wedding photographer would be able to offer a replacement of comparable quality to step in at a moment’s notice. Thankfully a lot of wedding photographers are part of referral groups, which makes the process of finding someone new relatively stress-free

You’ll have an idea just by looking at their imagery, but it can be comforting to know exactly how they manage to capture the images they do. Do they keep to themselves and photograph from a distance, or do they become like a guest and blend in with everyone?

The wedding day is done, the Honeymoon is over, now where are the photos?! You’ll have a real eagerness to re-live the day, so it’s worth checking to see how long you’ll have to wait until you’re able to. As a general rule, 4-6 weeks is the industry standard, with most wedding photographers delivering the pictures in an online gallery with free high-res downloads for you and your guests.

Whilst you are thinking about your wedding photography, we think you might also be inspired by our collection of photo frames and photo albums and guest books. Use your wedding gift list to cherish the memories long after the confetti has settled.

The Wedding Shop, the UK’s leading independent and multi-award-winning wedding gift list service, has been creating unforgettable and meaningful wedding gift list experiences for over 30 years. Our unrivalled selection of over 450 brands lets you combine stylish presents with honeymoon funds, charity contributions, exciting experiences, subscriptions, and even gifts from other retailers — means you can curate a list of the best wedding gifts you'll love for a lifetime.