Everyone knows that your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. When you realize that, then you'll realize how important it is that you have the RIGHT photographer and/or videographer. After all, when the day is done, the only images you will have to look back on and share with people will be the pictures taken or the video footage.

We think it's very important that you go into contract with your wedding vendors with a full understanding of what is taking place. Don't assume that they'll tell you everyone written in the fine print. Not everyone is honest and not everyone will follow through.

So, when choosing a photographer and/or videographer, you should choose a reliable, professional and experienced company to capture the images of your wedding day. Some things you can do are check references, check with the Better Business Bureau, ask your friends, family or co-workers who they used, etc. Always ask to see work from previous weddings.

When choosing your photographer or videographer - make sure the quality of work you view (samples) is what you want. Especially with videotaping you don't an amateur tape that looks and sounds more like a home video. Also remember, price will play a large part of the quality and service you are provided with. Sometimes it's easier to pay a little more for a good photographer and/or videographer and have it go smoothly then pay less and have hassles the whole time with poor quality.

Below you will find questions you should ask your potential photographer and/or videographer. Some questions can be used for both services. Don't feel embarrassed and don't be concerned if it will bother them. If you sense your questions are bothering them - move on and find someone else. Any professional should be willing answer any questions you may have.

 

For Photographers:

• How long have you been photographing weddings? What kind of experience do you have?
• Are you a specialist? Do you belong to any organizations such as: Wedding Photo Journalist Association; Wedding & Portrait Photographers International; Professional Photographers of America?
• Do you video tape as well? What other services do you offer?
• How far in advance do you suggest we book our date with you?
• Is there a deposit required? If so, how much and when is it 'due'?
• When do you require the final balance to be paid? If on the wedding day, how do you prefer we present you with the final payment? (check in an envelope at the beginning or end of day, etc.)
• What is your cancellation policy? Is there a charge? How far in advance can we cancel without a cancellation fee?
• How long after the wedding will it take to see our proofs and receive our albums (or whatever is included in the package)?
• Do you have a portfolio of previous weddings? (make sure you see actual wedding images...they can show you when they photographed graduation pictures, but those are two different settings and will have two different outcomes)
• Do you personally shoot my wedding or will there be someone else doing it? Will there only be one person shooting the wedding or more? If yes, can I see a portfolio of their work? Will I be able to meet them before the wedding day?
• Do you take one kind of shot, specifically or can you mix different styles (i.e. candid shots, journalistic shots, formal portraits, etc.)
• Do you retouch photos? What method do you use?
• Approximately how many pictures will be shot throughout the day?
• Do you offer any digital or Internet services? Are they separate or included in the packages? (i.e. an online wedding album so people can see your proofs and they can even order online, etc.)
• Do you offer for you customers to buy the film negatives? What is that charge?
• How long do you keep the negatives before they can be purchased?
• Do you have a price list for all the reprint sizes available?
• What packages do you offer? (If you're not sure which will work best for you, let them know what you want captured from your wedding and they can let you know which package will work best for you)
• If a package specifies a certain amount of time for the photographers to be there (3 hours, 5 hours, 7 hours), what is the charge if they end up being there longer? Is the charge per hour? Half hour?
• Do you charge a travel fee? (some charge a fee if they have to travel more than 50 miles...some charge a travel fee if they have to 'travel' from the ceremony site to the reception site)
• Do you only shoot in color or can you shoot color and black and white? If you do shoot in black and white, what percentage of the pictures will be in black and white?
• Can the whole wedding be shot in black and white? Is there an extra charge for that?
• What kind of lighting will work best to get the best pictures?
• Is there a minimum order requirement when ordering prints or reprints?
• Do you like to be included in the dinner? (you will need to know this so you can include them in your final count to the caterer...it is a very nice gesture if you do offer for them to be included in your wedding dinner since they will be with you from before your ceremony to after your reception ...photographers need to eat too!)
• Do you have a selection of albums to choose from? How many pictures can fit in each album? What is the cost? Can they be personalized on the front to display the wedding date and names?
• If the ceremony and reception are a few hours apart from each other (11am ceremony, 5pm reception), what additional charges will apply for that time?

For Videographers:

• What packages do you offer? Prices?
• How many videos are included on the cost? How much will extra copies be?
• How long have you been video taping weddings? What kind of experience do you have?
• So you have previous weddings you've video taped available to view?
• How far in advance do you suggest we book our date with you?
• Is there a deposit required? If so, how much and when is it 'due'?
• When do you require the final balance to be paid? If on the wedding day, how do you prefer we present you with the final payment? (check in an envelope at the beginning or end of day, etc.)
• What is your cancellation policy? Is there a charge? How far in advance can we cancel without a cancellation fee?
• How many cameras will be used?
• Will you be working alone or will there be help?
• Do you use updated equipment? (you want broadcast-quality equipment used so it doesn't seem like you're just watching a home video)
• Will we be wearing micro-phones? Will the sound of the ceremony and reception be clear? (you don't want muffled!!!)
• Who will be editing my wedding video?
• How long will the final video run?
• Do you offer the service of including a picture collage on the video (this way you can add childhood photos, etc.)? Can you add other video to our tape (i.e. from the honeymoon or rehearsal or showers)? What is the charge for these services? When would the pictures/video need to be given to you?
• Do you do voice-overs (narrative)? Are there any special effects you use?
• Do we get to keep or purchase the first-generation copy? (this will be the original before any copies are made and editing is done)
• How long after the wedding will it take to complete the video?

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