Choosing a wedding photographer? 10 Things you should be asking!

Choosing a wedding photographer

10 ESSENTIAL questions to ask your potential wedding photographers before you book them and pay that deposit.

Planning a wedding has so many elements involved, and we want to get it all right, after all, it is one of the biggest days of your life and besides buying a home it's one of the most expensive ones too.

When it comes to choosing your wedding photographer, it can be confusing. You can get caught up in looking at photos- does the photographer have photos that you like? Do the people in their photos look happy and relaxed? Does their work appear to be consistent? Do they have good reviews? Most people are also not comfortable in front of the camera so will I look awkward, will the photographer put me at ease, or will they be overbearing. (me, I try and have fun with you, lets not be to serious, which helps you relax, and I create your amazing photos)

Aside from the quality of photos, some important things aren’t usually discussed right away. A lot of times couples don’t find out about some of these IMPORTANT things until it’s TOO LATE.

Here is a list of 10 questions you should ask EVERY wedding photographer you speak to. All experienced wedding photographers should be able to answer these questions. The answers you get may vary- but you’ll be able to use the information to help you make an informed decision.

1. How many images will I get?
2. Do you include digital copies? If so, what resolution are they and who can have them, will they be watermarked?
3. What is your backup process?
4. Do you edit the photos, and to what extent?
5. What happens if you can’t make it?
6. Do you have insurance?
7. Do you have spare equipment (what if your camera breaks for example or lens...)
8. Do we have a contract?
9. When do you need the final payment by?
10. When will my photos be ready(2-4 Weeks 3-6, 4-8 weeks or?

1.HOW MANY IMAGES WILL I GET?

An experienced wedding photographer should know how many photos they can typically deliver. Or, if they include a certain number of images in their packages.

I don’t limit the number of photos I deliver, ever. I can deliver between 400- 600 photos, for 5 hours of wedding day coverage, for a full day coverage you could expect from 800-1200. The more that is happening, the more guests and details on the day, there is more to capture so naturally you will have more photos.

2.DO YOU INCLUDE DIGITAL COPIES? IF SO, WHAT RESOLUTION ARE THEY AND WHO CAN HAVE THEM?

I include ALL the digital files with every wedding. These are also full, high-resolution files and NO WATERMARKS, that you can print anywhere, at any time. You can download your images right from your online gallery. And there’s NO LIMIT- including your friends and family, you will have the link and password and anyone you trust with this can also download and print their copies at no extra cost! There are NO EXTRA CHARGES, EVER. 

Your photos are available in a beautiful online gallery that stays online for ONE WHOLE YEAR, but I keep them for a further 2 years on my hard drive. So you can share your photos, have them online, and order gifts from the online store.

It’s great to have the ability to save and keep your digital photos forever. But don’t assume your photographer will give you the digital images for free. When you have digital images, you’re less likely to buy professional prints. And most photographers count on print sales to stay in business.

Some photographers don’t include digitals in their packages (although most are starting now). Or they put a limit on how many you get, or the size/resolution. Usually, photographers who do this will charge less up front, so you think you’re getting a deal. But you end up paying a lot more in the end if you want to be able to print your photos on your own. This is because of the lower resolution and watermarks, they do this simply to ask for more from you at the end when it's too late.

3.WHAT IS YOUR BACKUP PROCESS?

Another topic that usually doesn’t come up until it’s too late. It’s essential to work with other storage solutions other than your computer's hard drive, like external hard drives and the cloud.

The unexpected happens. Memory cards get corrupted. Hard drives melt. Technology fails. You NEED to know from your photographer- what is their backup process like? What steps do they have in place to ensure your photos are safe?

My backup process includes several steps so you can rest knowing you don’t have to worry about it. First, I always use double memory cards in my cameras. So if one card goes bad, there’s always a backup. I replace my memory cards very often because older memory cards are more likely to go bad.

As soon as I’m done photographing your wedding, the images get imported to my computer. And my computer is being backed up to, 2 external hard drives, one that stays in my home office and the other that comes with me wherever I go constantly, and I do another backup to the cloud. I also keep one of the memory cards from each camera- and don’t erase it until after I deliver your images. Your online gallery also serves as a cloud-based backup. So each one of the photos I take is always backed up in at least 5 separate places.

4.TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU EDIT THE PHOTOS?

Some photographers only do minimal editing and then deliver. They straighten them, delete the “bad” ones, adjust the exposure and white balance, and deliver them as quickly as possible. Then they might have you choose your favourites, to which they then apply more intensive edits. Or some photographers will apply a special filter, or “preset” to all the photos, then select a handful of photos to fully edit.

When you receive your wedding photos from me, ALL the images are fully edited, in the same style. I take my time on each photo, and I go through them all 3 times, to check nothing was missed out and that you get the attention they all deserve. I will crop, straighten, apply my custom “look”, fix blemishes, remove distracting elements, and make any other adjustments I think are necessary. So you get a full gallery of amazing photos that tell the story of your day. Beautiful, timeless images that you’ll be excited to share right away.

5.WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT?

This is a difficult question because it’s about the worst-case scenario. We don’t want to think about it, but things do happen. It’s better to have a backup plan in case of an emergency than to have no plan at all. Beware of photographers who say “This isn’t even a question- I’ll be there no matter what”. There is always a chance something could happen- a car accident, a freak medical emergency, etc.

It would take an EXTREME emergency or circumstance for me to not be able to attend your wedding. I do a lot to ensure I’ll arrive healthy and ready to go on your wedding day. Including regular exercise, eating healthy, and even more, after the LOCKDOWN we had 2020-2021. I make sure to care for myself so that the chances of me having an issue are as little as possible. I always plan on setting off early to all weddings I photograph so if I have traffic or car trouble I have time to address this with you being affected. I also look after my car like I look after myself.

If the worst case does happen, I have professional photographer friends that I know and trust I would be on the phone with them all and if they are unavailable I would reach out to the local community of professional photographers, I am connected to. They will have the same style and provide the same wedding day experience as me. Everything else about your experience would remain the same, I would be editing your photos and so on.

6.INSURANCE

This is very important for many obvious reasons and some wedding venues request, public liability insurance from their suppliers. 

I can make this very simple YES I do have insurance and yes I am happy to send this to all my couples and venues. If a photographer refuses this, I would be very cautious on why?

7.EQUIPMENT

As I mention in the backup section of this blog, I have cameras that have 2 memory card slots, which simultaneously back up as I take every photo. But I also have 2 cameras on me at all times so if the camera fails there and then I have a second to use instantly. I also have a further 2 spare cameras and a few lenses in my car ready to go if I needed. It doesn't stop there I have 4 external flashes and enough batteries to do 3 weddings as well as extra memory cards.

8.CONTRACT

I believe in having a contract, this is for both you and me, it clearly states everything I mention here in this article and much more. For example, if you decide to add more coverage on the day that's no problem but as I said earlier I am an open book and every additional hour requested is charged at an hourly rate of £100.

9.FINAL PAYMENT

This is also in my contract but very important to be upfront about it to prevent any occurred conversations, which generally happen when comes to money. I request a £300 deposit to secure any wedding day and the final payment is due 30 days before your wedding date.

10.WHEN WILL YOUR PHOTOS BE READY

This is normally dependent on 2 factors high season or low wedding season. In the low season which is November to February, it can be 2-3 weeks and in the high season March-October it can be 4-10 weeks.

Knowing this means you have expectations on when to receive your photos, for example, if you are getting married in July, and expect your photos 2 weeks later, you would be upset that they are not ready and you receive them in September. I want to edit your photos to have my full attention, so I will never rush them.

These are 10 essential questions that are important to know before you decide to work with a wedding photographer. I want the couples I work with to feel 100% confident that I’ll give them the best experience possible. I welcome all questions- I’m an open book! I’m happy to provide examples, and testimonials, and show you full wedding galleries that I’ve delivered to real clients. So you’ll know you’re working with someone you can trust.

Nick Georgiou Photography

If you don't know much about me, well let me try and describe my style as a wedding photographer. My approach is documentary style, I am a very easy person to get on with, which will help put you and your guest at ease. This means if you have fun, I will capture it in my favourite way, candid! We will have fun and it will still be beautiful, I'm always looking for real moments to capture real raw emotion from everyone. The key for me is to let you have the best day and I will work my little legs off to capture it the best way I know how!

If you would like to ask me anything then please get in touch I am happy to discuss things in person or over the phone. If would like to check my availability then please let me know your date I will always aim to reply within 24 hours, unless I am on holiday then it might be 48 hours.

If you are still unsure then please take a look at the wedding galleries I have over 30 wedding galleries, enough I think to help you see my style and if it's perfect for your wedding day. If you would like to see my wedding packages then click here to see my options I can also create a personal package if you prefer. I hope you are ready to contact me I always love meeting new people and hearing all about their amazing wedding plans, so please get in touch.