Engagement season is over and you’re probably in wedding planning mode, which is really exciting! But, you might be feeling overwhelmed though, and that’s why today I want to chat with you about inquiring with a wedding photographer.

Connecting with your wedding photographer is really important because they will be with you on your wedding day, but also be there through the whole planning process! Once you find a photographer you’re interested in, what should be your next steps? More than likely they will have a contact page on their website. You might have to fill out your name, email address, your wedding date, and possibly the location of your wedding. Once you send that information over to the photographer, they should get back to you within a couple of days.

After you have heard back from them, I highly suggest you book a call with them or meet up with them for coffee. This will allow you to interact with them face-to-face and get to know them a little better, and also talk more about your wedding plans. Here’s a list of important questions you should inquire about:

Do you have dual camera slots, and if so do you shoot on both cards?
How will you backup my images?
What happens if you have an emergency and can’t photograph my wedding?
Do you have backup equipment?
What is the payment schedule like?

These are just a few questions that are important for you to know the answers to. Now, you probably don’t exactly understand these questions, so let me briefly explain. It’s important for your photographer to have a dual slot camera, so that they can photograph your wedding day with 2 memory cards. That way if one fails on the wedding day, then they have those pictures on another card. Once your wedding is over, they should go home and backup all of your photos, and then also make sure they have a backup of that backup. You can never be too careful!!! Sometimes emergencies happen…for instance your photographer gets sick or something comes up which makes them unavailable to shoot the wedding. In this case, you need to know who will become the main photographer and if there will still be two photographers at the wedding. Technology is amazing, but sometimes it fails. If your photographer’s camera or lens were to break on your wedding day, make sure they have a backup camera they could shoot with! Lastly, each photographer will have different payment details, so make sure to find out this important information.

I know that all of this information is a little overwhelming and not the most fun to talk about, but believe me when I say it is important! Make sure your photographer has you sign a contract to protect each party in case anything unexpected were to happen. If you are in need of a wedding photographer, I would love to chat with you!

If you’re just getting started in your wedding planning, check out more resources…

First Four Priorities After Getting Engaged

Top 5 Wedding Venues in Columbus

What Being an LRA Bride Means to me

The Top Months to Get Married in Columbus