Planning your wedding can sometimes be stressful as there are so many suppliers and services to choose from. In my experience as a Hertfordshire wedding photographer I have realised that no two weddings are the same but I have found that brides and grooms tend to ask very similar questions during the initial consultation so I thought I would put together this list of questions you should ask your professional wedding photographer prior to booking them. This is not a definitive list but hopefully it covers most of the important points that are relevant to wedding photography.
1. How many weddings have you photographed?
2. Will you be the photographer at my wedding?
This may seem an odd question but some wedding photography companies employ the services of associates and although this approach may be slightly less expensive you want to ensure you are speaking to the actual photographer who is shooting your wedding. The relationship between the bride and groom and their wedding photographer is a key element and it is vitally important you meet the photographer who will be with you on the day. Greenlees Wedding Photography does not employ associates and the work you see on my website, in my albums and prints is by me.
3. Can I see some complete weddings?
Absolutely! My sample albums are not made up of images taken from different weddings but tell the complete story of a wedding day from start to finish. Your wedding photographer should also be able to show you examples of more ‘difficult’ days such as inclement weather and if you are booking a winter wedding ask to see examples of complete winter weddings as they can be more challenging from a wedding photography point of view.
4. What sort of coverage do you provide and is it time restricted?
Wedding photographers vary in their approach to how much coverage they provide and their packages often reflect this in terms of price. Some wedding photographers set the amount of hours they provide their photography services for but I find this can be somewhat restrictive. I realise this issue can be contentious within the wedding photography industry but my approach is that when you book me you get me for the day whether it is for four hours or fourteen. I have never known a wedding to run to time and this can add extra stress to the day if the bride and groom are clock watching because their allotted time window for photographs is running out. My normal coverage is from about two hours prior to the ceremony to after the first dance to ensure I can document the day and capture all the passion, romance and emotion that is associated with a wedding.
5. How much do you charge for a second photographer?
All my prices include the services of an assistant who also acts as a second photographer and depending on the wedding they can be set various tasks throughout the day e.g. getting detail shots of the reception room whilst I photograph the formal or group shot.
6. Can I get my images on a disc?
As above all of my wedding photography packages include a disc of all the final images. You can expect upwards of 350 photographs from your wedding and all of them will be edited and supplied in a high resolution format, I also provide
smaller versions that have been re-sized and optimised for Internet and e-mail use meaning you can put them on your own website or Facebook, or e-mail them to friends or relatives who live far away who were not able to attend your wedding. However, I do retain the copyright but you are able to print the images without any restrictions.
7. How long will it take to see my wedding photographs?
I usually try and upload the highlights from the day within 24 hours to give you a taster and the remainder of the final images would normally be ready and uploaded to your password protected area of my website within 10-14 days although this may take slightly longer during very busy periods such as the height of summer.
8. How far will you travel?
As far as it takes! Obviously, as a Hertfordshire wedding photographer the majority of my work is in Hertfordshire and the Home Counties but I have photographed weddings in Ireland and Italy and thought the UK. There are no extra fees for weddings up to 50 miles away and for venues that are further we can discuss that at our meeting. With regards to destination weddings the only extra costs are for any expenses incurred.
9. Can your packages be changed?
It goes without saying that you are client and whatever your requirements are I will try and fulfil them – provided it is possible and legal!
You should treat my wedding photography packages as starting points and the only limit is your imagination, I love it when couples come up with unusual or quirky ideas as it helps to get the creative juices flowing so please get in touch if you have any special requests.
10. How long do you keep the wedding photographs for?
I retain all images indefinitely and all photographs are backed up to separate hard drives for archive purposes. You will also be supplied with a disc of your final wedding photographs and I would recommend you make some copies and keep them in a safe place.
I hope this has been useful and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Colin Greenlees
Greenlees Photography
Hertfordshire wedding photography
