If it’s a true professional wedding photographer/videographer you’re looking to capture your big day, Below are 10 must-ask questions.

1 – Are you a full-time wedding photographer/videographer?

With so many amateur and part-time wedding photographers & videographers out there (known as ‘weekend warriors’ in the industry) To be assured of hi-end standards in both service and of course photography, ensuring your photographer if a full-time professional is the best place to start.

 

2 – Ask to see at least two recent complete wedding galleries or films

It’s easy to fill a Wix website with a few great looking wedding photos, but can the photographer come up with the goods day in, day out, whatever the venue or lighting conditions? By asking to see full wedding galleries you’ll see what your money really gets you, and make sure they are from recent weddings.

For wedding films, make sure the films they show you are shot and edited by them and they weren’t just a small part creating the films.

 

3 – What happens if you are ill, or there is an emergency?

Check the photographer/videographer has a backup plan. Here at Boutique Wedding Films & Photography, though we’ve never missed a single wedding, we have a network of fellow professional photographers and videographers we can call upon if ever needed. So if the photographer doesn’t have a plan or tries to ignore this question then we’d advise to avoid them and continue with your search.

 

4-Are they insured?

When hiring a wedding photographer/videographer check they have public liability insurance. This ensures they are covered in case of an accident, such as bumping into a guest or someone tripping over their equipment for example. A professional will always have insurance, a part-time photographer or ‘weekend warrior’ may not have insurance to save money.

Also, many wedding venues will only allow professional insured photographers, so if just before your wedding you find they are uninsured they won’t be allowed on-site. This will leave you with the stress of finding another photographer at late notice.

 

5 – Will we meet before the wedding?

It’s nice if we can meet either at the time of booking or coming up to your wedding day though this isn’t always necessary. It’s great to run through how it works on the day and get to know each other a little. We have a home office in Southend, we’ll talk through your ideas and answer any questions you may have, ensuring your wedding day runs smoothly.

On the occasions where due to distance or time issues we can’t meet, we can always Skype or simply run through the finer details on the phone.

 

 

6 – What’s included?

Look out for hidden extras, make sure you know exactly what’s included in your package. Some photographers may limit the number of images you receive or not include the hi-res digital files.

With Boutique Weddings you receive all the hi-res retouched images with all our packages.

At Boutique Films, you receive not only a stunning highlight film but also the ceremony and speeches in full.

 

7 – I hate posing, do I have to pose?

We know what you mean. We hate posing for pictures too!

Posing isn’t natural and we don’t think it looks natural either. An experienced photographer/videographer will be able to keep the bride & groom relaxed throughout the day and their photoshoot.

Our style is all about capturing the real you and the emotion of your wedding day. Most of our work is shot in a reportage style, capturing the day as it unfolds. We do of course guide you at times, arranging any group shots and to create the stunning wedding photos and films we have become renowned for; the trick is to keep things laid back and not over posed.

 

8 – Do you have experience in evening & low light photography?

Now, poor and low light conditions can really be what separates the true professional from the ‘weekend warriors.’

Let’s be clear here – ‘Weekend wedding photographers ‘are not full-time professionals. They work a main job outside of photography and shoot weddings at the weekends for some extra cash.

Now, with the advancements in new technology, amateur photographers with modern cameras can achieve pretty good results. The problem is this can be limited to good light. The camera will do half the work for them when shooting outdoors in bright conditions, but when it comes to low light wedding photography or film there’s no substitute for experience…
Checkout our blog all about shooting in low light HERE.

 

9 – Ask to see reviews

Any full-time professional will have plenty of great reviews behind them either on Google or Facebook, have a good read through plenty of them.

Have a look through what our clients are saying about us via the Facebook link below…

 

10 – How long after the wedding should it take till I see my photos?

On average you should expect to receive all your edited images 4-6 weeks after the wedding. This is a question definitely worth asking as we do hear horror stories of couples waiting months, even over a year for their photos. The films do take a little longer, 10-12 weeks on average.

At Boutique we know you can’t wait to see them so we deliver all your finished images within 2-4 weeks.

 

 

 

We hope this has helped you in your search for your perfect wedding photographer. If you like our relaxed style and wish to be assured of a professional service from start to finish, please don’t hesitate to GET IN TOUCH.

Good luck with all the wedding planning. We’ll leave you with some of our faves from our photography portfolio, have a wonderful day!