Questions to ask your wedding photographer

The challenge of finding the perfect photographer for your special day can be a bit overwhelming, but it pays to do your research.

"There are tons of resources if you're searching for the perfect photographer," says Atley Marks owner of Atley Fotographie. "You can check out wedding magazines, wedding blogs and even explore social media in search of a photographer whose style is exactly what you're searching for."

Checking with friends and family for referrals is also a way to find a great photographer. Once you've found a photographer whose work you admire, check out their website for booking instructions.

LaTonya Williams of LaTonya Williams Photography suggests after narrowing the choices down to the one you like take a look at his or her work. This way there are no surprises regarding the level of experience of the photographer.

The next step is to find out what's included in the package.

"Different photographers offer different packages," Marks says. "I offer one standard wedding package, which includes eight hours of continuous coverage, a minimum of 700 retouched images, an online gallery for viewing, downloading, printing and an assistant for the day. Clients may purchase extra hours for a small fee if needed."

Don't be afraid to ask what's a reasonable time to expect photos back. After all, this is your special day and it's all right to be excited.

"The majority of the work on a wedding collection takes place the day after," Marks says. "An extensive amount of time will be spent editing and re-touching your images. Six to eight weeks turnaround is typically quite reasonable for wedding collections."

Have some ideas about how you want to pose in your photos, but in the end allow the photographer to take the lead. He or she is the experienced professional.

"It depends on the photographer. I personally lean more toward natural, organic posing, so I don't require clients to come up with posing ideas," Marks says. "I'd rather let them fall more naturally into the moment."

Be sure to communicate to the photographer about any challenging family situations involving people who don't get along.

"Being knowledgeable about family relationships is super helpful when coordinating family portraits," Marks says. "Organizing the day in a way that accommodates everyone is very important to keeping the day light, love-filled and stress-free."

Williams says during the consult she creates a family tree to help navigate stressful situations.

"Which uncle is the unpleasant uncle, all types of circumstances that may prevent this day from being special," she says. "People appreciate it when you take time to care, it's not just a job. Every time I take pictures at a wedding it's personal to me."

If time permits research to find out what's hot or trendy at the moment.

"'First Looks' are an amazing trend these days," Marks says. "A 'First Look' is a time set aside before the ceremony when the groom gets to see his bride-to-be for the first time. This is super helpful if you're a bride hoping for tons of beautiful portraits on your wedding day. This gives you and your photographer the ability to shoot for hours before the actual walk down the aisle and allows a quicker grand entrance to your reception.

"First Looks also give the groom a chance to tell his bride freely how beautiful she is in that private moment," she says. "He can gush about her loveliness, snuggle her close and have her twirl in her dress."

How do photographers make the process extra special?

"I always try have coffee at least twice with my brides before their big day," Marks says. "I feel getting to knowing the couple on a more personal level helps me capture more true emotion on their big day. In our time together, I may notice that he typically gazes at her a little longer even after she's stopped speaking, or she playfully nudges him after he tells a joke. These are the things I'll watch for on the big day. These are the things I want to capture, those moments that showcase why they fit together so well."

For the sake of trying to be frugal, don't cheat yourself out of everlasting memories.

"Be careful about who you hire," Williams says. "Have a look at their track record and choose a professional."

Source: Questions to ask your wedding photographer