It is so important when searching, to make a list of questions to ask a photographer or videographer before booking them for your wedding. Getting married or sharing in an elopement experience, (usually) only happens once, so you want to make sure that you are working with the professionals you feel confident and comfortable with.
Especially in the Black Hills, there are tons of wedding vendors. Unfortunately, that means it can get a little overwhelming when planning your special day. Now, I am not saying that having that many vendors is necessarily a bad thing. I am a huge proponent of #communityovercompetition, but I have been a bride in this situation.
Picture this: You are getting married at Black Hills Receptions and Rentals, and you start your external vendor search. After one Google Search, you are left with 20+ wedding photographers to talk with who have different pricing, availability, and packages including one shooter vs two, albums, print release, etc.
Get my drift? There are so many things to consider when hiring your media team. So, when you are doing your research, make a list of things that are important to you.
Questions to ask a photographer or videographer, based on what you deem important:
As I mentioned, the first step is to make a list of what is important to you. Is it:
- Hours of coverage?
- How many images you will be provided?
- How many individuals will be photographing/recording?
- Physical or print release vs digital release?
- Editing style?
And the list goes on and on… While I can provide a general list of ideas, I can’t help you decide what is most important to you. Only you and your fiancé can really make that decision.
Once you have that list of requirements or necessities that you would like met by your media team, it’s time to start doing the research into the individual vendors. My suggestion, is to narrow it down to your top five preferred vendors. When you get down to five, you can start digging into them a little more and maybe even meet with them or send direct inquiries.
When sending inquiries something to remember is to be specific.
Ex. Hey Sarah! I love your style and work. My fiancé and I our planning on getting married at [location] on Saturday, [date]. We would love to get more information about your packaging and pricing. Our budget for video alone is $3000, and we are hoping to have at least eight hours of coverage. Are you available and within our target budget? Looking forward to hearing from you, [your name + fiancé name]
After you’ve started to hear back from your vendors, if they haven’t already offered some answers to these questions, you may want to initiate that conversation.
Did you know that I do BOTH photo and video?
Book Your Wedding With Me
Check Availability and Pricing for Photo and/or Video
Photography Questions
- Do you offer a complimentary engagement session with your wedding packages?
- Do you provide color and black and white images or just one or the other?
- What add-ons do you provide? (film, prints, albums, etc.)
- What is the final product? How is it delivered?
- Can we see a full gallery example?
- What does a typical wedding day look like when working with you?
- Do you help with the timeline/scheduling?
Videography Questions
- Have you worked with my photographer before?
- Do you offer drone and multiple camera angles?
- How is the music selected for our highlight video?
- Do you capture the vows and audio from the ceremony and toasts?
- What is the final product? How is it delivered?
- What does a typical wedding day look like when working with you?
- Do you provide the raw footage?
There are also some questions when it comes to the contract that apply to both vendors. You will want to know the policies for deposits/payments as well as cancellation. God forbid we have another pandemic situation and you need to reschedule your wedding, it’s important to read the fine print in contracts. Other things to consider when it comes to the contract:
- Are you required to feed your vendor?
- What is their travel policy?
- What is the turnaround time?
- Will you be the person photographing/filming my day or will you be using a third party/associate shooter?
- How often will you communicate with us before the wedding?
- Are you insured?
Finding the Right Fit
When you’ve found the right fit, all that’s left to ask is simply: What are the next steps!? Booking with me, I require a $350-500 deposit and signed contract. I use a system called Pixieset to send digital contracts and questionnaires to get to know my couples better before the wedding day comes. My questionnaire also serves as a guide for planning the timeline and shot lists!
What sets Wandering Wilde Media Apart
In the Black Hills there are so many photographers. Not all of them offer the same things. I believe that a part of what makes me different is my passion. For years, I focused my efforts on my education to better my techniques and skills in photography and videography. I learned the art of telling a story through images and film, and earned my degree from Black Hills State University in fall of 2020.
While a degree is simply a piece of paper, I also have the reviews to back it up. I become your friend and confidant during the process. When you hire me, I am not just capturing your day, I am making sure that all the details you worked so hard to accomplish are perfect in every shot and that when you need a break, you get the privacy and peace you need.
Don’t take my word for it though! Check out all of my reviews on Facebook, Google, or here.
