Tips: How to choose a photographer for a wedding?

Choosing your wedding photographer is one of the most important parts of your wedding planning. Photographs are part of the very few things that will remain after your wedding day. It might overwhelm you because a lot of photographers are champions in marketing. Thus, you can easily be fooled. The 2 most important things are to meet your photographer (see if it matches or not), and see some entire weddings to make sure you would like the result. You want ALL the pictures to look amazing, not only 10 excellent pictures (because everyone can take 10 pleasant portraits in a day). Here is a list of simple questions (to ask yourself or the photographer) to help you choose the right photographer.

Questions to ask yourself before hiring a photographer:

1. Do you like the pictures and the style?
2. Have you met the photographer, did you feel comfortable with him/her?
3. Have you looked at some entire photo galleries?
4. Have you looked at some pictures taken in some dark venues?
5. What are his/her online reviews? Are they real reviews or fake ones?
6. How long has he/she been doing photography? What is his experience?
7. Compare the basket keeping in mind photographers are not apples

First: the style?

That’s maybe one of the most important questions. Do you like what you see or not? When you look at the pictures in his portfolio, are they OK pictures, or are they Wow pictures?

Meet the photographer and see if it matches?

That’s also one of the most important questions! Your photographer will be with you all day, so you must feel comfortable with him/her. To catch good candid pictures of you relaxed and smiling, you need to be relaxed and have fun. If the photographer doesn’t make you feel good, it will be a problem! The best way to know that is through the engagement session.

Have a look at some entire photo galleries?

It’s easy to take 10 or 20 good pictures in one day. It’s something else to take all pictures well. The only way to judge an entire coverage is to take the time to look at an entire coverage. Ask your photographer!

Have you checked some pictures taken in some dark venues? Have you looked at pictures at 100% to see the quality (if they are well focused, if there is noise or not)? Does your photographer work with off-camera flashes?

In Minnesota, there are a LOT of very dark venues, (even the most beautiful ones), with very low light and dark wood. The quality of the camera gear (body + lens), and the way your photographer retouches the pictures, will play a huge role in the quality of the pictures you will have. To make it simple, a picture with a lot of noise can look nice on a smart-phone screen, but won’t be nice when printed.

A good photographer should use off-camera flashes. That allows them to bring the light even in gloomy places. I work with 4 off-camera flashes when it’s needed.

About online reviews? Are those real reviews or fake reviews? What are you looking for?

You probably know that most of the reviews on the internet are fake? Some websites, like WeddingWire and the Knot, are open doors to fake reviews. Some other websites, like Yelp or Google, try to control a bit the authenticity of people who write reviews. But it’s still not a guarantee they’re real reviews. Facebook seems to work pretty well, given you can check if the people are real or not (more or less).

What you are looking for in the reviews?

You want to know your photographer’s personality. Not if he is Democrat or Republican, but more the way he will work. Is your photographer running all day everywhere to take pictures of everything happening? Or is he a more relaxed one and takes only the most important moments? Is your photographer pretty flexible, and will adjust to your needs or not? And of course, you will check all the bad reviews. Has your photographer ever missed any wedding?

How long has he/she been doing photography? What is his experience?

Experience teaches you how to react in an unexpected and complicated situation. Your photographer can be talented and just starting his career. If something complicated happens, he may not be ready to deal with this situation.

Photography is in the USA a common career change profession. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data on small business survival rates, approximately 15-25% of photography businesses close within the first year, and by the third year, about 31-32% have closed (cumulative). The Small Business Administration reports that across all industries, about 67.9% of businesses survive at least two years, with roughly 49% surviving five years. This means there are many new photographers who are essentially amateur photographers trying to make a living from their hobby. I don’t blame them; I was one of those when I was a photography student. Since then I have learned tremendously, and I can’t compare what I used to do 14 years ago to today. A good way to judge a photographer’s skills is to see if they do other types of photography and at what professional level. Each type of photography requires specific skills. Wedding photography benefits from diverse skills: portrait, sports events, fashion, commercial, and landscape photography.

Here is my “corporate photography “website, and here are few of my “artistic images”. Does that remind you of something? Those staged group pictures are one thing that I like to apply to wedding group pictures. And if you want to see more, you can go on blog.alexandremayeur.com

Photographers are not apples

When you want to compare two quotes, don’t look only at the final price! Look at the basket, what it includes? Not only the number of hours, but all the packages, the rights. Etc. Photographers are not like apples at the supermarket. Well… beginner photographers maybe, but experienced ones are not. The devil is in the details!

Questions to ask your photographer:

Contract & Payment

What happens if the photographer has an accident a couple of days before the wedding? Is there anything in the contract that covers me?

As mentioned in the contract, we guarantee you to have a photographer.

What’s the payment schedule? (deposit, final payment timing)

All photographers would ask for a deposit to secure the date. Some would ask for a fixed amount, some for a percentage, that is usually around 30% to 50%.
The final payment can be due somewhere before 2 months prior to the wedding, to the wedding date.

At French Touch Photography I ask for a $1000 deposit and the remaining 1 month prior to the wedding.

What are the exact cancellation/rescheduling policies?

Cancellation and rescheduling can happen. Some photographers would keep the deposit if you reschedule. Some others won’t charge anything, depending on how long in advance you need to reschedule or cancel. Some won’t let you reschedule at all and would ask you to pay the basic package. That’s the contract part. Make sure to read it carefully.
At French Touch Photography I’m flexible on postponement, asking for no fee if told enough in advance and if rescheduled. But I am not flexible on last minute cancellation.

Are there additional fees for travel outside a certain radius?

Travel fees can add some dollars to the final bill. Wedding photography usually adds some fee based on the distance driven. Beyond a specific distance they might charge a package, or ask for hotel, or airplane ticket.
For information, in Minnesota, the legal travel fee is around $0.70/mile for state business as of 2025.

I offer the first 90 miles and then charge $0.70 per mile from Rochester, MN.

What happens if the wedding runs overtime?

Most photographers would agree to add extra hours to finish the coverage. Some photographers won’t. If that matters for you, you have to discuss it beforehand with your photographer.
I am fine adding more hours to finish the coverage.

Do you carry professional liability insurance?

This liability is important for the photographer (in case he, or his equipment damages something or someone). Some rare venues ask for proof from the photographer and won’t let you hire him if he does not provide an updated certificate from his insurance.
I do carry insurance with proof.

Equipment & Technical

Who will take the pictures on your wedding-day?

It sounds pretty obvious, but make sure that if you hire a photographer for his talent, you will have this photographer shooting your wedding and not a “partner” photographer.

Will the photographer have back-up equipment if his camera breaks?

I work with several cameras, lenses, and flashes. So if one breaks for any reason (that happens rarely, but that could happen), I have more than enough back-up equipment.

Does your photographer work with one camera at a time? Or two or three?

Working with several cameras at the same time allows to have different lenses on each camera and so to capture at the same time close-up and larger point-of-view. I work with two cameras on my shoulder all day.

Does your photographer offer second shooter option?

This is a sensitive subject. I believe that most of the time second shooters are more marketing than a real improvement of the quality & number of pictures. Learn more about second shooter.

How will the photographer deal with a very dark venue? Does he work with off-camera flash?

A good photographer should have some very good cameras, some very good lenses, and several flashes that he can use as off-camera flash. Learn more for dark venue. I work with a super high-quality camera (canon 1-DX) and lens that can catch even the small amount of light in a dark room (large aperture). I do work with off-camera flash when it’s needed. During the dinner and the party, I can add up to 4 flashes to light up everything.

What is your back-up strategy regarding the pictures?

Most photographers don’t have any back-up strategy. Digital Photography is only 0 and 1 on a memory card, and then hard drive. That memory card and hard drives can crash. It’s very unlucky and rare, but that can happen. And you don’t want that to happen for your wedding pictures. That’s why I work with a 1DX camera that records every picture on 2 cards at the same time (it’s a live-backup). Then I transfer all my pictures on my computer, they are backed up on a NAS server, in two different locations. So even if a crash happens, you have the guarantee to have your pictures. Furthermore, I keep a back-up of your pictures for 10 years.

Photo Delivery & Rights

Does your photographer outsource the retouching?

These days, a lot of photographers outsource the culling and editing. I have decided not to for one principal reason. After spending all day with the bride and groom, I know what is important for them, and how to select and retouch (crop) the pictures.

How does your photographer cull, edit, retouch your pictures?

Retouching is the hidden part of the job that Bride and Groom don’t realize. It’s like the editing for a movie. It can be quickly and badly done in one day, with automatic script. A good retouching work usually requires 5 days of post-production. I retouch all raw files with DXO for the quality (color dynamic, sharpness). And then with Lightroom to enhance each picture. I try to work with timeless colors. Learn more about my retouching process.

How many pictures does your photographer deliver?

The good question should be: how many GOOD pictures does your photographer deliver? I usually deliver around 1000 (or more) pictures for a 12-hour coverage, all retouched one by one. I do artistic pictures, but most of the time I catch a moment like a ninja. All pictures are not AMAZING. Some will be just normal, but full of emotion. I try to take a picture of every guest at their advantage. I would be happy to show you an entire wedding gallery.

What’s the expected delivery timeline for photos?

Delivery time can vary from one photographer to another. Most contracts include a clear timeframe. Usually a 1 or 2 month delay is judged reasonable; Some photographers offer options for fast delivery (same week).

I usually deliver the photos from two to three weeks.

How will photos be delivered? (online gallery, USB drive, etc.)

Today, thanks to the internet, fewer and fewer photographers use USB or DVD (DVDs are not even supported on most recent computers). So today, most of the time, it’s through a dedicated web service. Note that some photographers have their own FTP.

What rights do we have to print and share photos?

That’s a pretty important question. Some photographers would charge a small price to cover the wedding, but then, if you want the HD images to print the photos you would have to pay additional fees.
Some photographers, on the opposite would work with packages including all the rights to the images.

Do we get any RAW/unedited files?

You want to make sure all the photos are edited. Indeed, editing takes time, and some photographers would include only a certain amount of retouched photos. And then would ask you for more money to retouch the other ones.
Make sure to pick a package where all the photos are already retouched.
I retouch and deliver all the images.

When/how will you post photos on social media?

Privacy can be important for some public couples. You might not want your photos being tagged with your name. Discuss the photographer’s policy to learn more.
If you are planning to have kids, ask as well about his policy with kids.

I sometimes tag you on Facebook if you are OK with that. And if you don’t want that, that’s fine for me. Kids’ pictures can be pretty fun. But as a parent I understand if you don’t want images published. For kids, let me know if you don’t want any image published of a specific kid for any reason.

Albums & Products

Does your photographer offer wedding Albums? What kind? Who selects the images and do you have a word to say if you don’t like the layout?

Many photographers offer albums, but often outsource the design work to third-party companies using templates. Some photographers select all the images themselves, giving you little input. Others charge significant fees for design revisions or limit how much input you can have.

I design all albums myself rather than outsourcing, and I believe you should select the images since they’re your memories. If you don’t like a layout design, you can request one modification per page. The album is the physical object that will remain through time – if you don’t create it soon after your wedding, you probably never will.

Do you offer Packages with albums for parents?

A lot of parents help with the wedding. Most of the parents would be super happy to have an album. Packages with parents’ albums usually bring the price down and make parents happy. Yes, I offer packages including 2 smaller reproductions of your album for your parents. You can add more albums if needed.

Communication & Planning

Does your photographer do creative pictures?

I do in addition to candid shoots, unlike some other photographers. Please, have a look at my portfolio.

Do you help us to determine the best wedding schedule?

Every photographer should do that, but a lot just show up the day of your wedding and follow the schedule you have sent to them. I DO help you with the schedule. It is called the pre-production of the wedding. It takes time, but at least I am sure that everything will go smoothly during your wedding day. We will first meet for a free consultation and start thinking about the draft of your schedule. Then we exchange emails during all the year before your wedding. Couple of weeks prior to your wedding we do a Skype session and review together all the details of the day. Tips: look at a typical wedding schedule. Or go further, with this in depth article to create your perfect timeline.

Is your photographer OK if you ask them to reproduce some specific pictures?

Totally relaxed about that.

How responsive are you during the planning process?

In the age of internet we like fast communication, especially if planning is part of the budget. You want to make sure your questions don’t wait 2 weeks to get an answer. Make sure also there is no limit of emails or questions you can send.

I usually respond in 24 to 48 hours to emails.

Can you provide references from recent clients we could contact?

Usually, good photographers should provide you with enough galleries to reassure you about the quality of the images. And you should see through the images, how the people feel.
That said, you might touch base with past clients to learn more about the photographer. Is he/she friendly? Spends time talking to your guests, drinking? Arrives late? or such things.

I can show you as many galleries as you want; You can also read past reviews. If you really want an email or phone number from a past client, I am sure some would be happy to help.

For outdoor weddings, what’s your weather contingency plan?

Some photographers can shoot under the rain (they have umbrellas and water proof cameras). Some don’t. Some photographers include some free after day in case of bad weather.

At French Touch Photography I have two umbrellas in my car, and I offer a free after day session if we can’t do good photos on the D-DAY

When does your photographer usually arrive?

I usually arrive when the bride and the bridesmaids are getting ready.

Does your photographer offer an artistic last picture?

It’s something I have started a couple of years ago. Before leaving, I try to set up more artistic pictures that will end the album. It’s like in the old movies “the end”.

When do you leave the wedding?

Most photographers will leave after the first dance. I usually stay until something like 1 or 2 hours after the party started. I catch the bouquet toss, the exit of the bride and groom.

Engagement Sessions & Family Photos

Is an engagement session included?

That’s usually the base of all the packages.

How many outfit changes are allowed?

The number of outfits usually varies depending on the number of hours you have. Some photographers would charge more by outfit or hours.
A good rule of thumb is keeping one outfit per hour of photography.
At French Touch Photography the engagement session duration depends on the package you take. So that means usually one or two outfits.

Where can we shoot the engagement session?

Do you decide where to shoot or does your wedding photographer decide?
Most of the time the wedding photographer would give you a list of locations he/she knows; But would be open to go to different locations, depending on the distance.
It’s what I do; check a list here and here;

How do you handle large family group coordination?

Some photographers would call the people and check lists. Some others have assistants for that;
Some others ask you to have family members handling that part.
At French Touch Photography I don’t call people (I am bad at that). Make sure to have a family member dedicated for that.

Do you provide a shot list template for must-have family combinations?

It’s easy to forget some group photos. Ask your wedding photographer, it’s easy to get a must-have list for your family photos.
I am happy to help with that.

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Your wedding photos are the only thing that will remind you of your wedding day. Finding the right photographer is important, and might actually be simpler than it seems. If you haven’t already, I invite you to review my portfolio. And if you like what you see, contact me today and let’s start talking.