Congrats! You’re engaged! You’ve set a date, booked your venue, and now you’re searching for the perfect wedding photographer.

What questions should you be asking, and when you find a some wedding photographer contenders, what should you ask them to find and hire the right one for you?

Hey there! I'm Sonya, a Bay Area native and wedding photographer. I photograph San Francisco Bay Area weddings but also you’ll find me all over Northern California, and I also travel to destination weddings. When I’m not photographing weddings, I love to play with my goldendoodle pup, Sequoia, travel the world with my fun-loving and surfer husband, and my favorite comfort food is a steaming steaming bowl of pho!

Photo by Bojana Korach Photography

I've been photographing weddings for over two decades, and with all those years of experience, I like to make sure my couples get the information they need from me to feel comfortable and confident before their wedding day. I will help you with some planning work beforehand so that you can feel confident that you’re in good hands on your wedding day, and just have fun and enjoy the day! Your wedding photos will be better if you are fully present in the day and soaking in all good moments.

If you can trust in your wedding photographer, then you can just enjoy your wedding day and know that you hired an awesome vendor!

Since this might be your first time hiring a professional photographer, it can be hard to know what you don't know. It’s not always obvious what to ask them or what to look for in a wedding photographer and their services.

With that in mind, I put together a list of questions to help get into the specifics with any photographer you choose. I included some answers about my business so you know what details to look for when you meet a new photographer.

You should feel confident in your decision of who you hire because your photographer is one of the most important vendors at your wedding.

Check out my guide below!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

BASICS

“Are you available on my wedding date?”

The first question to always ask, since your photographer might already be booked! I often book weddings about nine months to one year out.

“Would you be willing to provide references?”

You may have found your photographer through your venue or your wedding planner. But if you found a photographer down the Google rabbit hole, you might feel more comfortable in understanding their experience. So connecting with a past couple or two can give you some great insights and confidence in your booking decision.
Part of feeling confident about your wedding photographer is knowing they have the experience, skill, and talent to best photograph your wedding day. It is ok to ask your prospective photographer for more examples than what you see on their website. You can ask to see a full wedding gallery, from start to finish, to get a good feel for how they might photograph your wedding.

Google reviews, The Knot, and Wedding Wire are also good resources to review your photographer candidates.

“Do you have insurance?”

A truly professional photographer should carry insurance! It’s possible, that your wedding venue will request proof of liability insurance from your photographer, in advance of your wedding date. This is called a Certificate of Insurance or a COI, and your photographer should be able to provide one to your venue upon request.

“What kind of equipment do you use?”

Firstly, you should know if your photographer shoots in digital, film, or both. You may not need to know the specifics of their gear, but some couples like to have a sense of what their photographer uses, and most importantly, if they bring backup equipment.
I use professional grade Canon cameras, lenses, and flashes. I also have some film cameras, including a medium format Hasselblad camera, and a Canon 35mm. I carry backup cameras and flashes, and lots of extra batteries and memory cards.

BACKGROUND & PERSONALITY

“How long have you been photographing weddings?”

Hiring an experienced professional on your wedding day is key! Is your photographer a full-time wedding photographer, and for how many years have they been photographing weddings? Aside from technical skill, there is no replacement for years of experience. Weddings are dynamic events that require quick decision making, and the choices your photographer makes on your day are key to the outcome and success of your wedding photos. So check to see how long they have been a wedding industry professional.
My journey in photography began as a kid, but it turned professional while in college. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in Communication at UC Santa Barbara where I worked as a yearbook photographer, I came to San Francisco to attend the Academy of Art University. While in my first semester, I was incredibly honored (and terrified) when my photography professor asked me to photograph her intimate backyard wedding on Mt. Tamalpais! It was a thrill and I haven’t stopped shooting weddings since. I now have photographed hundreds of weddings in my two decades as a professional wedding photographer.

“How would you describe your style?”

If you are not a photographer, it can be tricky to know what kind of photography style you want for your wedding, or how to have the vocabulary to describe photographs that appeal to you. So to get started, it can help to look around on a few wedding blogs or Pinterest, to understand what style most resonates with you and your partner. Styles can range from classic and traditional, to a more candid and documentary look. Pulling together a mood board of inspirational images can be helpful for your photographer to see. Firstly, it should be close to or match their style. If your mood board of images is strikingly different from the photographer you’re speaking with, then they may not be the photographer for you! You can also look at their portfolio on their website or on Instagram, and pull your favorite images from their work to show them.

After photographing weddings for over two decades, I have found my style to be mostly a blend of documentary, candid, with a touch of classic, and artistic film. The majority of photos I take are candid, in-the-moment, natural and not overly posed. I love looking for those in-between and unexpected moments. A few of my photos from the wedding will be classic portraits with beautiful light. As an artist, I like to look for the candid and unique moments, so when you receive your photos there might be a few surprises in there! But most importantly, I want your wedding photos to look and feel like your wedding day truly did, so that looking at them brings back all the feels from your day!

“How would you describe your demeanor on the day of the wedding?”

Wedding days are dynamic and can be fast-paced in their timelines. It’s important to find a photographer that understands this flow and is able to adapt and work with flexibility, while still having a smile on their face! Your wedding photographer is one of the few vendors that will be with you for most or all of your wedding day, so it is important you feel comfortable with them. Their demeanor and personality also important, not just their technical and artistic skills.

I’ve had some past clients describe me as a photo ninja! I do my best to be discreet and unobtrusive, and it’s truly the best way to capture all those great candid moments! I work with a keen situational awareness. Sometimes the main moment when you notice me is when I direct your family, wedding party, and couple portraits. But otherwise it’s your day and I do my best to keep a low-profile, while still fluidly capturing both the big and smaller moments at your wedding.

“Will you take special requests for photos? (ex. I really want a picture of us hanging off a cliff, would you do that?)”

Definitely be open with your photographer if you have a certain vision in mind, and if you have some “must-have” photos. Along with a family photo “must have” group list, be sure to communicate if there are any key elements or moments that the photographer might not see on the timeline.

And while that particular request of hanging off a cliff hasn’t happened yet, yes! I definitely will take special requests! I love to hear how you see your wedding day and what is most important about how it is documented. It’s your day and I work best knowing your vision.

VENUE & PLANNING

“Have you been to our venue or photographed a wedding at a similar venue?”

Your chosen venue will play a large role in the look and feel of your wedding photos. If you have your venue already booked, check with your photographer if they have been there or photographed a wedding there. Not having photographed a wedding there doesn’t mean they won’t do an excellent job! Sometimes a fresh eye from a season photographer is a perfect match. So even if they haven’t photographed that venue before, they may have similar style weddings and venues that they have photographed in the past and can share examples with you to give you an idea of how your wedding might look with their photography.

“How do you manage different kinds of lighting?”

One of the great skills an experienced wedding photographer should posses is the ability to photograph in almost any kind of lighting situation! If you plan to have a moody, candle-lit reception, I recommend asking your potential photographer to share a wedding with you that has a similar reception vibe. Some photographers go for the “light and bright” style, and others will embrace the noir, moody feel.

Knowing my equipment as if it was an extension of me is part of being a seasoned professional.

My years of photographing hundreds of weddings has given me the skills to work in all kinds of lighting scenarios. I do my best to photography using the existing natural light in your venue, and tend to use flash once the sun goes down.

“Will you travel to my venue?”

Some photographers stay within their local region, others are happy to travel near and far!

While I love the beauty of the San Francisco Bay Area and our nearby Wine Country, I also love to travel and I photograph destination weddings outside of the San Francisco Bay Area! I have photographed weddings in LA, Las Vegas, New York, Hawaii, and Mexico.

“Will you get in touch with our planner?”

The most successful weddings are those in which your vendors work as a cohesive team!

Once we have completed your booking, please share your planners contact info and I would love to get in contact with them. I stay in communication with your planner to review the timeline and insure the timing of key photographic moments work within the day.

“What do you need from me before the wedding day?”

In other words, what happens after you book your wedding photographer? Be sure to ask them what the next steps are?

After your wedding booking, I’ll be in touch with you and/or your wedding planner with a couple of resources to help you with your wedding day planning. I’ll send a sample wedding day timeline as it pertains to the key photographic moments, and I will also ask you to fill out a family portrait guide. I’m available as a resource throughout your wedding planning process. We will also schedule your engagement session early on so you can have those photos for anything you might need. And when it is about a month away from your wedding, I reach back out to reconnect.

PACKAGES & SERVICES

“What services do you offer?”

Packages and services will differ with every photographer.

These are some standard questions that’ll help you get aligned with the photographer you choose:

• What are your packages and what do they include?  For example:
  - engagement session
  - rehearsal dinner
  - second photographer
  - photo rights
  - album
  - prints

• How long will you be at our wedding?

• How long will it take to get my photos after our wedding?

• What will we receive after our wedding?
  
  I like to connect with a client first, discuss their vision and then find the best package that will fit their needs. Weddings are not one-size-fits-all — this approach allows me to ensure our expectations are aligned and each couple is getting the experience they are looking for.

“How do we book you?”

What is the booking process so you can check the photographer off your list? Once you have had a conversation over email, video chat, or in person, your photographer should help you find the wedding photography package, or customized package, that is the best fit for you. This first conversation is so helpful in getting to know more about you two, your plans, and how you envision your wedding day!
Once you’ve received information about your package, I send my clients a contract to digitally sign, and then I collect a retainer to hold your wedding date. Once the contract is signed and the retainer is received, I lock your wedding date to my calendar!

The best question to ask yourself before hiring your wedding photographer is do you feel connected and comfortable with them, and also excited to have them document one of the most special days in your life?

What questions about wedding photography do you have for Sonya?

When your wedding day is just around the corner, check out my tips for how to truly enjoy your wedding day!