5 Things You Should Expect From Your Wedding Photographer

Welcome back to another semi-educational, probably sassy blog post from me. There are many factors to consider when choosing a wedding photographer. The number one is that you’ll really want to like their photos, obviously. You’ll want to make sure that you get along with them as well, because as I’ve mentioned before, your photographer will be with you for your entire wedding day. But some things don’t really get talked about that I felt I should bring up for y’all.

Wedding photography is an investment. You are spending thousands of dollars on your photographer. You aren’t going to be able to just go back and re-create your wedding day as a quick do over if something goes awry. You need to be able to know what you’re getting, what happens after the wedding, and how your photos will remain safe with your photographer until they are delivered to you.

So whether you’re currently searching for a Detroit wedding photographer or you’ve already found the one, here are five things you should expect (as the bare minimum) from your wedding photographer.

1. A Contract

Please, please have a contract. Not just a simple " Hey, so-and-so is photographing my wedding, okay sign and date, and we’re done. A contract is going to protect both you and your photographer, and you should actually understand what you’re agreeing to before you sign it.

At a minimum, you should be able to find your coverage time, what’s included in your package, payment information, cancellation or rescheduling policies, and when you can expect your final gallery. It should also answer some of those not-so-fun “what happens if…” questions that nobody really wants to think about while planning a wedding.

And if there’s something in your contract you don’t understand? Ask! You should never feel weird about asking your photographer to explain something before you sign it. I would much rather answer a question now than have either of us realize six months later that we had completely different expectations.

2. Clear Expectations Before Your Wedding

After you sign your contract and pay your retainer…what happens?

Every photographer’s process will look a little different, but you should have a general idea of what happens between booking and your wedding day. I’ve been asked questions during consult calls like: When will you start talking about the timeline? Is there a questionnaire you’ll need to fill out? When does your photographer need your family photo list? Who is responsible for putting together the photography timeline? When is your final payment due?

And that is why I do a consult call before booking, and I try to do at least two Zoom calls or in-person meetings with my clients prior to the wedding. I love being able to plan out a photo timeline so you know what to expect, how long to plan to be smiling for, and it helps us get to know one another a little bit better before the day of your wedding so we aren’t total strangers. Some photographers may send over a questionnaire or a family photo list template for you to fill out so they can get information on how the day is going to unfold as well. This is all to help us best prepare for your wedding and fully understand if there are any unique circumstances that we may need to be aware of!

3. Communication

Your photographer probably isn’t going to answer an email at 11:47 p.m. on a Saturday while they’re photographing somebody else’s wedding. (If you work with me, I might answer that email at 2am when I get home from said wedding.)

But you also shouldn’t feel like you’re sending messages into the void. Questions come up. Plans change. Timelines get moved around. You might add a location, decide you want to do a first look, change your mind about family photos, or suddenly realize you have no idea when your photographer is supposed to arrive. This is why I personally have open communication with my clients. If they have a question, they are more than welcome to email me or shoot me a text at any time. I will respond as soon as I can (within the hours that I set for myself of course.) But I do not want anyone ever to feel like they cannot get ahold of me, or reach out if they have a question.

You should feel comfortable reaching out when you need something, and you should be able to count on getting an answer within a reasonable amount of time.

Communication also matters when something doesn’t go according to plan. If something changes on your photographer’s end, you deserve to know about it. If there’s an unexpected delay with your gallery, you deserve an update. You shouldn't have to chase down the person you hired to figure out what’s going on. Please discuss with them the best way to get ahold of your photographer so you are not chasing them down.

A Realistic Delivery Timeline

Okay, so this is a fun topic. Because editing wedding photos takes time. Personally, I deliver a full wedding gallery to my clients within 6-12 weeks, depending on the time of year you are getting married. I also deliver galleries in the order that they were photographed. So, if you got married on August 1st and I had another wedding that happened to be your cousin on August 8th, you will be getting your photos before your cousin gets their gallery.

Depending on the photographer, the time of year, the size of the wedding, and how they handle their workflow, final gallery turnaround can vary quite a bit.

There isn't one magic number that every photographer should follow. I wholeheartedly believe that whatever timeline a photographer has for their delivery is based on what works for them in their own life. We are human too, and we have things that go on outside of being photographers. What matters is that you know the estimated delivery timeline before the wedding.

Your contract should tell you when you can expect your final gallery. If sneak peeks are included, you should know approximately when those are coming too.

And again, sometimes shit happens. We are human. Computers break. People get sick. Life does what life does. If, for some reason, your gallery is going to take longer than originally promised, your photographer should communicate that to you instead of quietly letting the deadline pass and hoping you don’t notice.

You shouldn't have to guess when you're getting your wedding photos.

A Plan for Protecting Your Photos

This is probably something most couples don't think to ask about, but I wish more people did.

What happens to your photos after your photographer takes them?

As I mentioned earlier in this post, your wedding photos are the one kind of photos that cannot be recreated. Once the day is over, it's over. That means your photographer should have a system in place to protect those files from the moment they're created until your final gallery is delivered.

Things to help with this include: using a camera with dual slots to record on two memory cards, backing up your images to an external hard drive (or multiple external drives, like I do), keeping those memory cards off to the side until the full gallery is delivered, etc.

You don't necessarily need to understand every piece of equipment or know the photographer's entire file-management system. But, your photographer should definitely have a system in place. I take protecting my clients' wedding photos pretty damn seriously. The creative side of photography might be the fun part, but file management and backups are part of the job too. I cannot justify having people waiting for their gallery knowing that there isnt any backup of any sort.

Your Wedding Photographer Should Give You More Than Good Photos

Now obviously, the photos matter. They’re going to be on your walls, in an album, and online, representing your wedding day. But you should be able to look through a photographer's work and be excited about having them photograph your wedding. You should have a contract that you understand. You should know what to expect throughout the process. You should be able to communicate with the person you've hired. There is no reason for you to be left in the dark until your wedding day. You should know when your photos are coming. And you should be able to trust that those photos are being protected until they're safely in your hands.

Those things might not be as fun to think about as your newlywed portraits and pretty venues, but they're a huge part of hiring someone you can actually trust with your wedding. And if you're currently looking for a Detroit wedding photographer who takes all five just as seriously as the photos themselves, hi. I'm Katy. Nice to meet you, I’d love to chat with you sometime about your wedding.