8 Questions When Securing a Wedding Photographer

Everlasting Moments is an award winning photographer & videography company that has been in the wedding industry for over 35+ years. Due to our vast experience, we have extensive information pertaining to the requests of traditional & modern brides.

Are the brides on Social Media real or models?

Please be careful! The aesthetics of an Instagram can lead you in the wrong direction. It is part of the modern day industry to brand and market social media platforms. but as a bride you need to remember that real brides and real weddings are not captures the same as creative editorials. Many photographers will feature creative shoots, but fail to promote real weddings. so ask yourself the question - are the brides you are viewing real?

Will your end product be watermarked?

It is very important to understand what a watermark is. A watermark is a logo/design that is typically put on a photo. Now ask yourself if you want these all over your wedding pictures. If not, it is important to understand what it will take to remove them. It will likely cost an extra penny that you were not expecting to spend. This is one small percentage of the many add ons that a photographer does not mention.

Are there additional charges for retouching / editing?

As a bride you will want to print photos. The bigger a picture, the more there is to see, meaning you are likely going to want editing/retouching/ It is important to know that this is also not an add-on.

Will the creative team help direct that day and provide unique location ideas?

A lot of planning goes into a wedding day. Not just the look of the venue. But also how the flow of the day is directed from morning to night. In order for a photographer to capture natural moments. The day needs to be directed in a way that feels natural for the couple. Meaning multiple meetings with your photographer are important when planning hair, makeup, locations and limo times to ensure all photos are captured in a relaxed manner. Anyone can shoot a beautiful picture, but are they able to capture the essence of the moment in the midst of chaos?

Will the crew be staying until the end of the night, or are hours being limited?

The hourly cap is something that can very misleading for brides when they are shopping for a wedding photographer. 10-12 hours is what most of the industry provides. To put this into perspective, with social media ideas and details such a robe shots, your day should start 3 hours before the ceremony excluding travel time. With that said, if the ceremony starts anytime before 1pm start time could be as early as 8am. Although 12 hours sounds like a lot, this barely covers dinner and all the events in between.

How is the final product presented?

It is important to know that technology changes often and if the product you receive will be accessible. It is so important that you feel secure in the sense that you will have access to all of your photos for many yers to come. It should also be noted that you will want to see all of the photos from your wedding day and a limit on this is something to look out for.

How much fun is the crew?

It is important to know that the main director and the photography crew are people who provide you with a fun and personable experience as well.

What happens if the weather does not go as planned (ie. rain/snow)?

This should be an opportunity that you photographer takes to be creative and come up with spur of the moment shots! Make sure you hire a photographer that is willing to happily stand outside in -30 degree weather. A rain or snow storm or event an extreme heat alert to capture your memories.