I decided to do a post on Questions a Bride should be asking wedding photographers she's considering hiring for her BIG day after realizing that at alot of my bridal consultations, the brides really didn't have a clue what they should be looking for in hiring a potential photographer to shoot their wedding. I don't know how many times I've brought up a simple standard something or other that I do at every wedding, to only have the bride say something along the lines of, " O gosh I never thought of that,good idea! The other photographers I've talked to didn't  mention anything about that! " Now to be clear on this I feel a good photographer should be bringing these questions up to the bride and answering them before she ever has to ask, but if that isn't the case, here is a list of some of the most important things a bride should ask before booking her wedding photographer.

 1. How long have you been in business?

 2. What style of Wedding Photography do you shoot?

 3. How would you describe your shooting style on the wedding day? ( Are they a photographer that try's to blend into the background and just capture naturally what's going on, or do they like to be more present and take charge and create more controlled, posed photographs.

 4. Can I create a shot list of the photo's we want taken, or do you have your own shot list you work off of?

 5. Do you require a down payment to book our date, and when is the remaining balance due?

 6. Are you the only photographer that will be at my wedding or will there be a second shooter or assistant?

 7. Do you charge mileage to my wedding location on top of the wedding package price or is that included?

 8. Do you ever photograph more then one event on the same day?

 9. Will all my wedding photographs be edited, and how would you describe your editing techniques?

10. How long after the wedding will I get my photographs, or album?

 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

 1. Do I feel a connection with this photographer and do I feel comfortable communicating with him/her?

 2. Do I like their photography style?

 3. Has this photographer listened well and addressed all my concerns?

 PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE GLOSSARY

 Traditional, or Classic:

 The main idea behind this timeless style is
to produce posed photographs for display in a portrait album.
The photographer works from a “shot list,” ensuring he or she
covers all the elements the bride and groom have requested. To
make sure every detail of the shots is perfect, the photographer
and her assistants not only adjust their equipment, but
also the background, the subject’s body alignment, and even
the attire.

  Photojournalism:

 Originally favored by the news media, this informal,
reality-based approach is the current rage in wedding
photography. Rather than posing your pictures, the photographer
follows you and your guests throughout the wedding
day, capturing events as they unfold in order to tell the story
of your wedding. The photographer has to be able to fade into
the background and become “invisible” to the crowd in order to
get these candid, or unposed, shots. Since the photojournalist
does not give direction, he’ll need a keen eye and a willingness
to “do what it takes to get the shot.”

  Natural Light:

 Rather than making use of a camera flash, photographers
use the natural light found in a setting, usually
daylight. The look is warm and, well, natural—yet the photographer
must be skilled to deal with shadows and other lighting
challenges.