Choosing the right wedding photographer is more than falling in love with a portfolio—it’s about knowing which questions to ask, and when. Too often, couples come in with a long list of inquiries right off the bat, which can feel overwhelming for photographers and unproductive if you haven’t yet nailed down basics like availability or budget.
To help couples navigate the process with more clarity, we spoke with Lisa Raffo Ashley, founder of The Wedding Artists Co. What started in 2010 as a small three-person collective has since grown into a roster of fourteen photographers and videographers working with some of the most in-demand names in the industry—making her the perfect voice in how to approach the photographer search with confidence and ease.
From the beginning, Lisa has prioritized selecting artists who are not only exceptionally talented but who also share core values of kindness and professionalism.
Give the photographer a short snippet about who you are as a couple and what your plans look like, and start by getting a general sense of their price point and availability before diving deeper. Jumping straight in with a long list of questions might feel efficient (why not get all the info at once?), but it can actually slow down their response time if they feel pressured to answer too much at once.
You’ll also want to build a bit of rapport with whoever you’re reaching out to. A super detailed list right away can feel overwhelming—and may give off unintended type-A vibes! Save some of those deeper questions for a follow-up email once you know they’re available and within budget, and then bring the rest to your discovery call for a more in-depth conversation.
Start with the basics:
Are you available?
What is your general price point?
Share a few key details about your wedding and ask for rough pricing.
Instead of asking how many images your photographer delivers, request to see examples of full galleries. This will give you a much clearer idea of what to expect. Most photographers find it difficult to pin down an exact number since it depends on the number of details and other factors. They also tend to focus on quality over quantity. A promised image count won’t give you nearly as much insight as reviewing a full gallery.
On the topic of full galleries, don’t feel like you need to ask for examples from your exact venue. Another couple’s wedding vision and style might be very different from yours, which can make it harder to judge the photography itself. It’s often difficult to separate the quality of the imagery from the style of the wedding. Instead, ask to see examples from weddings that are similar in feel to yours (for example, outdoor and tented vs. indoor and metropolitan).
Always schedule a phone or Zoom call for a vibe check. Your photos will turn out so much better if you genuinely like your photographer and feel comfortable spending the entire day with them. Rather than making it a formal interview, this should feel more like a conversation. Here are some questions you can ask to start things off:
Don’t stress too much about whether your photographer shoots film. If you love their work and can’t even tell whether it’s film or digital, it’s probably not as important to you as you might think.
I recommend being somewhat flexible with your photography budget. The cost of weddings—and wedding photography—can be surprising at first, and the sticker shock is real. Because photography is often one of the first investments couples make, there can be a tendency to hold back. But your photos are the one thing you’ll have forever, so it’s often worth stretching your budget a little to hire the right person to capture your day.
