If you haven’t already booked your wedding photographer (we know…it’s a big deal!), be sure to ask them this list of questions to make sure your visions align. You already booked your dream wedding photographer? You can still ask them anything on this list to affirm your decision! Check out these questions to ask your wedding photographer, then sample timelines below that, and finally some insider tips for timing your day! You’re going to want to read ALL THE WAY to the end of this post.
Questions to Ask your Photographer:
The Basics
• Is our wedding date available? How far in advance do we need to reserve the date?
• Have you photographed weddings of a similar size and style?
• Have you worked at the ceremony and reception venues before? If not, will you visit beforehand?
• Will you be the primary photographer on the day? If not, can we meet the photographer(s) that will be on site?
• What information do you need from us before the wedding day?
• How many other weddings will you photograph that weekend?
Pricing or Packages
• What packages do you offer and what do they include? Can we customize a package to fit our needs?
• How many hours are included in each package? How much do extra hours cost?
• Do you include engagement photos in the packages?
• If you offer unlimited coverage, how long are you usually at the event?
• Can we get a few images early for our save-the-date cards or thank you notes?
• Do you charge a travel fee? For what distance? What does that cover? Overtime Fees?
• What is your cancelation/refund policy?
• Do you offer a second shooter in a package?
• When will we receive the contract? (Make sure to get everything in writing in the final contract.)
Prints, Albums, and Galleries
• Can we see your online portfolio as well as some full galleries and wedding album designs you have done?
• How long does it typically take before we see edited images? Will the images be accessible online?
• What is the ordering process, and how long after I order my photos/album will I get them?
• What are your photo release/copyright rules? Can we reproduce the images, post them online? Do you
need a photo credit when posted? Is there a fee?
• Will we receive digital copies of all images? How many final images should I expect to receive?
Logistics
• What time will you arrive at the site?
• What is the backup plan if you are unable to shoot my wedding for an unexpected reason?
• Is it okay if other people take photos while you’re taking photos?
• If my event lasts longer than expected, will you stay? Is there an additional charge?
For a FULL LIST of questions, consider buying our Wedding Day Designer, which lists even more questions and lists!
What to prepare for your photographer
• Make a timeline of your entire day. Share that timeline with the wedding party and any vendors. Your
wedding planner can help you make this timeline. The more people that have the timeline the better chance
you have of sticking to it!
• Make a list of the major important moments you want captured (like your ceremony, first dance, toasts, first
look, vows, cake cutting, etc. and when you plan on doing formal portraits).
• Provide contact information for you, your partner, and a wedding planner or personal attendant/main wedding day contact.
• Provide the names of your wedding party and the members of your family who will be in formal portraits.
• Make a list of all combinations of formal family portraits, with each person you’d like in them. Look below for more help on that!
Sample Wedding Day Shot List
Buy our Wedding Day Designer and get the FULL 5-page sample shot list that is customizable (with names, locations, options, etc.)!
Examples of Wedding Day Timeline (if you’re seeing each other before you walk down the aisle)
EXAMPLE 11-HOUR PHOTOGRAPHY TIMELINE:
(You plan to see each other before the 4:00 ceremony and the guys and girls are getting ready in the same location):
- 10:00 a.m. Photos of you getting your hair and makeup done
- 10:30 a.m. Photos of details (your dress, rings, invitation flat-lays, flowers, veil, cufflinks, shoes, etc.)
- 11:15 a.m. Photos of the guys getting ready
- 11:45 a.m. Photos of you getting ready with the girls (robes, mimosas, etc.)
- 12:00 p.m. Lunch is served
- 12:30 p.m. Photos of you putting on your dress (while the girls get dressed too), photos with mother buttoning dress, etc.
- 1:00 p.m. Photos of “First Look” with dad and/or bridesmaids
- 1:45 p.m. Photos of “First Look” with couple and bride + groom portraits
- 2:15 p.m. Photos of bride + bridesmaids
- 2:30 p.m. Photos of groom + groomsmen
- 2:45 p.m. Photos of full bridal party (including ushers, personal attendants, ring bearer, flower girl)
- 3:00 p.m. Photos of families (parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.)
- 3:30 p.m. Wedding party tucked away to freshen up before ceremony and guests start arriving
- 4:00 p.m. Ceremony!
- 4:30 p.m. Photos after ceremony (bubbles, dried flower confetti toss, tunner of guests, etc.) + receiving line
- 5:00 p.m. Photos of extended family (uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.) (Ask them to stay after ceremony)
- 5:30 p.m. Party bus or private social hour with wedding party // Social hour starts for guests
- 6:30 p.m. Photos of your grand entrance into reception // Dinner // Photos of reception decor
- 7:15 p.m. Photos of cake cutting
- 7:20 p.m. Photos of speeches and toasts
- 7:45 p.m. Photos of first dances (bride + groom, father + daughter, mother + son)
- 8:00 p.m. Photos of friends and family throughout reception and candid dancing
- 8:30 p.m. Sunset photos with couple (or whenever sunset is on your wedding day)
- 8:50 p.m. Change into your cocktail dress, photos with champagne tower/wall, sparklers, any fun extras you want!
- 9:00 p.m. Photographer departs // End of coverage
Would you like another sample timeline? Find a wedding day timeline for when you see each other for the first time down the aisle in our Wedding Day Designer! Purchase your copy of our 158-page wedding planning guide book here (Written by Renee Bauman, owner of Hitch Studio and 10-year wedding planner), which is packed with insider’s tips for a midwest wedding!)
Insider’s Tips When Planning your Wedding Timeline:
If you’re crafting your own wedding day timeline, ask your photographer for help, but these tips will help:
- Detail shots with a stationery flat lay will take 30+ minutes
- If you’re having a receiving line after the ceremony, it will take 10 minutes for every 100 people
- On average, speeches take 20 minutes and include best man, maid of honor, both sets of parents, and the bride and groom.
- Althought the sun may set at a certain time, “sunset pictures” will start 15-20 min before actual sunset.
- If you’re having a Catholic wedding with communion, they typically take 1 hour for the ceremony.
- When planning the party bus arrival time, remember your wedding party will want a place to go while you are finishing up photos and the receiving line after the ceremony, so be sure to have the bus arrive right after the ceremony and just sit idle until the bride and groom are ready to load!
- Putting on your dress always takes longer than expected. “I can get dressed in 5 minutes”. Yes, you can. But now you have a strapless bra or sticky boobs, shapeware, and a very fitted dress that you can fasten yourself to worry about! Plus, pics of your mom or another personal helper will be priceless.
- If you’re having a New Year’s Eve wedding or want some special photo coverage later in the evening, be sure to add on those hours to your photograher’s package!
Has this been helpful?! Maybe you need even most assistance with your timeline and details. If so, let Hitch Studio make you the ULTIMATE timeline, usually 2 pages full of the who, what, when and wheres of your wedding day. We’d love to be your South Dakota wedding planner! We are wedding planners, wedding decorators, and timeline-making experts serving Brookings, Sioux Falls, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Watertown, Madison, Marshall, MN and everything in between!
Are you wondering about amazing photographer recommendations? We can do that too! Our favorite wedding photographers right here in Brookings, SD are:
Speaking of amazing photographer, browse these amazing photos as you decide to book one of these photographers or Hitch Studio for your wedding planning! Congratulations, Kayla and Wesley Johnson! Their wedding was at Dacotah Bank Center in Brookings with a wilder take on a rustic/boho theme. Enjoy! Photos by CC Photography (Calah Covey)
