Might be a silly TOG question......

Have a think about timings .... do you want them there from when you get up for the getting ready shots etc? And do you want them there all night? Mamy will offer a reduced package for a shorter period.

Do you want an engagement shoot?

Do they need a meal providing (not that this is a big deal either way!)

1. Ask what exactly is included in the package (e.g. some photographers will only provide low resolution photos and charge extra for high resolution files, which are needed for printing).

2. Check if they have insurance and back up equipment etc.

3. What happens if they get sick or cannot attend the wedding for whatever other reason (it's an extremely unlikely scenario, but there must be a plan B).

4. If you're booking a whole day coverage - what exactly does it mean e.g. is it limited to say 8 hours?

5. Have a look at a full set of photos from a wedding - even 30-50 photos from a single wedding may not be enough to judge someone's style.

6. Find out how they work - some photographers shoot in a purely photojournalistic style (fly on the wall), others may interact a bit or even a lot - there's no right and wrong here, but make sure it fits your preferences.

Hope this helps a bit

Check whether they include albums in their package.

If they do then ask to see samples of the albums, and how many pages and photos they'll let you have.

if they don't include albums then make sure they'll give you all the high resolution images (ideally jpgs) on a disc, so that you can order your own albums.

Hope that helps :-)

Marc

One more thing - once you narrowed down your choices to 2 or 3 favourite photographers, it's worth meeting with them for a chat. After all, you will spend with them almost whole day, so it's important that you pick the right person

Ask what their wet weather fall back ideas would be.....

How long before you get to see the images

How long from ordering an album until delivery

Is any photoshopping to remove unwanted things in the shots included and if so, for how many images...

And for a "left field" question.....not that you need to know the answer, just guage their reaction...."what off camera flash system do you use?"....?

Peter

Depends on your budget...there are some excellent togs in your cachment area......

Peter

Maybe ask if they have shot at the venue before as they will have a better idea of best photo opportunities.

Have you asked the venue which photographer their venue reccommends?

This ^^^^^^? plus ask how long they have been doing photography more so wedding photography, you will be surprised how many photographers have only been shooting weddings less than a year and do not have experience of winter weddings, low light, bright days etc

New Forest is just down the road from me.?

In addition to what the others have said, I have another idea!

Don't ask the photographer what their style is! Look at their images and see if they are the style you want. Go through their portfolio carefully and look at full previous weddings, not just a "best of" selection.

I notice that a lot of newbie photographers say they shoot in a "photojournalistic style" because they know it's popular and desirable, but when you look at their images they are all posed. So, ignore what we say (about our style) and let our work do the talking.

I agree with Bruce. H2b is a photographer and did a wedding as a favour to a friend never done a wedding before, anyway it was a new years eve afternoon ceremony in a barn with tiny windows oh and a candle lit flash less ceremony....... Can't say it turned out all that well. They didn't want to pay for a wedding tog so they got a portrait tog with no wedding experience.

Spot on.......

Peter

I'd say a better question is "How many weddings have you photographed as the primary?"

I'd rather have someone who shoots 20-30 weddings a year with two years of experience than a photographer with "15 years of experience" but shoots 3-4 weddings a year.

Really? What professional photographer that has been shooting for 15 years and only shoots 4 weddings a year do you know.

Shooting 20-30 weddings a year for 2 years will not prepare you for all seasons and conditions that a wedding has, you could have two winters of lovely weather in those 2 years and the 3rd year nothing but rain, heavy cloud cover or even you could have had 2 years worth of lovely light venues then the 3rd year dark barns, too many variables.

Now lets not turn this in to a photographers thread.

I was meaning the photographer's out there who include the day they picked up their first polaroid and took a photo of the floor as a year of experience type.

Have a look on FB groups. Plenty of people there claiming 10+ years of experience yet can't get focus and spot colour every photo randomly.

?? I am not a mind reader Martin but I totally agree with you now that I have looked?? There should be a help line for couples that are looking for a photographer so that when they find one they can ask if they are ok to use.

Thank you everyone for the advice!

Bruce have you photographed at Careys Manor?

I haven't photographed a wedding at Careys Manor before but would love to but nothing that a venue visit or even what I normally do when I haven't photographed a wedding before at a new venue is I always get to the venue 2 hours before so I can have a scout around and see it all dressed up?

Bruce

But I bet the photos came out better than just someone who has just picked up a camera and thinks they are a wedding photographer?

With cameras the way they are now you can get a decent photo from them in natural daylight but any tricky lighting then you really have to know how to use your camera and by adding extra light naturally then anything is possible.

Lighting is every thing, if you have bad light in a venue then you have to find good light or create light ?

I had a student photographer with me on a few weddings this year, height of summer, lovely day it was, we walked in to the barn and her jaw just dropped when she saw how dark it was, it was a real picture to see, wished I had taken a pic of her ? by the second wedding that weekend she could handle the darkness, with a little instruction but she felt more confident after those two days shadowing me.

Bruce