What to Ask Your Wedding Photographer Before Booking: Tips from a Colorado Wedding Photographer
Why These Questions Matter
Let’s be honest: choosing a wedding photographer can feel a lot like dating. You want to feel a spark, trust they’ll show up for you, and know they’ve got your back even after the best night of your life.
This blog post is your wing-person. We’re diving into the essential questions to ask your wedding photographer before you sign the dotted line—because photos are one of the only things you’ll have after the wedding day (besides the whole marriage thing).
Whether you're booking a big mountain wedding in Colorado, planning a chill Denver elopement, or somewhere in between, this post is here to help you feel confident and prepared every step of the way.
Booking Your Colorado Wedding Photographer
Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start, as Julie Andrews once said).
What is needed from us to officially book you?
Ah yes, the practical stuff. Most photographers (myself included) will require:
A signed contract
A non-refundable retainer (usually a percentage of your total package price)
A happy dance because yay, you're officially on the calendar
If you need a payment plan or want to pay in installments, ask! A lot of photographers are happy to work with you on a schedule that fits your budget.
Planning Support
How involved is your photographer in the planning process?
This can vary wildly depending on the photographer. Some will send you a questionnaire and pop up the morning of your wedding, while others (like me!) are timeline nerds and planning sidekicks. If you’re not hiring a planner (though I highly recommend you do, especially if your wedding will have more than 50 guests), your photographer may take on more responsibility—like helping structure your day for the best light or making sure there's enough time to breathe between events.
If you do have a planner, ask how your photographer will collaborate with them. Ideally, they’re team players who work hand-in-hand to make sure your day flows naturally and you don’t feel rushed. Especially if you’re hiring a documentary wedding photographer in Colorado, who wants to capture the day as it feels, not just how it looks.
Couples who embrace documentary-style wedding photography will want a photographer who knows all the juicy details of your timeline. The more information you give them, the more they’ll be able to anticipate the most important moments.
Photo Safety & Storage
What systems are in place to make sure our photos are safe?
Listen, I wish I could say technology never fails. But stuff happens—cards corrupt, computers crash, hard drives give up mid-export.
A professional photographer should have multiple backup systems in place, including:
Dual-slot cameras (this means the camera makes an instant backup of every photo onto a second card as we shoot—fancy, right?)
External hard drives for redundancy
Cloud storage for an off-site safety net
If they seem weird or unsure when you ask, it might be a red flag. A Colorado elopement photographer who’s hiking into remote spots with you definitely needs a rock-solid backup plan. And even if your wedding is at a Denver brewery where risks don’t seem as imminent, sh*t happens. The best wedding photographers will be prepared.
Contracts & Contingency Plans
What does the contract cover, and what’s the Plan B?
Your contract should cover:
Cancellation policies
What happens if your photographer gets sick or injured (do they have a network of trusted backups?)
Rights to the images
How your photos can and can’t be used
Rainy day/wildfire/tornado-level disaster scenarios (kidding, but not really—mountain wedding photographers in Colorado know how fast the weather can change)
Also: ask about insurance. Many wedding venues require vendors to carry liability insurance, and you don’t want your photographer scrambling at the last minute to find a policy—or worse, being denied access to your venue.
During this rainy mountain elopement, the weather was doing some crazy things. Thick fog and spitting rain threatened to destroy my gear— but I was prepared! I planned ahead and brought an assistant with me to hold an umbrella over my camera, while triple-checking all my backup systems every few minutes.
Day-of Wedding Vibe Check
What’s your approach on a wedding day?
Are they a full-on hype-person who’s going to get Grandma dancing? Or a quiet observer who blends into the background?
There’s no wrong answer here—it’s all about what you want. Just make sure their vibe matches yours.
Also good to ask:
How do they handle stressful or chaotic moments?
Do they help wrangle family for portraits or prefer to leave this job to the day-of coordinator?
Will they gently guide you into dreamy light, or keep it 100% candid and unposed?
For couples looking for a candid wedding photographer in Colorado (hi, that’s me), the goal is to let moments unfold naturally while still stepping in when needed to make sure you look and feel amazing.
Wedding receptions can get a little wild (see Exhibit A above), so it’s important to know how your wedding photographer blends into whatever comes their way. Me personally? I’ll be getting down on the dance floor with your guests, encouraging them to keep the energy alive by modeling my own (embarrassing) dance moves.
After the Wedding
When can we expect to see our photos?
Ask about:
Turnaround time (industry average is 4–12 weeks, but sneak peeks are often sent much sooner)
Whether you’ll get a preview gallery to tide you over
Print or album options, if those aren’t already included in your package
Bonus points if your photographer is also a Super 8 wedding videographer in Colorado and you can get dreamy, nostalgic video footage alongside your photos. Keep in mind that turnaround times for Super 8 videography can be long. This is usually completely out of our hands, because we send our film to third-party processors who have their own turnaround timelines.
Some film wedding photographers in Colorado also shoot hybrid film + digital, so keep in mind that film scans take longer to process—but are so, so worth the wait.
Photo Delivery
How are our photos delivered, and are they archived long-term?
Will you receive your images via an online gallery? USB? Smoke signal? (Just kidding.)
Also important to know: how long does the photographer keep your files? Some hold onto them for a few months, some for years. Personally, I store final galleries in multiple places for long-term safekeeping—so if you lose your photos down the road, I’ve got your back.
Final Thoughts
Here’s the thing: not every question on this list will matter to every couple. What does matter is figuring out what’s most important to you.
Maybe you’re looking for someone who feels like a friend and not just a vendor. Or maybe you’re someone who needs to know, without a doubt, that your photos are safe every step of the way. Maybe flexible payment plans are the make-or-break factor.
Take note of the questions that sparked something in you—or made you think, “Wow, I never would’ve thought to ask that!” Then ask them. A photographer who’s a great fit for you will be more than happy to answer (hi, hello, it’s me).