As you look for a wedding photographer, you must know exactly what questions to ask so that you will understand precisely what you will be getting once you hire one.

Denver wedding photography specialist Matt Kelly said, “Most wedding photographers offer you more than just snapping the photos at your wedding and then providing you with prints. It’s important that you ask specific queries so that you know exactly what is available from a particular photography studio. ”

What questions should you ask?
It is unlikely that you have ever had to hire a wedding photographer before so here are a few questions you need to ask when you go to a photographer’s studio.
• Does the photographer specialize in wedding photography? You want the response to be “yes”. Be sure you take a look at his or her portfolio to be sure (s)he has a lot of experience.
• Is there more than one photographer available? If the answer is yes, search through each photographer’s portfolio to see whose style you like. Be sure that the one you want is available on the day of your wedding.
• How does the studio handle your prints? Do they do the croping and editing, color correction, and actual printing? If you’ve seen the portfolios, ask who did the post-shooting work. You want only pros for this part of the job.
• Will the studio present you with proofs so that you can choose the pictures you want for your wedding album?
• How long after the wedding before you receive the proofs?
• If the wedding photographer has to travel out of town to your wedding, ask if there is an extra fee for that.
• Does the photographer offer packages deals, and if so, what is included?
• If shooting film, who keeps the negatives?
• If using a digital camera, can you get a CD of the photos in additional to a wedding album? Is there an extra free for that?
• How long will it take to get the final prints?
• If you want some of your wedding photos in black and white, make sure to ask if the studio offers this option.
• Ask for a list of referrals. An experienced professional wedding photographer should have one. Before hiring anyone, make sure to follow up and call several of the references to see what their experience with the photographer was like.
• Does the wedding photographer have liability insurance? You definitely want to hire one that does in case somebody at the wedding gets hurt, like stumbling over some of the photography equipment.
• What are the backup plans if the photographer gets ill or has an emergency?
• Will the photographer bring more than one camera to the wedding in case one malfunctions? Backup equipment is a must.
• Ask if you can see a sample agreement so that you will know what to expect, in general, when you hire your wedding photographer.
• What will the photographer wear to the wedding? You want to be sure (s)he doesn’t show up in jeans and a tee shirt if the wedding is formal or semi-formal.
• Will (s)he be using an assistant? If so, is there an extra charge for that?

“If you ask all these questions and more, ” Denver wedding photography expert Kelly said, “an experienced wedding photographer will not mind. In fact, (s)he will be pleased to see you’ve done your research as this will lead to open communication with no unpleasant surprises. ”

Don’t be shy about asking all of your questions. You want to be sure to hire the very best wedding photographer for your very special day.