The most useful questions to ask a wedding photographer and videographer are about who will actually turn up, what you will receive and when, how they record sound, whether they know your kind of ceremony, and what the contract says about backup, cancellation and your images. A good studio answers all of them plainly.
Below are 30 questions in eight groups, each with why it matters and what a good answer sounds like. They are written for a call, not an interrogation: pick the ones that matter for your day. If you are still building a shortlist, start with our guide to choosing a wedding photographer and videographer.
Availability and price
1. Are you free on our date, and who exactly will photograph and film it? In larger companies, the person on the call may not be the person at your wedding. Good answer: names, and the chance to speak to them.
2. What’s included, and what costs extra? Hours, a second shooter, a feature film, an album and travel are often priced separately. Good answer: a written proposal that lists every item. If a quote seems high or low, it helps to know where the hours behind a wedding go.
3. Does the price include VAT? Under GOV.UK rules a business must register for VAT once its taxable turnover passes £90,000, and then adds 20%. Good answer: “Yes, it’s included” or “We’re not VAT registered.”
4. How much is the booking fee, and when is the balance due? There is no industry standard. Good answer: a clear amount to hold the date, and a balance date in writing.
5. What happens if the day runs over? Ceremonies start late and speeches overrun. Good answer: an overtime rate agreed now, not negotiated at 10pm. Our guide to UK wedding photo and film costs shows how to compare quotes like for like.
Style and portfolio
6. Can we see two or three full galleries, and a full ceremony film, from weddings like ours? A portfolio is the best frames from dozens of weddings. Good answer: yes, from a similar season, venue size and ceremony.
7. How would you describe your style, and how much will you direct us? Style words mean different things to different people. Good answer: something specific, such as “mostly documentary, with about twenty minutes of guided portraits”.
8. How do you work in low light, and do you use flash? Dark churches, winter afternoons and evening receptions are where experience shows. Good answer: no flash during the service, and a calm plan for the evening.
9. How do you edit colour and skin tones? Heavy styles date, and skin should look like skin. Good answer: natural, consistent colour, with examples in mixed light and across a range of complexions.
Planning the day
10. Will you help us plan our timeline? Light, travel and family photos all hang on it. Good answer: yes, built around your ceremony time and the sunset on your date.
11. How do you run the family photos? Done badly, they eat the drinks reception. Good answer: a list in advance, a family member who knows everyone, and a time estimate. Our guide to the family photo list helps with large families.
12. Do we need a second photographer or a second camera? Bridebook suggests a second photographer for 80 or more guests. Good answer: an honest view of your day, not an automatic upsell.
13. Have you worked at our venue, and if not, how will you prepare? Knowing the rooms saves time on the day. Good answer: a visit, a call with the venue coordinator or a look at the rooms and light.
14. What do you need from us on the day? Small gaps cause the biggest delays. Good answer: a short list covering meals, a break, and a contact person who isn’t one of you.
Film
15. How do you record the vows, readings and speeches? Sound is the heart of a wedding film. Good answer: small microphones agreed with the officiant, a feed from the PA or DJ, and a backup recorder. See our guide to filming wedding speeches.
16. Which edits do we get, and how long is each? “A wedding film” can mean three minutes or ninety. Good answer: a clear list, such as a highlight film, the ceremony in full and the speeches uncut. Our guide to what is in a wedding film explains each type.
17. What music do you use, and can we post the film online? A commercial song needs two permissions, one for the composition and one for the recording, and films with commercial tracks are often muted or taken down on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Good answer: licensed music that lets you share the film.
18. Can you film with a drone? Some venues, especially in central London, aren’t suitable. Good answer: only where the venue and airspace allow, checked well before the day.
19. How will you work with our photographer? If they come from different studios, they need to talk. Good answer: “We’ll call them before the day and agree positions.” Our guide to booking photo and film together covers both routes.
Culture, faith and places of worship
20. Have you covered a ceremony like ours, and can we see it? An anand karaj, a nikah, pheras around a mandap, a chuppah or a traditional engagement each have their own rhythm. Good answer: they describe your running order back to you.
21. Will you speak to our officiant or place of worship? Under Church of England guidance the vicar has the final say on photography and filming. Gurdwaras, mosques, synagogues and register offices each set their own rules. Good answer: “Yes, and we’ll follow their guidance.” Our guide to gurdwara photography etiquette shows what this looks like.
22. Can we have a female photographer or filmmaker for some parts of the day? This matters for women-only events and some getting-ready mornings. Good answer: an honest view of what is possible for your date. See our nikah photography guide.
23. How would you cover several events over several days? Each event has different light, guests and rituals. Good answer: event-by-event pricing, the same team where possible, and a view on which events matter most.
Contract, insurance and backup
24. Will we get a written contract before we pay anything? It is your only protection if something goes wrong. Good answer: yes, naming the people, hours, deliverables and dates.
25. What happens if you are ill? Your date can’t move. Good answer: a named network of trusted professionals, not “it’s never happened”.
26. What insurance do you hold? Some venues ask suppliers for proof. Good answer: public liability and professional indemnity, with a certificate ready.
27. How do you back up our photos and film? Cards fail and laptops get stolen. Good answer: cameras that record to two cards, copies in two places the same night, one of them off-site.
28. What happens if we postpone or cancel? If you book online, by email or by phone, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 generally give 14 days to cancel, though whether wedding photography counts as an exempt leisure service hasn’t been tested. Good answer: clear written terms for moving and cancelling.
Delivery
29. When and how will we receive everything? Bridebook says photo galleries typically take 4 to 12 weeks, and at most studios films take longer. Good answer: dates in the contract, a sneak peek, and files you can download and keep. Our guide to wedding photo and film delivery times explains why.
Rights and privacy
30. Who owns the copyright, and will you post our wedding online? The photographer or filmmaker usually owns the copyright, but under section 85 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, a couple who commission photos or film for private and domestic purposes can stop copies being shown to the public. So a studio needs your permission to use your wedding in its portfolio or on social media. The ICO also advises extra care with children’s images online. Good answer: a clear licence for your own use, permission asked rather than assumed, and the option to keep some moments private.
From behind the camera
The questions couples ask tell us a lot, but so do the questions a studio asks back. When I speak to a couple, I want to know who is in the family, which ritual their grandmother would never forgive us for missing, when the speeches are and who is nervous about the camera. A photographer or filmmaker who asks you nothing about your day can’t plan it. If you finish a call having done all the talking about packages and none about your families, keep looking.
Your questions, answered
Who owns the copyright to our wedding photos?
Usually the photographer or filmmaker. But under section 85 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, a couple who commission photos or film for private and domestic purposes can stop copies being shown to the public. Your contract should give you a clear licence to print and share, and ask your permission before your wedding appears online.
Can I get my deposit back if we cancel our wedding photographer?
It depends on how you booked and on your contract. If you booked online, by email or by phone, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 generally give 14 days to cancel. Whether wedding photography falls under the exemption for leisure services hasn’t been tested. After that, your contract applies, so read the cancellation terms before you pay.
Do you have to feed your wedding photographer?
There is no rule, but many full-day contracts ask for a meal and a short break, and it is worth it: a photographer and filmmaker who have eaten are sharper for the speeches and the evening. Ask what they expect, and seat them near the room where the speeches happen so they are ready.
Keep reading
- One studio or two?: the extra questions that matter when photo and film come from different companies.
- How much do wedding photography and film cost in the UK?: survey averages, so you know what a fair quote looks like.
- How long until we get our wedding photos and film?: what realistic delivery times are, and why film takes longer.
Want to try these questions on us? Book a half-hour call, or read our answers to the questions couples ask most first.
