Questions to ask your Wedding Photographer, or any wedding vendor | Amanda Richardson Photography

Weddings

Your partner asked, you said “YES” and now you are planning the best day of your lives.

The choices can be overwhelming but exciting at the same time. Your wedding is the one day where YOU get to choose every single detail, and curate your day the way you have always imagined your wedding day to be.

Before I give you the questions you should ask your vendors, get to know me a bit and why these questions are important.

Hi, I’m Amanda, a Columbus Georgia based destination wedding photographer with over a decade of experience in photography and 7 years of wedding experience. Seeing partners choose each other and devote themselves to each other brings me to tears and this “job” brings me so much fulfillment and I believe I am I am living my purpose. I have photographed over 75 weddings and have answered many questions from couples and have asked other wedding vendors questions, and the following questions are the ones that I feel are vital for everyone planning their wedding to ask the vendors they are considering or booking for their special day.

Questions to ask your vendors, especially photographers:

  1. Are you licensed and insured? This may seem like a silly question to ask, but it is so important. Having wedding vendors who are legally licensed and insured on your wedding day eases your mind in the very rare instance something does not go as planned. No one ever wants to use insurance, but the peace of mind is worth it. In order to operate a legal business(AGAIN, SO IMPORTANT) and in your case, as the client, you want all of your vendors to be legally licensed in your state. A legal business pays taxes, just like a typical 9-5pm job. You may ask, “Amanda, why is this important?” Good question. Let me explain. When a wedding vendor is licensed, they have gone through the right protocols through the state to pay taxes and be a legal operating business. The state in which you live or holding your wedding has approved them to operate their business, essentially.
  2. Ask to see multiple FULL wedding galleries and thoroughly look at their portfolio. Artificial Intelligence(AI) is integrated in every aspect of our lives whether we realize it or not, and some businesses have adapted AI to curate their feeds and portfolio. You want to see multiple wedding galleries or thoroughly look at their portfolio to ensure you LOVE the work they produce, such as the posed and candids, the food they make, the cakes they have made for various events, the decor they have on hand/custom made pieces, see how they work with various lighting(sunset, ballroom, middle of the day, barn, etc). Lighting plays a huge factor in how your wedding will look, especially with wedding photography.
  3. How do you accept payment? Venmo, Zelle and Cash App should not be accepted forms of payment, and are red flags for businesses operating under the table…aka not legal operating. Some businesses do have business accounts with these apps, but personally I would be cautious. You are investing hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars into a vendor, especially photography, request a formal invoice that allows you to pay via credit card, debit card or bank transfer. If they are a legal business, they will have proper invoices and will provide receipts with each payment you make. Lastly, you should never make a payment without a contract which leads to my last question.
  4. Last question to ask before hiring a wedding vendor: Do you have a contract? Every legally operating business will have a contract, no questions asked. Please, please, please review every term and condition stated in the contract to ensure you are comfortable signing a legally binding document with your vendors. A contract is beneficial for everyone, the clients and wedding vendor and sets the expectations for the services performed so there are no surprises. And, in the rare instance something does not go right, you have the contract to reference to hold the vendor accountable and vice versa. For me, as a wedding photographer, a contract is non-negotiable. There are certain things I will change, such as model release(as in you want your images to be private and not posted on social media) and I will extend payment deadlines to work with a budget, but most of what is in my contract protects my clients and myself. If you have any questions about the contract, please ask your vendor to clarify before signing. Once you have signed the contract and paid the retainer, you are officially booked and can reference the contract to answer most questions or their FAQ page on their website. If those two don’t answer your questions, reach out to your vendor. 🙂

These are the 4 questions I find the most helpful to ask any wedding vendor you are considering for your special day. Whether you are hiring catering, photo-booth, photographer, baker, decor, coordinator, videographer, etc, these questions will help you navigate through the businesses you will rely on to bring your vision to life.

If you are a Columbus Georgia couple planning your day and are wanting to cross “DREAM WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER” off your list, I would love to be considered for your special day. I am booking 2025 & 2026 weddings and have limited dates available for destination weddings.

Please look through my website, get to know me and my business, and fill out my contact form to find out if your wedding date is available.

www.arichardsonphoto.com