The photographer meeting, on paper

Nearly every disappointing wedding gallery is a priorities problem rather than a talent problem. Naming the trade before it happens is the whole job of this page.

Three photographs we would be sorry not to have

Three things we do not want time spent staging

The second list is the one photographers thank you for. It gives back twenty minutes and removes the ring-on-a-book shot nobody in your family has ever asked for.

Bring the family photograph list with names already on it, and agree three things here:

Sensitivities the photographer should know privately

• What time does the light go, and what does that mean for our schedule?
• Have you worked at this venue, and what did you learn there?
• What is the plan if it rains, and what do you need from us to make it work?
• Is any part of the ceremony space restricted for photography?
• What lighting do you use indoors, and how visible is it to guests?

• When do you arrive, and where do you start?
• How is travel between venues handled and charged?
• Do you need a meal, and when should it be scheduled?
• How does overtime work if the day runs late — and who decides?
• Who do you contact on the day if something changes?

What a second person would specifically cover on our day

If the answer is a general one, the answer is no. A second shooter earns their fee when two things happen in two places at once — two getting-ready locations, a long aisle, a large guest count.

• How do you back up during the day, and that night?
• When are files delivered, and in what format?
• Are high-resolution downloads included?
• How long do you retain the files, and what happens after that?
• What happens to the gallery link, and when does it expire?

• What printing and sharing rights do we receive, in writing?
• What do you want to use the photographs for — portfolio, social, submissions, advertising?
• Can we opt out of some or all of that, and how is it recorded?
• Are there guests who must not appear anywhere public?
• How quickly do you post, and can you wait until we have seen them?

This is a conversation, not an accusation. Most photographers build a portfolio from real weddings and will say so plainly. You are allowed to say plainly what you are comfortable with.

• How would you like guest phones handled during the ceremony?
• Are you comfortable with a guest photo portal or shared album running alongside you?
• Is there a moment you would rather guests watched instead of filmed?

What we will tell guests, and how

• What album and print options exist, and at what price?
• Is there a deadline after which they cost more or stop being available?
• Can we decide later without losing anything?