The ONE QUESTION that All Couples Must Ask their Photographer

Hiring a wedding photographer can feel daunting and there is so much info about what to look for but there are ONE QUESTION that all couples forget to ask.  This post will explain what that ONE QUESTION is and why you HAVE TO ask it.

And that question is – Drum roll please…….

What is the Turnaround Time for my Wedding Pictures?  

Turnaround time is the length of time between your wedding day and when you will get the final edits of your pictures.  Picture it (no pun intended) – you had a great wedding!  Good food and all night dancing with friends and family.  Now you want to see the pix of your awesome day.  So you contact your photographer and they get back to you three days later and tell you that you will get the pix in 2 months.  TWO MONTHS!  This is the first time you are hearing that it will take 2 months – you know why?  Because you didn’t ask. 

The length of the turnaround time is based on several factors.  Did you hire them to do touch ups on your pictures?  Touch ups can take some time.  How long was your wedding day?  Did you have a 20-minute ceremony with 2 guests on the beach or did your wedding start with hair and makeup at 6am, 250 guests, and the program finished at 8pm?  Definitely a big difference in the number of pictures that were taken.  Is your wedding during the busy season?  Does the photographer have weddings every weekend for the next 3 months?  That will factor in on how long it will take for you to get your pix.

So, what can you do?  ASK! And if you don’t like the answer then it might be time for you to find a different photographer.

You can also ask if they offer a ‘sneak peek’.  A ‘sneak peek’ is when a photographer will provide ~10 pictures to hold you over till you get the entire lot.  Ask if they do that and how long it will take.

Last point – if your photographer tells you that it will be two months for your photos, don’t email them 10 days after your wedding and ask for the pix.  They told you how long it would take.  Don’t be ridiculous.  What you can do is email them at 7 weeks and tell them that you had a great time at your wedding (on so & so date) and can’t wait to see your pix next week.  A gentle nudge – you don’t want to piss off the person doing touch ups on your photos.  You could end up with a mustache in your pix (see Charlotte & Harry’s Engagement Announcement in Sex in the City).

Ok – you got it.  The ONE QUESTION that EVERY couple forgets to ask their wedding photographer.  Now good luck photographer hunting.  

Aloha