If you’ve gotten to speak with me, you know that after a decade in it, I am VERY opinionated about the wedding industry. I love it because - for the most part - it’s passionate, artistic entrepreneurs coming together to create magic for a day. Like any industry, it’s full of nuance and weird tricks and quirks. Add to that the smoke and mirrors of social media, and it can be difficult to navigate for people thrown into wedding planning.

Thus! We arrive at the start of what will be my ongoing series of answering that evergreen article that wedding publications love >> What to Ask Your Wedding Photographer

I’m going to kick off with this list of 39 questions from Brides.com which had been updated on 12.10.2019. I guess we’ll freestyle on Covid until it comes up in another feature.

Let’s tackle their first section about availability:

Availability

Is the date available?

This is going to be standard on just about any contact form for obvious reasons. While it’s tricky to actually book anything without knowing your date, it’s not unheard of to get in touch prior to having your date confirmed if you have certain vendors you KNOW you want and to try to line them all up with dates that work.

Will you be the actual photographer there on the day?

It’s wild that there are business practices going on that even make this a necessary question but here we are. Yes, when you book me (Into Dust Photography) it’s literally me and my trusted second photographer. I’m not a giant studio. I don’t have associate photographers (photographers that get sent instead of the owner.) I photograph weddings because I love them - their pressures, their challenges, and their huge rewards for committing to the random skill set beyond technical photo skills they require. (more on that later!)

How many weddings will you photograph around the same time as my wedding?

Weddings are a type of endurance sport for active listening and active observation. Before you see me, I’ve prepped equipment, loaded gear, reviewed timelines and names of VIPs, gotten to your venue far earlier than the start time because there is no accounting for travel times. Then, all that day, I’ll be carrying a minimum of two cameras and all their lenses hanging from my shoulders, running in front of you to capture everything, trailing behind you for sneaky, vulnerable moments, and hustling back and forth between different sides of the wedding as the day unfolds. Let’s not forget the soft skills of gently managing overly helpful family or wedding party members, getting you to where you need to be to stay on the timeline, and teaching you how to move photogenically with your outfits, bouquet, etc. Then after the wedding, loading all that gear back out, getting your photographs downloaded and backed up that night, and peeling off a few sneak peeks to text you asap! It’s not for the faint of heart and the best part - literally no margin for error. Two. I can do two weddings in a weekend and only about 15 - 20 in an entire year factoring in all the production work and prep and planning. Luckily, I am tapped to do quite a few Winter weddings leveraging my indoor photography skills so that everything doesn’t jam up in the few outdoor safe weather months of the PNW.

How many photographers do we get when booking you?

Check out a video I made via Loom

I always, always work with a second photographer on weddings. It’s never an additional charge and the reasoning is that I never want to have to make the choice between one side of the couple as they are getting ready. I don’t want to prioritize one reaction over another if you’re choosing to do a first look. I don’t want to choose between the impactful moment of hugs between a bride and groom and their parents at the front of the aisle and that magic moment as you step into the aisle to walk to your partner or hanging back behind to get those butterfly excitement moments as you wait to step forward - the little words of wisdom your dad might tell you just as you head out. One of us is up front, one of us is at the back getting everything. During the reception, one of us stays with you and gets all the candids during cocktail hour and one of us gets all the pristine decor happening as the room you designed comes together. If your grandma wants to get a picture with her friends but you guys are headed towards toasts, I want to say yes to both and grab that quick pic for grandma without worrying about missing what’s going on with you - my second is right there to step in. I have a million examples of why I love shooting with a partner and no downsides. What? More photos to cull through at production time? Ok, more rad photos for you guys!

And that’s a wrap on the first section of “What to Ask Your Wedding Photographer.” If this stuff is interesting to you, read more advice and insight on wedding photography and the wedding industry!

☆ Kimberly ☆

Here are some examples of that dynamic between me and my second shooter working those angles concurrently ☆

Me up front getting the ascendency to the altar. Also, giving a wide walk around so I’m not stepping in front of your parents to get back down the aisle.

My second photographer from the back of the aisle getting that perfect wide shot as I walk back from the front around the side.

What to Ask Your Wedding Photographer - Availability

Availability

Blush Indian Wedding Decor