Article updated on 29 March 2026
Your Ultimate Guide to Hiring a Wedding Photographer
What to ask, what to expect, and red flags you need to look out for!
Hi there!
I’m Matt, a wedding photographer from Norwich, who covers Norfolk, Suffolk and occasionally Essex!
With over 100 weddings shot, I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen many photographers go above and beyond for their couples, and sadly, I’ve seen more than my fair share of couples being ripped off, or worse, being left without a photographer on their day.
The reality is, when a couple hire a photographer, it’s probably the only time they ever will, and as such, it’s easy to put all your faith in that person — the issue arises when that person doesn’t have your best interests at heart.
So this guide is aimed at any and all couples looking to hire a wedding photographer. It will tell you what to ask, what to expect, things to look out for, places to do your research, and hopefully go some way to making your wedding day as hassle-free and amazing as possible.
Get reading — and good luck!
Quick Links...
Things to Expect, Things to Ask
Red Flags – Things to look out for
How to Avoid being Ripped off
Hiring a wedding photographer
Things to expect, things to ask and things to look out for!
I’m going to assume you’ve seen a photographer whose work you love…. Where do you go from here?
1. Arrange to Meet Them or Have a Call With Them
Meeting in person may not always be possible or practical, but phones/WhatsApp/Skype etc. exist for a reason — use them. If your photographer doesn’t want to do either, RUN! Find another photographer.
Looking past the more technical questions you need to ask (i.e. what’s in this guide), I think one overlooked reason to meet/call your photographer is to see if you both like each other! You’ll be spending a lot of time with your photographer, so primarily see if you like their attitude and their humour. Can you see yourself spending time with this person on your wedding day? If the answer is ‘no’ or even ‘maybe’, then find another photographer. You both want to vibe and be on the same page!
2. Hours of Coverage - What's Included
Regardless of whether you’re hiring a wedding photographer for a few hours or the full day, it’s imperative you find out what this actually includes and what it covers. The last thing you want is to find out on the day that your photographer is finishing at 6 pm no matter what, and you thought you had hired them for your first dance, which is happening at 7:30!
Once you have determined what’s actually included in the cost, make sure this is confirmed in their contract or email. If by some crazy chance there is a miscommunication, you want to have this written down somewhere.
I, for example, when invoicing, will list exactly what the invoice covers, from the time I start to the time I finish (+ everything in between).
2.5. Hours of Coverage — How Wedding Photographers Approach This
There are two main ways wedding photographers approach time.
The most common, and the way I work, is to work from point A to point B, regardless of time. For example, you might hire a photographer to cover the ceremony to the first dance. That means if that takes 6 hours or 12, you have those two points in your day covered.
Other photographers prefer a set hours approach, so their start time might be at the start of the ceremony, but they will only work for 8 hours before they finish (or charge extra if they stay longer).
The reason I don’t like the latter is that it’s not unheard of for weddings to run off schedule — it doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. And 9 times out of 10, it’s no one’s fault. So personally speaking, I’m happy to stick around to make sure your day is covered.
3. Travel Costs – Are There Any?
Most photographers local to your area will not be charging travel costs. If you’re looking to hire a photographer outside your local area, then it’s very possible that travel costs will be added, so ask what they are.
And if your photographer is coming in from outside your local area, it’s also possible they might ask for accommodation costs as well. Neither of these things is unusual.
4. Contract
All established and serious wedding photographers will have a contract, and it is imperative (for you and them) that they have one. If you’re speaking to a photographer who claims to be established but doesn’t have a contract, find another photographer.
What should be included in a wedding photography contract:
- Deliverables: How long will it take for me to see my photos?
- Cancellation clause: What’s covered, what is not, and what happens if you or they have to cancel?
- Copyright: Who owns the images? (More info on this in my Copyright section)
That being said, if you’re looking at a budget photographer, perhaps a student or someone wanting to break into the industry, then perhaps this can be ignored, but more about that in my red flags section of this guide.
5. How long will I have to wait for my photos?
Now this is one area where I’ve heard some real horror stories over the years, with couples having to wait a year for their photos — you don’t want that to happen!
Make sure you confirm how long it will take to see your final photos. For example, I, and most other photographers, have a 4-6 week turnaround — this can fluctuate a little depending on the time of year, but personally speaking, I’ve never taken longer than 6 weeks, but always aim to have all the photos done in 4.
Saying that, it’s also not unusual for some photographers to say 3 months. If they are upfront about this, then really the choice is yours.
6. How many photos will I receive?
Every wedding is different. Some weddings are very relaxed affairs, while others are full-on parties from the get-go. Some weddings have 15 guests while others have 150. All of these things play a part in how many photos will be received.
That said, once you speak with them and tell them about your day, they should be able to give you a rough estimate.
The one red flag you need to be aware of is photographers who make guarantees here — more about this in my red flags section.
6.5. Wedding Albums/Memory Stick — Physical Items
Getting an online gallery is great, but what about the physical stuff — things like books or prints.
A lot of photographers now don’t do albums (I don’t, for example), but if your photographer does and it’s all part of the package, make sure you ask how this works and how long it will all take.
7. Copyright - who owns the photos?
This is probably one of the hardest things I have to explain to couples. Most (I’d go as far as to say all) established wedding photographers will retain ownership of their photos — this means you, as a couple, are issued a licence/rights (as per the contract) to use the photos for personal use. This means for all intents and purposes, they are your photos; you can print them, share them, etc.
If that’s the case, why would the photographer need to retain copyright? Well, when it comes to the commercial side of things, it’s important that the photographer maintains control over their photos — for example, if a venue wants to use a photo on their website or in a brochure, it’s important that the photographer receives a credit. This is something a couple has no control over, so by retaining copyright, this allows the photographer to control how venues and other vendors use their images.
But from your perspective as a couple, this will not affect how you and your guests use the photos at all. You and your guests are still free to use the photos online, share them with friends and family, print them out, and make books.
8. Sickness and Cancellations
With all the best planning in the world, there are simply some things out of our control, and we have to cancel. I’ve never had to do this, but we have to be realistic — it could happen, and it could happen to anyone.
So, ask your photographer if there’s a backup plan!
I, like many other photographers, have a network of awesome photographers who would happily cover a wedding (at no additional cost to you) if one of us had to drop out. So the chances of you going without a photographer on your wedding day are extremely unlikely.
Now, if you’re hiring a new or unestablished photographer, you might find they don’t have this network to fall back on — but more about that in my red flags section.
9. Ask to see a gallery or three
it’s easy to look at a photographer’s website and be wowed by all the awesome photos, but these are the cream of the crop — they are the classic wedding photos. They may not be typical of what a full day of wedding coverage looks like.
So, ask your photographer to see a full gallery. Any photographer who has confidence in their work will have no problem doing this, and if they make excuses or dodge this request, find another photographer.
10. Do they have backup cameras and equipment?
Ask them what happens if something breaks? Being a professional wedding photographer means you should have contingency plans if something goes wrong. I have multiple of everything 🙂
11. Food - Do I need to feed my photographer?
This is very dependent on the photographer, and many will absolutely include this in their contract as a requirement. So if a photographer requires this, it’s not unusual — in fact, it’s pretty common.
That said, it’s very dependent on how long the photographer is working. If you’ve hired them for a few hours, then of course they don’t need feeding — a full day at a venue in the middle of nowhere, then yeah, food might be a must.
Personally speaking, it’s not something I insist upon. It’s nice to have (and many venues will offer a supplier meal), but I won’t lose any sleep if I don’t get fed.
12. Payment terms
Every established photographer will have payment terms — 9 times out of 10 this is simple enough: a deposit (sometimes a percentage, other times a fixed amount) with the remaining amount due closer to the wedding day.
There’s nothing really to worry about here, other than photographers who insist everything is paid well before the wedding day — but more about that in my red flags section.
13. Are They Insured?
Most (probably all) wedding venues will require all vendors to have public liability insurance before they can work at their venue. So with that in mind, if you hire a photographer and they don’t have PL insurance, there is every possibility the venue will basically not allow them to set foot on the grounds on your wedding day.
Every established wedding photographer knows this — but if you’re hiring someone new to photography, this could be a problem. Don’t forget to read the red flags section!
14. Check their reviews
Most wedding photographers tend to focus reviews on one or two places. For me, it’s Google and Facebook reviews; for others, they might include Trustpilot. Past personal recommendations, these are the best resources you have to know if your photographer is genuine or not.
Be sure to read them. I think most photographers are pretty honest with their reviews, but I have seen some suspect behaviour in the past — more about that in my red flags section.
Wedding Photograpy Red flags!
The warning signs, how not to be ripped off
Over the years, I’ve seen it all, and in some ways, the advice here is more important than the advice above!
1. Lack of Experience — New to Wedding Photography
Everyone’s working to a budget, and sometimes that will mean you are looking at or considering cheaper and more affordable photographers.
There is NOTHING wrong with this. It’s not unusual (online especially) to see couples asking about “cheap” photographers, and all the other photographers will say what a bad idea this is, and fill the comment sections with horror stories. And many are not without merit….BUT! It’s worth remembering that every photographer, even the most expensive and experienced photographer, was once a ‘cheap’ and ‘affordable wedding photographer’ who started at the bottom and worked their way up. Cheap does not mean bad; it doesn’t mean you’ll get ripped off.
If the person you are hiring is cheap, and they are clear and honest as to why they are cheap, then there’s a good chance you’ll be okay. That being said, more experienced photographers are more expensive for a reason… So with that in mind, here are some things to think about and consider.
- Be realistic in your expectations. It’s not fair or right to expect Vogue-like photography from a student or someone who’s only been using a camera for a year or two and has little to no experience of how a wedding works.
- A lot of the skills of a wedding photographer come from knowing and understanding the rhythm of the day. A good and experienced photographer will see these beats and moments coming before they happen — they can anticipate things that inexperienced photographers might miss.
- So much of the job isn’t just about taking photos — it’s also about managing people, guests, vicars (vicars especially!), registrars, other vendors, and, on occasion, actually stepping in to fix issues and making sure your day goes as perfectly as possible. For example I, have 100+ weddings under my belt, and I know how the day runs far, far better than most.
During the ceremony, there can be a lot to think about — where to stand, how to behave. Vicars and registrars all have their own requirements, so understanding their needs and expectations is paramount. It’s surprising how many Do’s & Don’ts there can be, and it can change from venue to venue, registrar to registrar.
- More technical knowledge, like how to shoot in low light, how to deal with flash, how to manage group photos, how to arrange confetti, how to deal with sparklers, how to manage vicars and churches, certain types of venues — there really is a surprising amount of things that happen outside of just taking nice photos.
As I said, everyone (me included) once started photographing weddings without these skills, but it is those skills that you’re paying for when you hire a more established photographer.
2. When you're cheap, and you take on too much work
One negative I’ve seen a handful of times is new wedding photographers who offer too good to be true costs. And as a result, get loads of bookings. Then in the following year, when they have to actually do the work and shoot these weddings, it becomes abundantly clear very quickly that they can’t cope with the workload — as a result, they let a lot of couples down, leaving them with no photographer, and occasionally with no return of their money.
3. lack of experience/lack of network
Newer photographers will often have little to no plan if they can’t cover your wedding. This can be an issue and can leave you with no photography cover on your wedding day. As mentioned above, established photographers often have a network of other photographers who can cover a wedding if the worst happens. Cheaper photographers might not have this network, nor a network of photographers willing to work a wedding for those kinds of budgets.
3. When the price really is too good to be true
If the cost/quality of work looks too good to be true, it probably is. I’ve seen adverts pop up for amazing wedding photographers, often using photos that look stunning, offering prices that are abnormally cheap. They aim to get your booking (and your money) and to never photograph your wedding.
I’ve heard from couples saying ‘our photographer never turned up’, and the reality is wedding photography can be used as a prime way to rip people off — you often pay for your photographer a year in advance, which gives said “photographer” plenty of time to disappear with your money.
4. They offer free UK coverage
A bit like point 3, photographers who offer free UK-wide coverage is a massive red flag — ask yourself, are they really going to drive 8 hours each way to shoot your 12-hour wedding, edit 100s, if not 1000s of photos over a week or two for £500?
5. Photographers who offer a guaranteed set number of photos
This is a minor one – It should be quality over quantity, not quantity over quality. Every photographer can pad a wedding gallery out with less-than-ideal photos, but really, that’s not what wedding photography should be about. A good photographer wants to give you amazing photos, not a gallery full of mediocrity.
These kinds of promises are about fooling you into thinking you’re getting value for money, and are not an indication of a good photographer or good photography.
6. Photographers who send an associate (without telling you!)
Unlike having to send a replacement because of sickness, there is a trend with some photographers who book weddings with little to no intention of ever photographing your wedding, and you only find out on the day when some other random (usually local and inexperienced) photographer arrives to shoot your day. Basically, they took your money and paid someone else (at a much reduced cost) to do the hard work for them!
This is something I really dislike. At this point, you would have spoken to the photographer, seen their work, and liked their work, only to find on the day, it’s not actually them photographing your wedding. This is not overly common, but it is something you need to look out for. Make sure the photographer you’re speaking to is, in fact, the photographer who will be photographing your wedding.
7. "established" but has no reviews?
If an established photographer has no reviews, there are 2 reasons for this.
- They are not established, and it’s a lie to get you to part with your cash.
- They are established but over the years have left couples unhappy or unsatisfied with their service. Because of this, they have received some negative reviews and, rather than having them displayed on Facebook (for example), they simply turn them off and hide them.
8. No deposit - But they want full payment?
No genuine wedding photographer works this way. If they ask for all the money up front for a wedding that’s not happening for months or years, don’t do it.
9. No Insurance
New photographers probably won’t consider the importance of having public liability insurance. I’ll be honest, most venues won’t ask about this, they will just assume the photographer has it, but other venues, especially the more high end ones, will require it, and will ask to see their insurance documents – and if the photographer doesn’t have it the venue will not allow them to set foot on the grounds of the wedding venue on your wedding day!
10. No contract
A contract is super important — as I’ve mentioned above, but at the same time, not having one may not be the end of the world (student/new photographer) if you understand the risks associated with this.
But if they are “established” and they say they don’t have a contract, I’d recommend you find someone else to photograph your wedding.
10. Venues with Recommended Suppliers - A slight warning
This is a very minor one, but I’ll add it here just in case.
Nine times out of ten, if a venue recommends a supplier and has a recommended supplier list, it is, without question, brilliant, and you should absolutely check out those suppliers for your wedding. They are on that list for all the right reasons.
Sadly, though, we are seeing a trend with some venues charging suppliers to be on their supplier list! Meaning they care more about earning a few extra £££ than they do about you and your wedding day. They won’t advertise this is what’s happening, of course, but sadly, it is a thing. So if you meet with a venue and they are really pushing a particular photographer or DJ, just be aware of what might be happening.
I’m on a couple of recommended supplier lists, and I will never pay to be on one – I personally believe it’s cheating couples and may result in couples paying more as the vendor passes that fee (usually 10% + VAT) onto them.
I will repeat that this is unusual behaviour, so please don’t assume this is in any way normal behaviour from venues. Most venues are brilliant and do have your best interests at heart.
what Can I do to avoid being ripped off?
Assuming you’ve read the list to this point, what other ways can you avoid being ripped off and left disappointed?
1. Do your research
Online reviews often come with names — it’s a bit stalky, but look those people up, see if they are genuine people who have had genuine weddings. If their socials are full of awesome photos from their wedding, you’re probably going to be okay!
2. Check out the Wedding Scams Facebook Group
This Facebook group is worth its weight in gold, and I do recommend every couple join it. If a vendor or a company you’re looking to hire has a history of being rubbish, there’s a good chance it will be mentioned here. Speaking from a photography perspective, there are always one or two names that constantly come up, and it’s heartbreaking seeing couples who have fallen for their scams again and again. So join the group Asap!
And Facebook pages/groups in general are a good place to start — you’ll find local and national wedding groups that are there to help you with all wedding-related advice. Many will allow anonymous posting, so feel free to be pretty proactive in asking about vendors and photographers.
3. Wedding Insurance
This won’t stop you from being ripped off, but it might stop you from losing money. I cannot stress how important it is to at least consider it if your budget can stretch to it. As I’m sure you know, there are so many plates to spin in organising and planning a wedding; they all cost money, and you are putting a lot of faith in other people. Wedding insurance goes some way to protect you and others if things go wrong.
Lets chat!
If you’ve gotten to the end of this list and you’d like to learn more about my wedding photography, then fill out the form below!
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