Here you'll find actual elopements to inspire your own and resources to help you through the planning process.
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Your Eloping Resource
Actual Elopements
How to elope
About Venturing Vows
Actual Elopements
How to elope
About Venturing Vows
Asking your photographer the right questions so you find the perfect fit for your wedding day
Since you probably don’t plan an annual elopement for fun, it’s hard to know what you need to know and what’s most important. It can be overwhelming to pick which photographer is the best fit among so many options. This blog is going to cover some things you may not have considered to help you narrow down your options and pick your just right fit.
Your budget is going to influence how many of these questions you need to ask and which ones. Lower budget photographers generally mean less experience. They’re less likely to be a fully insured LLC or offer a lot of services beyond taking the photos. Higher budget photographers will almost definitely have a lot of backup camera equipment, structured assistance through the process, a clear contract, etc. Your budget is your budget and that’s totally fine! Just know it may mean a different journey when hiring a photographer.
Disclaimer: You don’t necessarily need to ask ALL these questions. Trust your gut and use these questions to guide you on what information you may want to know.
Ask for full galleries
If you get nothing else from this blog, let it be this: ask for full photo gallery examples. A photographer’s editing style will look different depending on the time of day and the space the couple is in. This will give you a more comprehensive look at how they edit their images. It will also show you how many photos they generally deliver, how many black and white images they include, how they document candid moments, how much retouching level edits they do, what software they use to deliver images, and more.
Instagram, websites, and Pinterest are a highlight reel for a photographer. It’s one thing to take a great image during the best light of the day when you had time to carefully pose the couple. It tells a different story to see how the day is captured as a whole.
If possible, ask them for a gallery like the day you’re having. If you’re eloping during rainy season, make sure to see a cloudy day gallery. If you’re having guests, request one to see how they document candid guest moments. Check out their editing using the backdrop you have in mind to see how they work with those colors.
What are their backup plans?
- Do they have backup camera equipment in case of their gear failing?
- Most experienced, professional photographers will have a backup setup on hand. If you’re exploring more budget friendly options, this is an especially important question.
- How do they backup your images?
- The majority of professional photographers have cameras with two SD slots. This means your images are backed up in a second location instantaneously. Some photographers will shoot more than one camera which provides some extra insurance.
- After your elopement day, they should have some plan for protecting the images until they get to you. There’s a lot of ways to do this but largely, they just need some way they’re putting the images in multiple places. Think about how you would put an important photo in Google Drive as well as on your phone, just in case something happens to your phone, and that should give you an idea of precautions you’d feel comfortable with.
- What will they do if they are unable to photograph your elopement (i.e. too ill/family emergency)?
- Commonly, a photographer will hire an associate to photograph the day, have them photograph the day you planned together, and edit the images the other photographer took.
- What will they do if the weather is bad?
- There will be a wide range of answers here and it will come down to what sounds reassuring to you.
- Do they have a rescheduling policy? Do they have the flexibility in their schedule to photograph your elopement the day prior or after the planned date? Do they set aside the entire day for you in case you can shuffle the timeline to avoid poor weather?
- Note: If you’re eloping outside, make sure you’re okay with the weather doing what it does. Even if you plan a date that should have good weather, rain and wind happen. Many photographers will help you as much as they can to get good weather but sometimes you just have to frolic in the rain.
- Do they have supplies to help with a rainy day like clear umbrellas and rain covers for their cameras?
Do their services extend beyond photography?
Some photographers are higher budget because they don’t just show up, take photos, and go home. For example, I help couples make their timeline, which is a detailed schedule for their elopement day, I recommend locations, I make initial contact for permits, and I recommend vendors, etc. Not every photographer offers those things and that’s okay. If you already have a specific hiking trail picked out and most of your details planned or you don’t mind doing that yourself, that’s no big deal. BUT, if you’re coming from the other side of the country and have never been to the place you’re eloping, you may want to pick someone who knows the area and will guide you through the process.
Do they have a contract? Are they licensed and insured?
Do they have a contract/are they insured? Basically, do they have their business ducks in a row. Maybe you do a quick check yourself and make sure to read the contract they send you carefully or maybe you ask outright. There’s no one right answer and it will come down to your personal comfort level. I personally have business liability insurance, registered as an LLC in my state, and have a contract written by a lawyer meant to protect both you and myself.
Make sure to read your entire contract before booking with a photographer. It should cover things like what will happen if they’re unable to photograph your elopement, when you will receive your photos, how payments and refunds proceed, and so many other important details. It’s worth reading through the lengthy document to know the exact services you’re receiving so there’s no surprises later.
Photo Delivery: when, how many, and how?
When you’re super excited about your photos, it can be hard to wait for them all to get edited. Timelines for receiving photos vary wildly, to the point it may be a deal breaker depending on your preference. Some photographers offer sneak peeks within a 1-10 day period which can be especially important to you if you’re eloping and using the photos to announce it. Full gallery delivery most commonly ranges from 1-6 months.
This is becoming uncommon, especially for elopements, but some folks in the industry charge you a session fee and then you purchase prints or digital files from them. Most photographers will offer a digital files gallery where you can download all the images to print and use however you’d like. Usually photos are delivered via an online gallery link (often private and only accessibly by you).
While asking how many images you’ll receive is important, looking at a full gallery, like recommended above, will give you a lot of insight. Do they give you a certain number of images? Do they deliver any good images regardless of how many that is?
An extra note on RAW images: Most photographers will not provide RAW images of your day. RAW images are very, very large files because they have data that allows us to edit them more extensively (data that only helps for professionals who are experts at editing the images). This data does not help you when you are using the images later. RAW files can only be opened in professional photo software. Make sure you’re hiring a photographer who edits exactly how you like and will give you high resolution images for large prints.
Do they have experience photographing where you’re eloping?
This is a question that doesn’t make a huge difference for traditional weddings but a big deal for elopements. If you’re exploring and hiking in nature, you want someone who knows the place. I live on the Oregon Coast and it’s not unusual for folks to forget that the tides can change a location significantly. Those are the kinds of little details that can make a difference in your elopement experience.
You’ll find some photographers are willing to offer a steep discount to photograph at a location for the first time. If this puts your dream photographer in budget, more power to you! Just know that you’ll have less location options provided, potentially dealing with more crowds because you’re visiting a popular spot vs. a hidden gem, and may need to deal with more last minute plan changes. I know lots of couples who have had good experience hiring out of town folks so don’t let it scare you off. But as someone who has chosen to only specialize in certain spots for my clients experience, I want you to know what you’re signing on for.
If possible, ask for a full gallery at the location you have in mind. It’s hard to compare a Utah desert elopement with an Oregon Coast one when you’re trying to figure out if the photographer has the right style for you.
I hope this helps you along your elopement planning journey! Remember to trust your gut in this decision. There’s a lot of advice out there and you don’t need to follow every bit of it. Think about how you get along with the photographer during an introduction phone call, if they respond to emails efficiently, and if they are ready to help you as they can. A perfect photographer for one person isn’t necessarily the perfect for another so your route to finding the perfect fit won’t fit a certain template.
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Hi y’all! I’m Miki, the photographer here at Venturing Vows. I hope this resource was helpful! I’m an elopement photographer that specializes in the Oregon Coast and Olympic National Park. If you want to learn more about my services, check out my home page or contact me here!
