Choosing wedding photographers can be a daunting task! Regardless of whether you are hiring Rathkopf Photography or another studio, we have created a list of questions to help you find the perfect photographer for your wedding day.

1. What is your primary style?

This should be your first question. We are primarily photojournalism inspired photographers interested in capturing real people and real moments. Instead of creating picture perfect scenes for every moment, we capture the truth and realism in the actual moment. With that being said, we also include some formal family portraits depending on our clients’ wishes.

2. Will a contract of the services be provided? If so, can we get a copy?

You should require a contract from your photographer which details what services they will be providing, pricing, cancellation policy, etc. Be wary of photographers that “don’t typically create contracts for clients.”

We always provide a simple, easy-to-read, contract which can be electronically signed.

3. Does the package we are interested in include a second shooter and/or assistant?

Aside from the wedding site, there are many moments which one single photographer cannot cover completely alone. There is no way to capture the first kiss, and at the same time, turn around and get the crowd reacting. It is important to ask your photographer whether they will plan to work with a second shooter.

In almost all cases, our packages include two shooters. However, for weddings that are small enough in size (for instance a City Hall wedding with a small collection of family and friends), we can sometimes accommodate with a single photographer.

4. What happens if the photographer is ill?

While it is unlikely that the photographer happens to get ill on your wedding day, there is still a chance. It is crucial that the photography studio does something to take care of the situation in case of illness. Rathkopf Photography is never ill :) BUT…we do have a network of trusted photographers to call on if the unimaginable happens.

5. Do you have insurance?

Professional wedding photographers should have the proper insurance for their business. Insurance provides liability protection in case a guest happens to get injured.

Rathkopf Photography carries general business, equipment and liability insurance.

6. Will you color correct our images?

Since color correction is basic post-production, it should be used on every single image. Many photographers will not color correct any, or will only color correct “select” images from your wedding. This means that you may have a lot of pictures where your skin tones are orange, yellow, red or even blue.

Rathkopf Photography color corrects every image from your wedding to make sure each and every image is a professional quality product.

7. Do you have backup for your equipment?

Nothing would be worse than for the photographer to miss half of your wedding because his/her camera or lens broke, and he/she didn’t have a spare. We have backups of every single camera body, lens, memory card, lighting . . . . Everything!

8. Should our event last longer than scheduled, will you stay? Is there an extra charge?

Knowing up front the photographer’s policy on overages is critical. You don’t want to be surprised when your wedding photographer asks for an additional $1,000 before he/she release your pictures to you.

9. What attire will the photographer(s) wear?

It’s important for the photographer to blend in as much as possible and not be a distraction. We dress completely in black because we want to go unnoticed by the clients and guests so we can capture the event as photojournalists.

10. How long after the event will the edited images be ready?

Each wedding photography studio varies in the time it takes to produce and deliver your edited images. Rathkopf Photography has developed a consistent production schedule in order to deliver an amazing product in an exceptionally quick manner. This schedule can be seen below:

- 5 teaser images delivered within 1-2 weeks

- 3-4 Weeks for all high-resolution edited images

11. Do your packages include digital files, prints and/or albums?

Our packages include high-resolution edited images. Albums and prints are optional for additional charge.

Fill out the form below to contact us for a courtesy consultation to discuss your wedding: