Start with full galleries from weddings like yours. They tell you more than any answer will. Then work through the package, the delivery and rights, and the paperwork, with a line on why each question matters.
Start here
Experience and style
- Can we see two or three full galleries from weddings like ours? Highlights show the best twenty shots. A full gallery shows how they handle the whole day, including the quiet family moments.
- Have you photographed our ceremonies before? A nikkah, an anand karaj, the pheras under a mandap and a baraat each have their own key moments. Ask which ones they know well and what they watch for.
- How would you describe your editing style? Warm and filmic, or clean and true to colour: neither is wrong. Editing refines a style; it does not change it.
- Who will actually shoot our wedding? Some studios send an associate. Ask for the name and to see that person's work.
The package
Coverage and logistics
- Which events and how many hours are included? A mehndi, a wedding day and a walima or reception can mean several days of work. Get the events, start times and hours in writing, plus the rate for extra time.
- Is there a second shooter, and when? When the bride and groom get ready in different places, or the hall holds hundreds of guests, one person cannot catch everything.
- How do you work in low light? The most important moments often happen in dim halls, mosques, gurdwaras or under warm stage lighting. Ask to see examples and whether they use flash.
- Do you need a meal and a break, and who arranges it? Long days need planning. It is a small thing that is easy to forget.
- Will you use a drone? Drones need to be flown within Civil Aviation Authority rules, and many venues restrict them. Ask whether they are CAA registered and insured, and check with the venue.
- How do you work alongside the videographer and the family's own phones? A good photographer plans with the other crews rather than competing for the same spot.
After the day
Photos, delivery and rights
- When will we receive the photos, and is the date in the contract? Ask for a specific delivery date, and whether you get a preview set sooner.
- In what format and resolution? You want full-resolution files you can print, delivered by a download link that does not expire, or a copy you keep.
- Who owns the copyright, and what can we do with the photos? Under UK law the author of a work is the first owner of its copyright, so the photographer usually keeps it. Check that your licence covers printing, sharing online and sending to family abroad.
- Will you use our photos in your marketing? Some families are happy with this; others, especially for the bride's getting-ready photos, are not. Agree it in writing.
- Is an album included, and when is it designed? Albums often come months later. Ask what size, how many pages and how many rounds of changes.
Before you pay
Paperwork and payment
- How much is the deposit, and when is the balance due? Get both in writing. Be cautious if a large share of the total is asked for many months ahead.
- What happens if we cancel or move the date? Under UK consumer law, what a business keeps when you cancel should reflect its actual loss. Our deposit and booking checklist explains this as general information.
- What happens if you are ill or cannot attend? Ask who the named substitute would be, whether you can approve them, and what you are owed if no suitable substitute is found.
- Do you back up the photos during and after the day? Professional photographers usually record to two cards and keep more than one copy until delivery.
- Do you hold public liability insurance? Many venues ask for it.
Booking on Nodus
Where Nodus fits
On Nodus you can message photographers and send each one an enquiry with your date and ceremonies attached, with every reply kept in one thread. Itemised quotes are coming. When you book, you pay a deposit to confirm, then the balance before your event, each paid directly to your vendor through Stripe.
See well-known Asian wedding photographers in Manchester and Leeds, and our longer guide to questions to ask a wedding photographer.
Questions
Ask to see full galleries from similar weddings, which ceremonies and hours are covered, whether a second shooter is included, how they handle low light, when and how you receive the photos, who owns the copyright and what the deposit and cancellation terms are.
Under UK copyright law the author of a work is its first owner, so the photographer usually keeps copyright unless the contract says otherwise. You normally receive a licence for personal use. Check what that licence allows, such as printing and sharing online.
Often, yes. When the bride and groom get ready in different places, or a ceremony has several hundred guests, one person cannot be everywhere. Ask whether a second shooter is included or an extra.
Only if they meet the Civil Aviation Authority's rules for flying and the venue allows it. Ask whether they are registered with the CAA and insured for drone work, and check with your venue.
Yes. There is no exclusivity on Nodus, so you can book a photographer, a videographer and a content creator separately if you want. Ask each one how they work alongside other crews.