What Happens When Things Don't Go to Plan With Your Wedding Photography?

Most couples spend a huge amount of time planning their wedding. There's a venue to organise, a timeline to think about, suppliers to book and hundreds of small decisions to make. But weddings don't always follow the plan.

The ceremony might run late. The weather might change. A piece of equipment might fail. And, very occasionally, a photographer might become ill.

You don't need to spend your wedding day worrying about all the things that could go wrong. Part of hiring a professional photographer is knowing that they've thought about them too.

Here are a few things worth asking about before you book.

What happens if you're ill and can't photograph our wedding?

It's unlikely, but it's an important question to ask. Your photographer should have a clear plan for what happens if they're unexpectedly unable to attend your wedding.

Ask what that plan is and whether they have trusted photographers or other professional contacts who could help in an emergency.

You don't need to expect something to go wrong. You're simply making sure there is a plan if it does.

Are you fully insured?

This is one of those less exciting questions that is still worth asking.

Professional photographers should have appropriate business and liability insurance, and some venues may require evidence of insurance before allowing a photographer to work there.

I carry business, equipment and liability insurance as part of running the photography business.

It's not something you'll notice when everything goes according to plan, but it's part of making sure the business behind your photography is properly prepared.

What equipment do you use, and do you have backups?

You don't necessarily need to know the make and model of every camera a photographer owns.

What's more useful is asking whether they have backup equipment and what happens if a camera, lens, memory card or other essential piece of equipment fails.

I carry backup cameras, lenses and other essential equipment so that a technical problem doesn't suddenly become your problem.

The equipment matters, but knowing how a photographer prepares for things going wrong matters more.

What happens if the weather changes on our wedding day?

You can't control the weather, and there's no point pretending otherwise.

If you're planning an outdoor ceremony, portraits or parts of your reception, ask your photographer how they approach changing weather.

Rain doesn't automatically mean you won't get the photographs you were hoping for. A good photographer should be able to adapt to what's happening rather than relying on everything going exactly as planned.

I work with the conditions on the day and look for opportunities in whatever weather we have. Sometimes the photographs you end up with because of the weather are the ones you weren't expecting.

What happens if our wedding runs late?

Weddings rarely run exactly according to the original timeline.

Speeches might take longer than expected. The ceremony might start late. Family photographs might take more time than planned. Ask what happens if things overrun and you need your photographer to stay longer than the agreed coverage.

My wedding packages cover a set number of hours, but additional coverage can be arranged if you need it.

The important thing is that you understand how this works before the wedding rather than trying to work it out on the day.

What happens if something unexpected happens during the wedding day?

Not everything that goes wrong will be a major problem.

A timeline might change. A group photograph might take longer than expected. Something might happen that nobody planned for at all. Your photographer needs to be able to adapt without making you feel like you have to take over and solve the problem.

That's one of the benefits of having someone experienced there. They can adjust to what's happening and keep photographing the day rather than becoming part of the problem.

Has your wedding photographer thought about the things that can go wrong?

That's the point of asking these questions beforehand.

You don't need to know exactly what would happen in every possible situation. You just want to know that your photographer has thought about the things that can reasonably go wrong and has a plan for dealing with them.

Professional photography isn't only about taking good photographs when everything goes according to plan. It's also about being prepared when it doesn't.

Once you've asked the questions and understand how your photographer works, you can put those worries aside and get on with enjoying your wedding.

Nicolas Challenor
Leicestershire Wedding & Portrait Photographer
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