Top questions you should ask your wedding photographer before booking: - IRENE JONES PHOTOGRAPHY blog at BridesClub.com

You would never believe me if I told you some of the horror stories I've heard about other people's experiences with wedding photographers. Unfortunately, there are a few sleazy and disreputable "photographers" out there that give the rest of us professionals a bad name. So how do you know who is a slime ball and who means business? It's not every day (unless you're Jennifer Lopez) that you plan a wedding. The average bride and groom have no idea where to start. Here are a few helpful hints that might make finding your perfect photographer a little less stressful.

1. Does the photographer ask you to sign a contract prior to booking your wedding date?
A true professional wants to keep everything on the up side of the law, and the best way to do that, is get it in writing. Make sure you know what you are agreeing to. The contract should include a clause relating to the worst case scenario. Terrible things do happen; (not to me of course...) pictures get lost or damaged in the mail, hard drives crash and cameras malfunction. If any or all of these things happen on your wedding day, you should be refunded your money in whole or part depending on the circumstance. Everyone understands that you can't get your wedding day back, but in case of an act of God, you should at least not have to pay for something no one could control.

2. What is the photographer's schedule on your wedding day?

Many photographers will say they have availability, but they might not mention that you are the third wedding that day. This could cause your photographer to run late, miss your ceremony and still charge you for it. The photographer would also be completely exhausted and he/she could justify only going through the motions and not adding any real effort. Find a photographer that dedicates your wedding day to you. Books only one wedding a day, and arrives on time. If they are 45 minutes late to your consultation and never returns your phone calls, this might be an indicator of what is to come.

3. When will I get my prints/digital negatives/album etc?

Your photographer should be able to give you a set time line. If you're wedding date is June 3, and they say you'll get your proofs and album 2 months after to the wedding, you are entitled to have those products on time. Granted, you should probably not call your photographer screaming on Aug. 3 if everything isn't in your mail box. Please consider that the US Postal Service might be involved and it's out of the photographer's hands. If the photographer doesn't have set dates you might find yourself 2 years later, still looking at an empty mailbox. This is not an exaggeration. I have talked to people who have dealt with this very problem.

4. What professional lab will be printing my photos or what publisher will be printing my albums?

It's okay to ask this. It shouldn't be a secret. Feel free to get the information and then check out their contacts for yourself. Remember you are hiring whomever the photographer hires also.

5. Who will be shooting my wedding?

Believe it or not, but some photography studios (and to be nice I won't mention who did this to me on my wedding day) will assign a photographer to you instead of sending the photographer you booked. The studio I used for my wedding showed me samples from one photographer, whose work I really loved, and then used the bait and switch and provided a photographer that didn't understand basic composition at all. Ask (and if necessary get this is writing too) that the photographer you have selected be available to shoot your wedding. If they are not, keep looking. Don't settle for pictures done by an intern!

6. What other fees do I need to know about?

Be prepared to have shipping and handling charges, late fees, and retouching fees listed. The photographer should be up front about these additional costs and they should be reasonable. Factor these costs into your final price.

7. What can you do for me that the competition can't?

At this point if the photographer goes into a 20 minute monologue about how he/she is God's gift to a camera, find a happy place in your head and stay there for a while. What the photographer thinks about his/her photos is irrelevant. It's what you think about the photos. There will be several photographers out there whose work you'll like; judge between those few on how well you interact with him/her. If you don't like the photographer as a person, then why pay them to come to your wedding?

I hope that these questions and answers were helpful. I'd love to take a few moments and have you ask me these same questions. I am sure you'll be happy with what you hear.