Your first impression of a photographer should be their website, NOT their Instagram and NOT their Facebook account. These platforms are used for highlights, staged shoots and nothing more. 

Ask yourself, is your photographer really taking their business seriously if they wont invest in a website? Websites take time, love and commitment and that's what you deserve as a client.  

It's always a good idea to ask your photographer what they use for gear (please don't judge us on brand, we like what we like) 
There are zero reasons a photographer to decline to answer this question unless the answer is one you don't want to hear. 
A professional photographer will have invested in professional quality cameras and lenses, such as, full frame camera bodies and prime lenses. These types of equipment are considered high end and professional gear and they are NOT cheap, this is why most professional photographers tend to cost a little more to book compared to the friend who can do it cheaper. 

Backup gear is just as important as their day to day carry. What happens if they fall or the camera/memory cards fail on the job? Any professional photographer will have at least one backup camera and a selection of high end lenses to resort to in the case of damage or failure. Their backup gear absolutely MUST be able to perform as well as their main gear and anyone who hasn't invested in such, could be a potential disaster. 

Many photographers send your images out to 3rd party companies to edit your images for a faster turn around in this day and age(we do not). You as a client deserve to know who is working on and viewing your private images and many photographers DO NOT disclose this without being asked. 

If it matters to you who sees your images, as the paying client you deserve to know who does this work and how many hands your images will pass through along the way. 

One thing I cannot stress enough, please look at your photographers portfolio. Your images will be delivered in THEIR editing style and THEIR shooting style. There is nothing worse than delivering a fantastic gallery to have the client come back unhappy because their images don't look like the ones they saw on Pinterest or Instagram. 

With 3rd party photo and video companies on the rise, be sure that these companies allow you to directly interact with your photo and video team. If you do not have this opportunity, you may run into the possibility that you and the team don't click. 

When choosing a 3rd party company, all of these rules and questions apply the same as picking your individual photographer. One thing to note, is the photographer themselves will have access to the full galleries, however, the 3rd party uses outsourced editing for a consistent look and their product will not match the photographers finished product. The photographers for 3rd parties are paid lower wages because we are simply expected to show up, take photos for the booked amount of time and head home. We do not edit, cull or deliver the final images.

As we do contract to a 3rd party company here in Calgary, they are country wide. This means that you may be dealing with a head office out of a different province that doesn't quite know how things here in Alberta are going, which is why it is key to be able to speak with your chosen team and organize with them. 

For a list of trusted 3rd party companies, please reach out as they are great for a budget wedding, but always keep in mind, you always get what you pay for.