What questions should you ask a wedding photographer about their equipment?

Short answer

Ask what cameras and lenses they use, whether they have backups for everything, and how they handle low light, weather and power failures. Ask if they use dual memory card slots.

You do not need to know every technical detail, but you should feel confident that your photographer is prepared. Ask what cameras and lenses they normally bring. A professional should have at least two camera bodies, so that if one fails, they can keep shooting without a pause.

Ask about memory cards. Do they use cameras with dual card slots, so every photo is saved to two cards at once? That protects you if one card corrupts. Ask how many spare batteries and memory cards they carry, and whether they have a backup plan if they run out of power or storage mid-day.

Ask about lighting. Do they carry their own flash or off-camera lighting for dark rooms, evening receptions or indoor ceremonies? Some venues are very dark, and a photographer who relies only on natural light may struggle. Ask how they handle mixed lighting, such as candlelight, fairy lights or coloured uplighting.

Ask about weather protection. If you are having an outdoor ceremony or photos in the rain, do they have covers for their gear? Do they have a backup photographer or a network of colleagues they could call in an emergency? Their answers will show you how seriously they take reliability.