The questions to ask before booking a South Asian wedding photographer
Beyond the portfolio — the 22 questions that separate a photographer who shoots Asian weddings from one who *understands* them. Use this on every shortlisted vendor.
The Baraat team1 May 20266 min read
Every wedding photographer has a beautiful portfolio. That's the bare minimum. What separates a photographer you'll be glad you booked from one you'll be quietly disappointed in is cultural fluency, the things you can't see in the Instagram grid: do they know to be in two places at once during the baraat; do they understand which moments of the Saptapadi matter; have they shot a Mehndi with 200 women in low light before.
This is the list of questions to ask every shortlisted photographer. Use it on the call, write down the answers, and compare side by side. The right photographer will not just answer well — they'll add things you didn't think to ask.
Coverage and team
1. Have you shot my tradition specifically before?
Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jain, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bangladeshi — they're all "Indian weddings" in the marketing copy, and they are all very different on the day. Ask for two examples in their portfolio of ceremonies in your tradition.
2. Will you be the lead photographer on my day?
Some studios send a different person on the day to the one who turned up at the consultation. Get their name in the contract.
3. Will there be a second photographer?
For Asian weddings, the answer should be yes. The baraat is happening outside while the milni is happening at the door. The bride's bidaai is happening while the groom is taking blessings. One photographer will miss half the wedding.
4. Will there be a videographer? Same team or separate?
Mixed teams (one studio's photographer, another studio's videographer) almost never work as well as one studio that does both. Photo and video have to coordinate framing — and they can't if they've never met.
A normal full-day Asian wedding is 12+ hours. Don't sign a "10 hours included, then £200/hour" contract — you will, with certainty, run over.
Style and vision
6. Can I see a full gallery from a wedding similar to mine?
Not the highlight reel. Not the Instagram. A full delivered gallery from one wedding. This tells you more than any portfolio ever will. If they refuse, that's information.
7. How do you balance candid vs posed?
The right answer is "both — heavy on candid during rituals, traditional family group shots after the vidaai". Anyone who says "I only do candid, I don't do family group photos" is wrong for an Asian wedding. Your aunties want the lineup.
8. How do you handle low-light environments?
Mehndi, Sangeet and Anand Karaj halls can be lit harshly or barely at all. Ask what kit they use, whether they bring their own off-camera lighting, and whether they need to test the venue in advance.
9. Do you direct or document?
Some photographers take charge ("everyone over here, hold this pose"); some stay invisible. You'll know which you want — match accordingly.
The ritual moments
*10. Do you know which moments of the Saptapadi / Lavan / Nikkah matter?*
Ask them to describe their plan for the ceremony. They should know without prompting that the Sindoor Daan, the fourth phera, the vidaai, the Milni are all key moments. If they say "I'll just go with the flow", they don't know.
*11. Will you talk to my priest / Imam / granthi in advance?*
Good photographers do. They'll ask the priest where they can stand, when to expect each ritual, and which moments are not to be photographed.
Deliverables
12. How many edited images can I expect?
Industry standard is 600–1,500 edited images for a full-day Asian wedding. Less than 400 is light; more than 2,500 is overshoot.
13. Will I get RAW files?
Most photographers say no by default and yes for an extra fee (£500–£1,500). Decide whether you want them — RAWs are huge and need their own software to view, but are insurance against the photographer disappearing in 10 years.
*14. Will I get all the JPEGs, or just the edited ones?*
Some photographers cull aggressively before delivery. Ask whether you can pay extra for the full unculled JPEG set.
15. What is the turnaround for the gallery?
Standard is 6–12 weeks. More than 16 weeks is a red flag.
16. What is the turnaround for the highlight video?
Standard is 8–14 weeks for a 5-minute highlight, 4–6 months for the long-form.
17. Will I get a wedding album? Or print credits?
Many premium packages include a printed album. If yours doesn't, ask the price (£300–£1,500 for a 30-page album) and whether they design it for you or you design it yourself.
Practicalities
18. What's the deposit and payment schedule?
Standard: 25–30% on signing, 50% one month before the wedding, 25% on the day or after. Full payment up-front is unusual.
19. What happens if you're sick on the day?
Every reputable photographer has a backup. Ask who, and whether you've seen their work.
20. How long do you keep my files?
Most studios keep delivered files for one year, RAWs for 2–3 years. If you want longer-term backup, agree it in writing.
21. What's the cancellation and rescheduling policy?
Especially relevant post-2020. Most photographers will reschedule once for free; cancellation forfeits the deposit.
22. Do you have liability insurance?
Premium UK venues will require this. Make sure your photographer carries at least £2m public liability. Get a copy of the certificate.
Red flags
If a photographer:
Refuses to share a full gallery
Won't name the lead photographer for your day in the contract
Has no second photographer included for an Asian wedding
Quotes "all-in" packages without itemising deliverables
Insists on full payment up front
Doesn't carry public liability insurance
Has no backup plan for illness
…walk away. The wedding industry has many photographers. You can afford to be picky.
What to do with the answers
Once you've asked all 22 of three shortlisted photographers, put the answers in a spreadsheet. Compare on:
Cultural fluency (questions 1, 10, 11)
Deliverables (questions 12–17)
Reliability (questions 18–22)
Pick the one who scores highest, not the one whose Instagram you liked best. Photographers with the best Instagrams are often the ones with the worst client experience — they spend their time editing 50 images for the feed and not the 1,200 for you.
You can keep your shortlisted photographers in the Baraat vendor shortlist, with all your notes, quotes and per-event assignments in one place. Most couples we hear from say their best photographer was their second-choice on portfolio but their first-choice on this list.
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