Reception is in a dark barn — will photos look bad?

Three specific questions to ask your photographer:

1. "What ISO will you be shooting at, and what's your max?" Modern full-frame cameras (Sony A7 IV, Canon R6, Nikon Z6 II) handle ISO 6400 cleanly. Older or APS-C cameras start to fall apart at 3200. If she says "I'll keep it under 1600," she may not have the camera for your venue.

1. "Do you bring lighting?" Off-camera flash on the dance floor is the difference between a magazine-quality shot and a smear of motion blur. The good answer is "yes, two off-camera flashes triggered remotely." The okay answer is "on-camera bounce flash." The concerning answer is "I shoot natural light only."

1. "How do you handle mixed light — string lights + window light + flash?" If your venue has Edison bulb string lights everywhere, the color temperature is going to be 2700K (warm). Flash is 5500K (neutral). She needs a plan — either gel the flash to match the bulbs, or kill the bulbs in the shot, or grade in post.

What to look for in her portfolio: a barn or venue similar to yours, shot at the same time of evening. If she can't show you one, she may not have the experience for your specific space.

Backup plan: ask the venue about installing additional uplighting for the dance floor. $200-400 with most lighting vendors and it changes the look entirely.