Here are our answers to many frequently asked questions potential clients have for their wedding photographer. This should provide many answers to your questions. Please contact us regarding differences for portrait and other types of sessions and any other questions you may have.
What is required to book our date?
What are your payment options/requirements?
Do you offer refunds?
Do you offer discounts?
When should we book our date?
How do we book our date?
Are you the actual photographer that will shoot my wedding?
What if the photographer gets sick?
What is your photography style?
How many images will I receive?
Do I get all the images that are shot?
Can I print my images?
Do you provide/offer RAW files?
Do you use an assistant or second photographer?
What is the maximum time you will be at my wedding and is there a charge for more time?
Do you offer destination photography?
Are meals required for the photographer(s)?
Do you offer Black & White, Color or other styles of processing?
Do you include retouching?
Do you offer albums?
Do I have to provide a list of shots I want?
Do I have to do “traditional” formals?
Can others take pictures at the wedding?
What is required to book our date?
We require a $500 non-refundable retainer and signed contract to lock in wedding dates. Your engagement shoot may be scheduled upon payment of the retainer.
What are your payment options/requirements?
Following your retainer, we require the remaining balance to be paid in full 30 days prior to the booked date. If your balance is not paid by this time, we will send a friendly reminder and offer a small grace period to complete the payment. Upon no payment at the 14 day point, your date will be considered forfeited. We cannot receive payment on the wedding day.
Do you offer refunds?
Your date is reserved especially for you and no other plans are made for this date. Due to our commitment to you, retainers and all deposits/payments are non-refundable as your wedding date and several days of processing have been reserved especially for your work. However, should your date need to be moved, we will do our best to fill the original date and apply your retainer and all deposits/payments toward a new available date. If we are unsuccessful in rebooking your original date, we will unfortunately not be able to apply the original retainer to another date. We will require an additional non-refundable retainer for the new date. (please remember this is to cover the cost of the lost date) There are no refunds of any payments for complete cancellations.
Do you offer discounts?
We design our prices to be extremely competitive and offer more for your money than our competition. We charge a fair price for our services and quality. For this reason, we do not offer any discounts.
When should we book our date?
If you are reading this, you should be booking now! Our dates regularly fill up many months in advance. We highly suggest you book as soon as you are possibly able to.
How do we book our date?
Easy! We often book our clients digitally at the time of consultation. We will provide our contract in advance for you to read. If you are ready during the consult, we will fill out the contract digitally and you will have it immediately in your email. For those of you that will be traveling to our area to get married, you can simply fill out the contract in the convenience of your home and send it with your deposit. Once a contract is taken with your deposit, your date is considered locked!
Are you the actual photographer that will shoot my wedding?
Yes…
What if the photographer gets sick?
Short of being dead on a slab in the morgue, I do my absolute best to be at every wedding I commit to. I do not use other photographers in my place and I have yet to miss a gig. I love it too much to share the fun.
What is your photography style?
We don’t like to label ourselves. We mold our style to fit your wedding theme. Our goal is to create images that best represent your special day and bring those memories to life with each time you gaze at them. As you look through our portfolio, it will be easy to see vintage, classic and modern themes that best represent those weddings, colors and emotions. This is the “style” we strive to achieve during each wedding – the style that’s right! If I must “label” it, I would call it “editorial-photojournalistic-theme-captivating”.
How many images will I receive?
We do not guarantee a specific number of images. However, the average tends to be around 50-75 images per hour of actual coverage with two photographers. Many times, you will receive many more. An average 8 hour wedding with two photographers usually produces around 500 images or more.
Do I get all the images that are shot?
We do not provide each image shot as many of them are duplicates and even triplets. During our culling process, we take gentle care to keep all the best images without all the duplicates. Generally, we only trash duplicates, blinks, blurs and the very unflattering.
Can I print my images?
Of course! You are supplied with “digital negatives”. Digital Negatives are high-resolution, ready-to-print files. They are provided on your DVD’s, along with full print release. We highly suggest you consider printing with us as we use professional level, high-quality labs that provide unrivaled results that will last for many generations. While you are more than welcome to print your own images at the local lab of your choice, we hope you come to us for those large and very special prints and products you wish to last a lifetime.
Do you provide/offer RAW files?
We do not provide or offer RAW files. We will gladly process your images to color-only specific processing upon request. This request must be made and included at the time of contract.
Do you use an assistant or second photographer?
While we do not charge a second photographer in our base package, we can provide a second photographer for a small fee. We will recommend when we feel a second photographer is needed. Otherwise, we’ll try to save you the money. They’ve yet to miss a gig either.
What is the maximum time you will be at my wedding and is there a charge for more time?
We base our full-day wedding package on eight hours of coverage. Generally, this is fine. In rare instances, when receptions are many hours after the ceremony has taken place, we may require an additional small fee. This will be discussed in your initial consultation when you provide your wedding day itinerary.
Do you offer destination photography?
Yes! We love to travel and have done several weddings abroad. Due to the special circumstances of destination weddings, we will need to build a custom price and package just for you. Do not hesitate to ask!
Are meals required for the photographer(s)?
Generally, we do not like to put the camera down. At the same time, Mom always taught us to never turn down a gift as it was considered rude. We appreciate the gesture and will try to take a quick bite, but it is not absolutely necessary. Just let us know so we do not turn down or miss something incredible!
Do you offer Black & White, Color or other styles of processing?
Since we shoot in digital, we can offer just about any processing your heart desires. We provide a mixed set of digital color and black & white images with your wedding package. We also provide “photographer’s top choice” custom processed images as well. We are always available to custom process other images however you would like. Just ask! Our main goal is to capture your theme as it is very important to us that your images bring back the memories of you big day.
Do you include retouching?
Yes! We do general retouching on all your photos and are glad to offer specific retouching upon request. Simple blemeshes are touched up for the bride & groom on close-ups. All prints purchased through our online proofing system also get additional retouching upon purchase before they are forwarded to the lab.
Do you offer albums?
Yes! We are not a cookie-cuter photography service that offers specific albums, or pushes them up front. All album work is custom and offered following your wedding. We want you to see our results! This also allows us to experience your wedding day, theme and suggest appropriate options the ensure your wedding album brings those memories to life each time it is viewed.
Do I have to provide a list of shots I want?
Not at all. We actually do not like to work from lists as it can interrupt the flow of emotion the day can bring. You will be able to provide special circumstances during your initial consultation and briefing before the wedding.
Do I have to do “traditional” formals?
No! While many families in the south still enjoy traditional formals, we love to do modern and stylish shots as well. We often do both. We will ask and shoot accordingly. Again, it all comes back to what style best represents your wedding day and theme.
Can others take pictures at the wedding?
Of course! We actually take care to give guests several moments following the ceremony to get their shots.