frequently asked, part two: blog edition!
so you’re ready to book your wedding or elopement photographer – congratulations! that’s a big
step in planning your day and it’s not an easy decision to make. photographers come in all styles
and levels, so narrowing down what you like and who you jive with can be daunting. as you
begin to find your list of favorites, you might begin to run into some questions that you’d like to
know about your chosen photographer before you officially say yes. there are some details that
you maybe hadn’t considered or known are important! don’t worry, though- I’ve put together
this list of the best questions to ask your photographer before you book, and I’m giving you my
answers to those questions to help you decide if I’m the right person to capture your wedding!
I want you to be my photographer. How do I make it official?
You’ve done the research, you’ve scrolled through so many Pinterest ideas, and you’ve finally
settled on the one. How do you lock in your photographer for your wedding? it’s super easy- I’ll send over a contract for you to sign, as well as an invoice to pay your retainer. the retainer is what officially locks in your date so that I can mark it on my calendar and no one else can book that date. the amount that you’ll have to put down for your retainer can vary by photographer, some photographers do a percentage of your package total and some do a fixed rate. I’m team fixed rate, my retainer is $1,000 no matter what wedding package you decide on. make sure that you do both of these steps as soon as possible after deciding you’d like to book!
Can I meet with you before the wedding day?
yes, yes, absolutely yes! I want to meet you before your wedding day! the more comfortable we are around each other
and the more I feel I can get to know you, the better your photographs will be. in addition to
having you and your partner fill out a questionnaire that helps give me a sense of who you are
and the dynamic of your relationship, I’d love to meet you in person for a drink or coffee, etc. obviously, a face-to-face meeting is my favorite way to do this, but that isn’t always possible, so a FaceTime chat is the next best thing!
How many photos will we get? And can we have the RAW files?
the size of your final gallery can depend on what type of coverage you decide on for your
wedding. for instance, if you want a longer day of photography coverage, chances are you’ll get
more photos. but I never put a cap on the amount of photographs I deliver! typically, you can expect between 50-100 photos per hour of coverage from me. as for the RAWs: noooo way. never. unedited photos are only half of what you’ve hired me for. that would be like buying a painting and the artist sends you a half-blank, half-painted
canvas! you chose me as your photographer because you trust me and the work I do and you like
the style of my photography, which includes the editing. when I show up and take your photos,
that’s only a job half done, which is why you’ll receive a gallery of fully edited photos!
When you edit our photos, will you retouch them?
I will color correct every photo that I deliver to you; that’s part of my editing process! I want to
make sure that the photos represent the real you, so the general rule for retouching is this: If it’s
something that isn’t already with you all the time, I’m more than happy to retouch. this includes
blemishes, uneven skin tones, etc. additional or heavier Photoshopping beyond this requires
additional editing time and fees, anywhere between $5-$15 per photo depending on what you’re
requesting to have done.
Do you have a backup plan for if you get sick on our wedding day? Or die before our wedding?
I know, I know, this is a super morbid thing to think about! but you never know what might
happen when you plan things several months in advance, and I want to make sure that I’ve
covered every possibility so that you get what I promised – a beautiful gallery of one of the most
special days of your life so far! I have an amazing network of fellow photographers, so I’ll have
an associate cover your wedding in the event that something happens. If this happens, my associate
shooter won’t just be some random person who happened to be available that day; I have a
wonderful photographer on hand that I trust completely to match my style, my energy, and will
make you feel just as comfortable! plus, I’ll still be the one editing your photos, so they’ll be fully
in line with what you expect me to deliver to you.
in the event of death: I have a “photo will!” It details what will happen in case I leave
this earth sooner than I planned to, and it has details for what will happen with sessions I’m in
the middle of editing, events that I haven’t shot yet, and everything in between. feel free to ask
me if you’d like to know more specifics, but rest assured that your wedding day and your photos
will make their way to you even if I kick the bucket haha.
Are you covered by insurance? Are you a licensed business?
Yes, and yes! Everything I do is fully up to par legally. insurance protects any equipment
damage, bodily injury on the day of your wedding, etc. and no matter which photographer you choose to shoot your wedding, please make sure they are an insured professional.
Will you have backup equipment with you at our wedding?
this is a HUGE yes. my anxiety won’t let me live without all kinds of backups. I always carry extra batteries, memory cards, camera bodies, and more! no matter what happens on your wedding day, I’ll make sure we’re covered. and as soon as I get home, I back up every photo I take of your wedding as soon as possible- so there’s no risk of any photos
being lost or corrupted. I have your photographs backed up in three places- two hard drives and one cloud storage!
Do you offer payment plans?
I require your signed contract and that $1,000 retainer at the time of booking. the retainer holds
your date and is non-refundable; holding the date for you is a service, and I turn down other
requests on that date. after that, you have access to an online portal that contains the remaining
balance of your invoice. as long as your balance is paid off one month before your wedding,
we’re all set!
You’re going to be traveling for my wedding. How does that work? How soon will you get there? What’s the cost?
If I’m flying to your wedding, I’ll schedule my arrival 2-3 days before, so that I have a nice
cushion in case of any travel delays. for weddings closer to my home base in Charlotte, I’ll drive.
My travel fee for driving is $1 for every mile outside of a 45-mile radius from Charlotte, plus my
hotel (if needed.) I’ll also let you in on a little secret (well, maybe it’s not so secret): there are some
locations on my wish list that I’ve been dying to shoot at, so if you’ll be at any of those places,
there are no travel fees!
what if you haven’t shot at our venue before?
fortunately, being a professional means being able to show up and do my best- even if it is in a new space. I’ll always arrive before my shooting time is scheduled to start so I can scope out the best spots for portraits and get a feel for the space. honestly, I’ll always prefer working at a new venue to working at one I’ve shot a million times before- it’s easier to think outside of the box and get creative with a new space.
I can’t wait to dive into the planning with you for your wedding, and remember that I’m always here to help if you have any questions that weren’t answered here. if you haven’t reached out yet, it’s time to get started: fill out my contact
form here!
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