Recently, it seems like I have been getting a lot of questions about weddings - do I do weddings, how much do I charge, what is included...so I thought I'd use this to answer some of those questions and also to share some photos from the one wedding I officially have photographed.
Do you shoot weddings?
As you can see I have done ONE wedding before in October, 2009 for a friend-of-a-friend (actually a relative of a relative!)...I am open to shooting more weddings, but I have not been actively seeking out brides in the past. This may all change, as I have at least one definite wedding set up for this summer and a few other inquiries from people who have seen my portrait photography. I am also trying to expand my portrait photography business, and weddings may eventually be something I add to my professional repertoir.
How much do you charge?Email me or call me to discuss my fees. Seeing as I am not a "professional" wedding photographer, you can expect me to be much cheaper than the $3,000+ photographers that I looked at when planning my wedding (wishing all the way that my budget was unlimited even though it was not!)...you can also expect that my photographs may not compare to the pros. Still, I can guarantee to work with you and capture some amazing moments for you and your hubby to enjoy for years to come!
What all is included in your "wedding package"?
By agreeing to be your wedding photographer, I will provide some pre-wedding consultation (either in-person, by phone, or via email) to discuss the details of your wedding and what your expectations are of me, along with any "must-have" photos. On the day of the wedding, I will meet the bride and/or groom at a designated location to take some "getting ready" photos, I will capture all ceremony and posed bridal party and family portraits (either before or after the ceremony), and all major events at the reception. I will not leave without first making sure that we have captured everything you wanted me to photograph. I will also usually bring an assistant (my husband!) with me, and occasionally I may have a second photographer assisting as well.
After the day of your wedding, the real work begins for me - I will probably have close to 1,000 photos to go through, picking only the best photos to edit and return to you for proofing on a DVD. This can take up to 1 month after the wedding, although it should be much faster. For most brides, this may be the extent of my role...however, if you are interested in ordering prints or albums from me, I am happy to help for an additional cost. Custom-designed albums are a fun way to preserve and show-off your wedding photos, and a keepsake that you can cherish forever!
I would also encourage you to schedule an engagement shoot with me sometime before your wedding. This allows me to meet you and your fiance and get to spend some time interacting with you and determining what poses or angles work best for you, how much direction you will need from me, and also helps you feel more comfortable in front of my camera! We can also develop a custom guest book with these photos, you can use them for save-the-dates, or whatever other creative ideas you may have! An engagement shoot is $50 for 2 hours at the location of your choosing, and you will get a DVD of all edited photos within 2 weeks of the shoot.
So those are a few of the details and I hope it answers some of your questions. Of course, please feel free to email or call me with any other details you are wondering about, and keep calling me for any of your portrait photography needs!!! 