6 Easy Steps To Getting Wedding Photos

1. SCHEDULING A WEDDING DAY WITH ME

To save your date, I’ll have you sign a few papers and pay a retainer fee of $400 — booking is 100% online and takes as little as a few minutes.

As you pull out your calendar to decide on to-be-determined wedding & engagement session dates, here are a few things to consider:

• Weekend [Friday-Sunday] dates are limited and popular, and it’s a $50 fee in addition your chosen package fee. Those who work regular business hours typically schedule sunrise sessions or late afternoon sunset times to work in a weekday session.
• Given the beautiful colors and temperate weather, Spring and Fall are the busiest times of year for outdoor photos & weddings. If you’d like a session during one of those times (ESPECIALLY if you want a weekend spot in May, June, September, October, & December), please get in touch as soon as possible!
• Note that delivery times are extended during busy seasons.
• If you have a particular date or holiday by which you need prints or gifts in time for (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Hanukkah, Christmas, etc.), be sure to book a date at least 2 – 3 months in advance of that date to ensure sufficient processing and printing time.
• Mornings almost universally allow for the most energy in photos, which just so happens to be a great time of day for beautiful light. If you have children under five years old, I encourage you to consider a session at or as close to sunrise as you can reasonably be ready.
• Otherwise, late afternoon/early evening [usually around 1.5 hours before sunset] OR city-lit night sessions and colorfully lit sessions in my studio are your next best options…
• For Engagement sessions: Weather can bring beauty to a photo, but I understand the downsides to be photographed in the pouring rain or freezing snow. We can reschedule sessions for inclement weather OR have a plan b in place to use my little studio OR your home as a backdrop location for indoor or semi-indoor sessions.

2. CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING PACKAGE

After your date is saved, it’s time to think about what wedding package you want. Think about how much time me to photograph, and how many guests or details you want photos of — travel time, a second photographer, engagement sessions, photo storage can be added to any package upon request.

3. PLANNING THE DAY: TIMELINE, CHECKLIST & PREP

3A. The Prep Guide

When our session time and date are officially saved, I’ll send the prep guide that walks you through everything from choosing outfits to strategies for getting others to cooperate, and the engagement session (included with specific packages). Over years of experience, my guide typically answers 90% of questions that come up, with that in mind, I’m always happy to set up a time to chat more.

30 Days before the wedding day, the wedding package balance is due, and we’ll hop on a phone call to review the day of photo-list & timeline and any other questions you have — I’ll reach out one last time in the week of the wedding to confirm details, and to discuss any changes.

3B. Doing The Engagement Session

This is the time to think about save the dates, invites to ask your wedding party to be a part of your day, and engagement photo displays for reception decor. Check the info below to see collection options with print shop credits.

4. DOING PHOTOS ON THE WEDDING DAY

On photo day, we’ll follow along with the photo list and timeline that we made together. With plenty of time built-in for travel, wardrobe malfunctions, hanging with the buddies, or child meltdowns — we’ll keep a flexible mind and go with the flow. If something comes up and you’re on a time crunch, let me know ahead of time so we can move efficiently.

Finally, take a breath and relax… I wholeheartedly encourage eating, hydrating, dancing a little and/or sharing a celebratory drink to loosen up and to get hyped for photo-time. And be sure to enjoy the day.

Oh, and a minor detail but one that affects us all — I’ll stay on your schedule all day, and come dinnertime, it’s easiest if I eat at the same time and in the same room as you.

5. SEEING YOUR PHOTOS

Within 3 months of your wedding day, you’ll receive an email from me letting you know that your photos are ready — at that point, they will be edited and your slideshow will be waiting for you to hit play. Once you’ve had a chance to see them and marvel for a bit, you’ll let me know which collection you want to purchase. After that, you’ll have a full month to select the specific digital files and print items you want to use to fill that collection…it really feels like opening gifts early!

6. CHOOSING YOUR PHOTO COLLECTION

Decide how you want to use and display your photos — What is the point of a photo session if not to share and display them? — If you haven’t already, now is the time to consider whether you want to download all of your photos to use after your gallery expires, or if you’d rather extend your time to access the gallery. You will have the option to sign up for the online backup plan, for continued access to share your gallery with guests; to print, and to view the digital photos for as long as you want. It’s the best option to print frequently for holiday gifts and can be added to any collection.

Think about how many photos you actually want to print and how – if you want to print something on the pricier side, like a photo book or album, you’ll definitely want to choose the collections with more print credits now to save on the cost and time it takes to go elsewhere, later.

7. PRINTING PHOTOS IN YOUR GALLERY

What to do with your photos is perhaps the most important aspect to consider when planning a photo session, but it’s all too often the aspect that’s overlooked… all that time and money invested deserves a better return than photos gathering dust on a hard drive somewhere. You’ll never get the same feeling looking at your photos on a screen as you will seeing them on your wall or flipping through the pages of an album, so I include a substantial print credit with every collection.

Below is a sample of some of the print items to choose from:

CALENDARS:
Beautifully designed, yearly calendars; starting from any month. Printed on rich, matte paper with high-quality ink; the smooth tones and true-to-life colors will certainly make your day any time of the year. Available in a variety of sizes and arrive ready to hang.

6×9 / $66
8×10 / $96
11×14 / $176

MATTED-FRAMED PRINTS:
Modern, box-style hardwood frames come pre-matted, & ready to hang. A stunning photographic print on semi-gloss, fine-art paper that comes with a front sheet of acrylic for added protection. Frames come in your choice of white, black, walnut, natural, and barn wood.

10×10″ / $280
11×14″ / $284
20×24″ / $548

PROFESSIONAL LAB PRINTS:
Your favorite images are professionally printed on recycled matte photo paper with archival inks and your choice of finish. These full bleed prints are available in a variety of sizes and are perfect for framing and giving as special gifts.

8 wallets / $13
8×10 / $12
11×14 / $24

LAY FLAT PHOTO-ALBUMS:
Glamorously printed on high-quality photo paper with thick, sturdy pages that truly lay flat. With self-customizable layouts, sleek design, and your choice of covers, the photo-album options are limitless.

8×8″ / $1740
10×10″ / $1964
12×12” / $2192