Wedding Q and AWedding Q and A

I understand I named this page Wedding Q&A, but what it really is, is a Jackie the Wedding Photographer Q&A.

If you want to know more about how I operate and what you can expect when you hire me, you should absolutely read through this page!

Ok, here it goes...

 

Don't you get hungry?

I cannot believe that you are so selfless to make this the first question! Let me applaud you before I answer this one...

Actually, I do. If you decide to hire me, you will sign a contract. In that contract among other things, you will acknowledge that I am a human being and any and all sessions of 6 hours of continuous work or more require for a 30 minute paid meal break. Now I have no problem jumping in my car and using up the entire 30 minutes to get some fast food. But, let me let you in on a secret, if you decide to feed me instead, I promise, I will chow down and inhale the food as quickly as I can so I can go straight back to work and not miss a moment. Of course I would eat while you are eating because lets be honest, there is no better time for that, right? I mean, who really wants countless pictures of others eating in their gallery because there was nothing else going on in the room.

What is your photography style?

You know, I love capturing candid moments! I enjoy giving you images of beautiful moments you had no idea unfolded because you were paying attention to something else or they happened so quickly, they were gone before we all knew it. That can be anything from a quick embrace to a sweet glance and children playing catch right before the beginning of the ceremony. Now, I am aware that key shots are expected, such as the first kiss and that there are posed shots that should be in every wedding gallery, such as the newlyweds and their wedding party. Other than that though, posed shots are simply not my style. I capture real people and real moments because in the end, those are our fondest memories when we think back to our wedding day.

If that doesn't sound like something you can get down with, then please keep looking for another photographer. It's not that I do not want your business or want to be the one who captures it all. I simply don't want you to be disappointed, because you expected something else or wanted me to shoot like a different photographer. I cannot change my photography style. On a daily basis I work on perfecting it, but asking me to shoot like somebody else is pretty much a request I cannot possibly full-fill.

So I have been working on this Wedding Pinterest Wall, what do you think?

I think it is great! Unless yours is a destination wedding in the Bahamas and you flew me out to be with you all that day, let's just erase all of the pins that have the ocean as the background. Is the bride really riding a white tiger? - Delete.... Before I go on... I think Pinterest is great for its intended purposes, which is bookmarking ideas. 

Don't get me wrong, I love Pinterest, I have a Pinterest and I often am on Pinterest and most importantly, I would love if you shared your Wedding Pinterest Wall with me.

All I want you to understand is that no moment can be duplicated. So your moments won't quite look 100% like your favorite pin. They all will be Pinterest worthy for another future bride to tell her wedding photographer this is the picture I want you to take during my wedding, but they will be my variation of said photographs and only if the opportunity presents itself. I cannot put you at the top of a cliff if there is no cliff in sight. Besides, that doesn't sound safe at all. But if there are posed shots we can easily duplicate, I would be more than happy to do that for you. As a matter of fact, if you shared your Pinterest Wall with me, chances are, I have your wall printed and in my back pocket.

I really like the way my sister's wedding pictures turned out, can you make mine look just like that?

If I wasn't your sister's wedding photographer, chances are no. If I was your sister's wedding photographer, chances are still no. The quality will be exceptional and I will put just as much effort into your wedding as I do will all of my clients, however no moment is like the last one and no wedding gallery is like the last one. Please refer to the questions above about my photography style. What you get is me, someone who loves shooting candids and retelling the story of your wedding day.

So I found this guide online of a wedding photographer should do, can I have you follow this?

Ooooh, what is it? A 200 item checklist? I think it is sweet that you did the research on all the important shots, but the answer is, I really don't want to follow somebody else's checklist and uhm... no.

I feel this needs some explaining.

First off, I have my own little mental checklist of moments I want to capture. During our meeting before your wedding, I will ask you about other people that need to get picked out of the general crowd for special posed shots with you. Of course you will get your typical posed photographs, each of you with your wedding party, all of you together and photographs of you with close family. I will walk around your reception and when not capturing the two of you, will look for special moments unfolding that I can capture for you. My checklist does not include a posed shot of every single guest. Not only would that be hard to accomplish but it would also disrupt the flow of the festivities. Besides, you hired me to candidly capture your day and not put together a selection of Facebook Profile worthy head shots of every single person. So if you invited your best friend from kindergarten who now lives in Europe and they flew in just for you and you want a photograph with them, then you need to tell me.

Please, don't be sad now. If you really, really want to, I will use your 200 item checklist. But chances will be great that you will receive less photographs and that I will miss a good amount of key moments because I was constantly looking at the list and checking off completed items.

How many pictures will I receive?

What an excellent question and I am so glad you asked. Each and every wedding is different, just like we are as individuals. So although I like this questions, there is no real number I can give you and tell you that, yeah, that is it on the dot. Because most likely, it won't be.

What I can tell you is that I personally will sort through all of the pictures I have taken that day. Not only do I hand pick the photographs for your gallery, but I personally edit and perfect each and every one to make sure you will love each and every one! 

Now I understand that this answer might not be satisfactory to you, so I would have to say that on average, a gallery can contain roughly 300 images, if you booked me for a whole day.

Can I get the images that did not make the cut?

Well, often times the images that did not make the cut, are simply duplicates of an image that did or photographs of the floor, because my finger slipped while I had my camera pointing down. So the answer is no. Not that I don't want you to have them, but simply because I want you to have  the best photograph of each moment captured. Not only would having duplicates be redundant, but it would also mean that I would have to fine tune and edit said duplicates.

What if I don't want you to edit the images, can you just give me the unedited images?

You know, I never understood the motivator for this questions. I guess it is different for everybody who asks. The answer however, remains the same. No.

What makes a great photographer is that they only show their best work. Believe it or not, I spend hours upon hours sorting through your pictures, editing the ones that made the cut, making sure the color is right, the exposure came out right, blemishes are minimized or removed and so on. That's how I operate. That's what I do before I present photographs to the world. You could pinky swear me that nobody else will see the pictures and it still wouldn't matter, because you will see the photographs. You paid me for wedding photography from start to finish and presenting you with photographs I am proud of is my definition of start to finish.

I want a second shooter, is that ok?

Oh sure. I know many very talented photographer who could come along. Having a second shooter allows for more moments captured or the same moment captured from a different angle. All great reasons to have one. If that is what you desire, we can discuss the fee to add that to your wedding package. All second shooters need fed for wedding coverage lasting 6 hours or more just like me, but I am sure you already figured that out.

Can you stay just a little longer please?

You booked me for the whole xx hours and Uncle Lester decided to surprise you with a choreographed break dance performance which prompted other guests to jump onto the dance floor and before you knew it, the cake cutting got pushed back by a whooping 30 minutes and now... well now, it's time for your photographer to leave. It doesn't have to be a bummer. When my time is up, is really the only time you will see me walk up to you and interrupt whatever it is you are doing to let you know that I am leaving. If for some reason, you need me to stay longer, I can most certainly do that, as I have an hourly rate of $150 available for moments like this. I will not stay longer without your approval and understanding of the additional amount and the hourly rate won't need collected until your gallery is ready. However, if photographs of the cake cutting really aren't that important to you as long as we got some shots of Uncle Lester doing the Windmill followed by the Headslide, then yes, I will leave and let you guys party it up like it's 1999.

When do I need to pay you?

In order to book and hold your wedding day, a payment of $200 of 25% (whichever is greater) will be collected the day you book. This payment will ensure I keep your wedding day open and won't book other clients. At that point you can choose from several different payment plans to ensure you don't have to worry about your photographer. The final payment is due 30 days prior to your wedding day. In the rare event that you need to cancel and do not require my services and the date you booked me for is less than 60 days away, the full amount is due because of the probability that I will not be able to book for that day anymore. 

The only items this does not apply to is overtime payment as described in the previous question or additional prints you want to purchase through your gallery.

 


Besides Wedding Photography, I am experienced and skilled in other genres of photography as well. To see what else I have been up to, click here. If you want to check out my wedding packages, click here.