Frequently Asked Wedding Questions
Q:: Where are you located? Are you available for International travel?
I am based in Northern Connecticut, which is close to Massachusetts and the Berkshires (and even closer to the airport!). Boston and New York are both an easy drive as well. With such a central location, I travel throughout New England. I also enjoy photographing destination weddings and have photographed at some incredible locations internationally.
Q:: Our wedding is outside of Connecticut, do you charge for travel?
In addition to Connecticut, I photograph frequently in the Berkshires, New York, Boston, and the surrounding states. When necessary, I do charge for travel. I try to work with couples to find the best travel arrangements possible. When we connect I'd be happy to discuss some of these details with you.
Q:: What are your rates? What do they include?
I have different wedding photography collections and often create a customized collection to fit your wedding day plans. All collections include a pre-wedding consultation to discuss your wedding and timeline, high resolution digital files with printing rights for you to keep and archive, and a personal password protected online gallery for you to enjoy and share with your guests. Check out more information here on my wedding collections, which include varying amounts of wedding day coverage, a USB with your completed high resolution image files with printing rights, and a personal password protected event site to share with your friends and family.
I feel that the most important thing is to hire a photographer whose work you absolutely love and with whom you feel comfortable. After all, I’m around for some really special. intimate moments! You can add things like engagement sessions, albums, parent albums, thank you notes, etc. either before or after your wedding. Custom pricing is also available for destination weddings. For more information on collections and products please contact me through the form on my contact page. We can also setup a time to get together (in person or over Skype) to answer more of your questions and talk about a custom collection that will work well of you!
Q :: How far in advance should I book you for my intimate wedding or elopement?
Reach out as soon as you have your date! I typically book within four months of your wedding date tough to stay flexible for clients and for my own family life.
Q:: Do you take formal family photos?
I feel that beautiful family photos are an incredible heirloom, and deserve as much care as the other aspects of your day. During our pre-wedding meeting together we'll go over all kinds of information, including details about family members and friends who'd you like to have photos with, individually and in groups. I recommend taking family photos either shortly before or shortly after your ceremony.
Q:: Do you photograph any of the details from our wedding (like jewelry, shoes, flowers) ?
I love to photograph the details! I feel that each of the pieces you chose for your wedding, from attire to decoration, helps to tell the story of your day. My goal is to document the personal touches, the items you've spent so much time choosing and designing, in a magazine-worthy way. I'll reposition items or move them entirely to better highlight each detail.
Q :: Have you been to my venue before? Have you ever photographed a wedding like mine?
Maybe! After photographing well over 100 weddings I have been to a lot of places.. various hotels, barns, estates, and other venues. But I always look to walk in with a fresh perspective. I want to work with the feel you have brought to that space and the love and energy between you and your partner. I try to approach every wedding as if it's the first time at a location to ensure that each couple has a unique set of images that capture their day exactly in the way it unfolded.
Q :: Can I see a full wedding that you photographed?
It is so valuable to see the photography from a full wedding! If we get together for a consultation I'll have one playing on the screen as we talk. I can also send you a link to a full wedding. Contact me through my contact page and I would be happy to send one over. In the meantime, visit my gallery of featured weddings where there are a number of examples or check out my blog for my most recent work.
Q:: Do you work with a second photographer?
I work with a few carefully chosen professionals, wedding photographers in their own right, who photograph in a style that compliments my own and are able to capture additional pieces of the day. Each individual I work with is talented and I'm sure you'll find them a pleasure to be around.
Q:: Should we provide you with a shot list?
Before your wedding day, I'll ask you for information (like any special traditions or unusual touches) and a list of the family/group photos you'll want on your wedding day. If you're not sure what that group list might be, I suggest doing photos with your immediate family (including grandparents) and any other special aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Taking those images shortly after the ceremony, or before if you're doing a first look, is usually the easiest way to get all of these photos. Otherwise, I don't want a list to distract from capturing something beautiful and specific to you that is happening right in front of me. I urge you to trust me to use my experience and style to capture your day as it unfolds. And throughout your wedding day we'll be together too so there is always an opportunity to mention a spot at the venue or a fun idea you'd like to try out.
Q:: How many images will we see from our wedding?
I usually take thousands of images on a wedding day, especially in conjunction with a second photographer, and there is no exact number of images that you will receive, however it’s usually in the 400-700 range, depending on the length of the day. A good rule of thumb is to expect 60 to 80 photos for each hour I'm with you. I include the great images, and I edit out any duplicates or images with poor lighting or a missed expression. I want you to have a collection of the best photos that fully cover your day.
Q:: Do you include the digital negatives? Will we be able to print them?
Yes and no. All collections include digital images, they'll be fully-edited, print-ready files. I believe that it’s important for you to have an archive of all of the edited images from your wedding and even encourage you to create backups. However, I do not provide the RAW files, the uncorrected digital “negatives”. Everything you receive is edited and includes a print release, allowing you to print your images where you choose - though I can't speak highly enough of the labs I work with!
Q:: What equipment do you use and do you bring backup equipment?
I have high standards and only use the highest quality tools, from professional digital cameras to state-of-the-art computer systems. I carry with me three professional grade Canon DSLR cameras, so there is always a backup, plus a variety of lenses with overlapping ranges and extra lighting equipment.
Q :: Do you shoot in black and white?
I photograph your whole day in color. Afterward while I'm editing your photos I will select images to convert to black and white. Any image that is changed into black and white will also include the color equivalent.
Q :: We're unsure about doing an engagement session. What are the benefits of doing one?
If you're like most couples, the majority of the pictures you have of the two of you together are probably snapshots, selfies, and maybe an image or two from a wedding you attended. Those are invaluable. They capture a time and a place in your relationship, they are intimate, possibly silly, and they will be so much fun to look back on years from now. But there really is nothing that compares to gorgeous professional photos of the two of you at this time in your life captured in a way that will reflect who you are together. That is why I offer engagement sessions within collections as well as available on their own a la carte.
We'll probably wander around, laugh, discover what poses suit you best, talk about your wedding and how the planning has been going. It gives us a chance to get to get to know each other better in a much more informal setting and I generally find that it makes the 'formal' photography portion of your wedding flow more smoothly. We'll develop a shorthand and you'll feel that much more comfortable in front of the lens. You're basically pros by then!
Q :: My wedding venue requires liability insurance from my photographer. Do you have that?
Yes, I do! And I can provide proof of insurance to your venue.
Q:: We would like to schedule a meeting with you! Where do we get started?
I am really excited to meet you and hear about your wedding day! We can get together at my consultation space in Suffield, Connecticut or, if distance or scheduling makes it difficult to meet in person, we can also chat via Skype.
You can get in touch through my wedding inquiry form or by phone [646.895.0539] and let me know a few times that work for you to meet (meetings typically take place on weekdays and evenings). Popular wedding dates do often book up a year or months in advance, so I'd love to meet with you as soon as possible.
Q:: We would like you to be our wedding photographer. What’s next?
I am so honored to be a part of your day! All wedding dates are booked on a first-committal basis, and you'll be able to sign your contract and submit your payment online through a secured personalized client website that I'll make just for you. Once I have your signed contract and nonrefundable retainer, your wedding date will be officially reserved. At which point we can start talking engagement session and wedding day details!
Have additional questions? Or are you ready to connect? You can use my Contact Form to get in touch and let me know more about yourselves and your day or give me a call at 646.895.0539. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!