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Wedding Photography FAQs
When I meet couples who are interested in booking me as their wedding photographer I get asked plenty of questions – and rightly so – it is an important decision. I have compiled this list of Wedding Photography FAQs...
Booking Me
How far in advance should we book you?
As a guide, many of my clients book between 9 months and 2 years in advance of their wedding day. I limit myself to 30 weddings a year to maintain the quality and high level of customer service I provide to each of my couples. With this limited availability, I would always recommend that check my availability as soon as you have confirmed the date of your wedding.
How much of a deposit do you require to confirm the booking?
I require a deposit of £200.00 to confirm me as your wedding photographer for your wedding day.
Can we visit your studio?
I work from my family home and choose to meet clients at locations that are handy for them – be it your wedding reception location, a local hotel or your own home. The address on this website is a mailing address only – No callers, please.
Do you charge any extra for travel?
For weddings taking place within Northern Ireland travel expenses are included in any package price.
We are having our wedding outside Northern Ireland… Do you photograph destination weddings?
I would love too! I love travelling and shooting weddings in new places is always fun! For weddings in ROI or mainland UK (or beyond!) I charge, at cost price, any expenses that cover my travel and accommodation costs. We can confirm these costs during your Wedding Consultation. I don’t charge any additional fees for my travel time.
Do we need to order a wedding album with you?
For me, it is not a photography until it's printed!! Don't let your Wedding memories be hidden on a computer!
All my Wedding Photography Packages INCLUDE a fully finished, professionally designed wedding album.
You may think you can save a few pounds by sourcing and organising a wedding album yourself… from experience I find clients discover there is so much more involved in creating an album and just never get around to it. Sadly your wedding photographs get lost on your computer.
There is something very special in opening a professionally designed wedding album – we are essentially creating your first family heirloom to be passed to future generations.
I don’t imagine your children will be fighting over a folder of images stored on your hard-drive (or whatever technology we happen to be using at that time!)
I have invested in the latest software to create stunning wedding album layouts. I have sourced one of the best wedding album suppliers in Europe, ensuring your wedding photographs are presented in the very best way.
How do we book you to take our wedding photos?
First, you need to check if I am available to photograph your wedding. We can then arrange to meet up at a time and place that is handy for you for a FREE no-obligation wedding consultation, a chance to grab a coffee and chat about your wedding day and the photography coverage you require. To confirm the booking I need you to complete a simple booking form and pay a £200 deposit.
How can we pay you?
Most clients now pay by online Bank transfer. However, I will also accept Credit/Debit cards, cheques or cash.
When do we pay the remaining balance?
Full payment (less any deposit already received) is due no less than 3 weeks BEFORE your wedding day, usually at the pre-wedding meeting
Can we change the date of our booking?
Yes, subject to availability. To transfer your booking to a new date I require written confirmation and a non-refundable transfer fee of £50 to cover administration costs.
Are there any hidden costs?
Definitely not! All prices quoted are fully inclusive of photography and travel within Northern Ireland
Will the price go up between the time we book you and the date of our wedding?
No, the price you agree with me when you book your wedding photography package is the price you pay, regardless of how far in advance you make the booking – no nasty surprises!
What happens if we want to cancel our booking?
The first thing I require is a letter/email confirming that the booking is to be cancelled. The £200 booking deposit is non-refundable. Any money paid over the £200 will be returned to you within 14 days of receiving the cancellation letter.
On the Wedding Day
Who will be photographing our wedding?
I carry out all the wedding photography personally. I only photograph one wedding per day so you will have my utmost attention.
What happens if you are ill on the day of our wedding?
Over many years I have built up a network of fellow photographers who can call upon each other in times of trouble or illness to make sure our weddings are photographed to a professional standard. In the very unlikely event that I am unable to attend your wedding (and it takes a lot to stop me – I even photographed weddings while recovering from a double fractured arm!) I would do everything possible to ensure your wedding is photographed to the very highest standards.
Can we request that you take specific photographs?
Absolutely! About 3 weeks before your wedding day we will have a “pre-wedding consultation” – the who, what, when and where of your wedding day if you like! Your wedding day will go by in a flash and I want you to enjoy every last minute! The last thing you need is me pestering you with loads of questions! We can chat about all the details of your wedding day, including specific photograph requests, in advance at this meeting, so on the wedding day itself, you can relax and enjoy it!
How long does the photoshoot last on the wedding day?
I work quickly and efficiently to capture all the family group and bridal portraits and aim to have them completed within an hour. That said, I would recommend allowing up to 90 minutes in the event of poor weather conditions
What if I hate getting my picture taken?
You are not alone! Most people are uncomfortable in front of a camera – me included! That’s why you will usually find me taking the pictures! On the wedding day I always try and make the photo sessions as much fun as possible, putting people at ease and making them laugh – always makes for much better photographs. Together with careful posing and expert lighting you will look fantastic in the final pictures!
Do we need to provide you with a meal?
The simple answer is NO. Weddings can be very long days for wedding photographers and we obviously need to eat at some stage, especially if the package you book involves coverage late into the evening. In that case, I would rather have some time to myself, grab a bite to eat in the hotel bar, using the time to review the images taken so far and prepare for the evening reception.
That said, I have never refused free food! 🙂
What happens if your camera breaks down?
I use professional grade Fujifilm cameras and lenses, all of which are well maintained, serviced and regularly replaced/updated. In the very unlikely event of gear failure, I always carry backup cameras, lenses, flashguns, memory cards, batteries etc. As soon as I have finished your wedding, the memory cards are downloaded, your images checked and then backed up onto 3 different hard-drives and uploaded to secure cloud storage so I will never lose any of your images.
Post Wedding
How long before we see the pictures after our wedding?
I GUARANTEE to have your edited wedding pictures ready to view in your private Online Viewing Gallery within 21 days of your wedding – usually a lot sooner.
Do you offer “sneak peek” of our pictures on Facebook?
Yes, but only if you want me to! I will always respect your privacy. If you do not want your pictures to appear on my website/blog/Facebook page please let me know.
Can we control who is able to see our wedding photographs online?
Of course! My online gallery provides a password protection system. You can control who has access to this password and you can contact me at any time if you need this password changed. If you do not wish your pictures to appear on my website/blog/Facebook page please let me know and I will, of course, respect your privacy.
Do we receive “high-resolution images” suitable for printing?
Yes. All my wedding photography coverages include delivery of high-resolution images that are suitable for making your own re-prints etc. For the techies, the images are supplied at approx. 4800px x 3200px with no watermarking or branding.
Do we get all the photographs taken on CD / DVD / USB?
As many new computers are now supplied without DVD drives, I now supply your high-resolution images from your wedding day via download from your private Online Viewing Gallery.
Who owns the copyright of the wedding pictures?
I own the copyright of all pictures taken by me on your wedding day. All images and digital files remain my property and these images are protected by the Copyright and Designs Act, 1988. Any digital images supplied to you are on a “personal licence” basis. This means you can post them on Social media, share with family & friends, produce your own albums and prints – more or less anything you want with them. The only limitation is using the pictures for commercial or business use. For example… your florist wants to use some of my pictures for her website – this is not covered by the personal licence. The florist would need to contact me to ask permission and discuss a usage fee.
How do we design our wedding album?
When you are faced with several hundred photographs and asked to design an album it can be a daunting task! The Client viewing website has many useful features to help you select the images you want to use for your wedding album.
If you prefer, I can select the images myself and supply a mock-up of your wedding album layout – the first draft if you like. This will help you see what is possible with your wedding photographs. You can then make as many changes to this layout as you wish until you are 100% happy with the design before we send it for print.
How long before we receive our finished wedding album?
Once you approve your wedding album design it takes between 3 to 4 weeks for your finished wedding album to be printed and assembled, depending on the time of year. Orders usually take a little longer the closer you get to Christmas as there is a bottleneck of orders at that time of year.