We know you have questions and one thing we pride ourselves in is making planning your BIG day easier. So we created an FAQ using a great article from Brides.com to help you out.
If you have any questions not covered in the FAQ, please let us know. We are here to help you every step of the way.
FAQ
Availabilty
— Is my wedding date available?
If you have your heart set on Richard capturing your big day, send us a quick email and we will let you know. If you're looking to work with one of our amazing associates we likely have your date available!
— Will you be the one shooting my wedding? If not can I meet the photographer who will be onsite?
This depends who you book. If you book our main photographer you will be working with Richard. If you choose to work with one of our Associates you definitely can meet them and check to make sure you’re a good fit.
— How many Weddings do you shoot per weekend?
Generally the studio will not take more than 2 weddings each weekend. This allows us time to maintain our 3 week turnaround time.
— Will you have any assistants with you on our wedding day?
This typically depends on the size of wedding as well as if you have a second photographer. If you don't have a second photographer I will likely bring along a assistant or associate trainee. It just makes the day run a little smoother.
Background
— How long have you been shooting weddings? How many weddings have you photographed?
I have had a camera in my hands since I was about 10 but I made it my full time career 6 years ago when I fell in love with wedding photography. I have been fortunate to shoot between 15-25 weddings a year so around 120 weddings give or take.
— Do you often shoot weddings that have a similar size and style to the one we are planning?
Well after this year (2020) I have shot weddings as intimate as 10 people, myself included. As for styles, I have seen them all and I embrace the diversity. It's honestly one of the reasons I love being a wedding photographer; you get to peek inside someone else's love story and share in their experience.
— Can we see the full galleries of a few of your recent weddings?
Absolutely, I encourage you to look through a couple full galleries and not just my highlight reel. I feel it’s the best way to show my style, strengths and what you can expect on your wedding day.
— Have you ever shot a wedding at our ceremony and reception venues? If not, do you plan to check the venues out in advance?
I have shot at many local venues in Windsor Essex. Many can be seen in the gallery and blog posts. If I have not been to the ceremony or reception site I'm more than happy to make a visit to see the layout and lighting conditions.
— Have you ever worked with our planner? Videographer? Florist? DJ?
Our local wedding scene changes every day with new vendors popping up. If they are an established vendor, I have likely worked with them. If you need help picking you vendors check out the "Preferred Vendors" article on the blog.
Style
— How would you describe your photography style? What would you compare your work to?
I think of my style as Creative Cinematic Photojournalism. Most of the wedding is captured candidly with a splash of amazingly lit hero images.
If I was to compare it to something I would say it's your favourite magazine with your favourite full page movie posters jammed in.
— How would you describe your working style? Do you prefer to blend into the background to capture candid moments, or do you like to be more visible and take charge to choreograph images?
I'm pretty laid back, unless I need to get everyone's attention for family photos. I generally like to sit back and capture your love story as it happens but I also live for the magic moments where we can create amazing images using lighting and a little bit of posing.
— Do you shoot digitally? With film? Or both?
As much of a nostalgic guy I am, I only shoot digital using Canon's mirror less system. However if you want the film look I can edit them to resemble film.
Pricing and Packages
— What is included in your standard package? What add-ons do the more expensive packages include?
Standard in all packages is a complimentary engagement session. I want to get to know you and how comfortable you are in front of my camera before your big day. All packages include digital files either downloadable or on a Keepsake USB
— Can I customize a package to fit my needs?
Yes! Our packages are just a starting point. If you don't see a package that fits what your needs are, send us a message and we will work with you to create one.
— Do you include engagement photos in your packages? What about pre-wedding events like rehearsal dinners?
A complimentary engagement session is included with all packages. This session is all about me getting to know you. I will make sure you have a blast and feel comfortable in front of the camera.
If you would like images taken at a pre-wedding event there will be an additional charge.
— How many hours are included in each package? How much do extra hours cost?
Every package is different, with our base package offering 6 hours and our largest offering 12 hours (full day) of continuous coverage. Additional hours can be added for $200/hr.
— Do you offer a photo booth?
We stick to what we are good at which is photography/videography. If you’re looking to rent a photo booth check out our “Preferred Vendor” article on the blog.
— Do you offer retouching, colour adjustment, or other corrective services? Are those included or an additional charge?
All images will receive basic colour, whitebalance, and exposure corrections. All images selected for albums and prints are fully retouched before being sent out to be printed. Images not being printed by the studio can be retouched for an additional cost per image based on clients needs.
— Do you charge a travel fee? For what distance? What does that cover?
We consider “local” weddings to be within a 2 hour radius from where we live. If you’re outside this area we likely will need accommodations and a travel fee of 54.5 cents/km which basically covers the gas and snacks at the rest stop.
Prints and Albums
— Can we order prints or albums directly from you?
Absolutely! It’s the best way to really feel the images and who better to print them than the people who captured them. We offer prints up to 13x19 inches onsite and have an amazing professional lab for larger canvases and albums.
—What type of album do you offer? Do you provide assistance selecting images and designing the album?
Our signature albums are hand crafted from the top of the line materials to ensure excellent quality and durability. They come in a variety of sizes but the 8x8 and 10x10 are by far the best sellers.
We are more than happy to help design your album. We typically start by having you to choose the images you love and wish to be included. We then design a first version to take away the feeling of being overwhelmed and collaborate with you until you love it as much as we do!
— Are albums or prints included in your packages? How many pages or prints are included and what is the turnaround time?
A small number of prints are included with all packages that include a keepsake box.
Guest books and albums are in some of the higher end packages. However you can always add any of our a la carte print items to a package.
Turnaround time for full wedding with keepsake box is 3 weeks from the date of your wedding. Prints generally can be done the day of after the edits are complete and albums take 5-10 business days from the moment you love your album and tell us to print it.
—How long after the wedding will we receive the images? How will they be delivered?
You will receive a 10-15 image sneak peak the next day - we want our images to steal all the thunder on your socials, not some blurry iPhone image. As for the rest of the images, we pride ourselves in having one of the fastest turnaround times of 3 weeks and our clients LOVE us for it.
Files will be delivered either physically or electronically or a combination of both depending on the package selected.
—Will we have the rights to the images?
The short answer is that clients are given print release rights and the studio retains copyright. Here’s what that actually means:
Print release allows the client to:
Print their images as often as they like
Share those pictures online, tag people in them, and add them to galleries
Enjoy the photos as much as they like.
However, a print release doesn’t allow clients to:
Edit their images
Submit/sell them for personal gain or publication
Cannot take credit for the pictures and claim them as their own
This helps protect the integrity of the business and allows the client to enjoy their beautiful art. If you are interested in obtaining full copyright, this will be an additional cost.
— Will we receive the negatives and/or high resolution digital images? Is there a fee for that?
All images are delivered in high resolution and social media resolution at no charge.
— Will the images be accessible online? For how long?
All galleries will be hosted and accessible for one year from the date of your event. A week before this time is up, an email will be sent reminding you to download the full gallery as access will be removed and a DVD will be sent to the address on file.
The only exception to this in the digital only package, in which the gallery will be available for 5 years and a USB will be sent.
Logistics
—When will we receive the contract?
We bring a blank contract to all consultations and booking meetings to help us go over key points with our couples and make sure all their questions are answered. Once you have decided to book with us you will be sent a filled out contract to sign electronically.
—How much of a deposit do you require? When is it due?
Our retainer fee is 30% of the package total and is non-refundable and is due upon signing the contract. Once the contract and retainer fee is paid your date is considered locked in.
—Do you accept payments in installations?
Absolutely! We understand weddings are expensive. As long at the balance is paid in full 30 days prior to the wedding date, you can make as many or as few payments as needed.
—What is your refund or cancellation policy?
This is also covered in the contract and gone over at all booking appointments. We are in an interesting time with Covid 19 and fortunately we have been able to accommodate all of our couples.
—Do you have liability insurance? Does it cover your assistants, as well?
Yes, we are a full time professional photography studio. Things happen and we need to be ready for anything. All our assistants must have their own insurance to be qualified to work on behalf of our team.
—Do you carry backup equipment?
Of course! All of our professional photographers carry a minimum of two camera bodies and multiple lenses. We take your wedding day as seriously as we take our own. We know these are precious, once in a lifetime moments and we want to capture all of them for you.
—What is the backup plan if you are unable to shoot my wedding for an unexpected reason?
All of this is covered in our contract and will be discussed at time of booking. We make sure you’re taken care of to the best of our abilities.
—How will you and your assistants be dressed?
We always consult with each of our clients to ensure our level of dress matches their formality or exceeds it. As photographers, we are constantly moving around to get you the most creative and cinematic shots and for this reason we will wear dark dress clothes (slacks and black polo’s). If your wedding requires it, we can go black tie if preferred.
—Can we request a list of specific shots we would like?
We always ask for a list of must have formal portrait images as well as someone who knows most of the people on the list. This makes the formal portraits run more efficiently and lets us have more time to focus on the couple.
At the booking meeting we talk about your vision or Pinterest board with the understanding that we do our best to capture all the images you want, but ask that you give us the room to be creative and capture your day using our style and expertise.
—Will you be posting about our wedding on your website and social media? Will you be submitting our photos to magazines or blogs?
We would love to share your story on all our socials and post it on the blog! We understand this isn’t for everyone and respect the privacy of all our clients. If you’d prefer not to have your love story shouted from the roof tops on our social platforms, we will celebrate your love story in private.