Photo FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Photography

Q: How early do we need to be ready for photos?
A: Depending on the size of your wedding (number in bridal party) we typically want to start
shooting at least 1.5 hours before the ceremony. We will start with the bridal portraits, then
add in bridesmaids, then the bride’s family. Next we’ll shoot the groom, then groomsmen and
the groom’s family.

There’s a tradition that the bride and groom should not see each other prior to the
ceremony. This tradition comes from a time when marriages were arranged and the bride and
groom had never met prior to the wedding day. That being said, we would encourage you to
break with that tradition for the following reasons;
a. Reserving a time for the bride and groom to meet prior to the ceremony gives us the
opportunity to capture the expressions and emotion of that moment when you first see each
other in a private, intimate setting, as opposed to the pressure of the crowd and the
spotlight.
b. It allows us to take all the formal shots of the bride, groom and bridal party prior to the
ceremony which lets you to get to your reception earlier and not keep your guests waiting.
Once the ceremony is finished and we take all the family shots, you can go right into the
reception, go into your first dance, and let the festivities begin rather than spend another
hour on photos.

Q: Why should I choose a professional photographer instead of my Uncle Joe who has a great camera?
A: Having photographed well in excess of 500 weddings, we have an eye for which angles
will work for certain situations and we anticipate the moments. This is not to say that we shoot every wedding
the same way. On the contrary, each wedding for us is a unique experience with unique personalities, qualities and details.
Our job in capturing the moments of your wedding day is two fold. We will guide you through the posed photos that we know you and your family will want and listen to requests for certain combinations of family and guests.
We will also be in the background looking for those magical moments which reflect the chemistry of the relationships that are unique to every family. And we will make every effort to make the entire day stress free. You don’t want to trust this job to just anyone.

There’s a blog article about guests taking photos at weddings that is interesting to read.  You can find a link to it here.

Q: Can Uncle Joe still bring his camera?
A: Absolutely, but please ask him to not take photos while we are working. When you have a group of people posing for a photograph, and someone is standing on the side taking photos, half of the group will be looking at the photographer and half looking at Uncle Joe.
We respectfully request that no photos be taken during the ceremony or the formal portraits.

Q:When and how will I be able to see my photos?
A: The editing process can take us up to 4 weeks. If we are able to get images processed early we will certainly do so. We will typically go through your event and choose some of what we consider to be the best images and post them on our photo blog. Once the edits are all done your images will be posted on Pictage.com for you to proof.
You (the bride and groom)will have access to all the images prior to their release to guests. Once you’ve looked through the images and marked any you wouldn’t want seen as “private” you will release the images for all your family and friends

We also post an email sign-up sheet at the reception and let your guests know if they sign up they will be notified by email
when the photos are available to view online.

Q: How do we order the prints we want?
A: All of our packages come with a credit that may be used to order the prints of your choice.
This way you’re not limited by needing to order a certain number of any one size print. Each photo is processed as a custom lab print with proper color correction and density.

Q: How do we order albums?
A: Some wedding packages come with a contemporary storybook wedding album. After we edit the images and get them online we will design for you an album layout which we feel will best represent the images that tell the story of your wedding day.  When we design albums we don’t limit the number of images or pages it takes to tell that story, we present a unique, custom designed work of art that you will keep for the rest of your life and pass on to your children.

Once your album design is done you will be able to view the layout online.  You may decide to keep the album as is, replace an image we have chosen with another that you prefer, ask to add or delete images or album sides.  From there we will make the changes you request and you can proof the album design again.  Once you’ve approved the design we will order the album to be printed and bound.  This process will typically take 4-6 weeks.

Q: Is there a charge for the upgraded album?
A: Yes, and the amount depends on how many images and how many sides your package came with, and how many are in the final design.  If you don’t wish to purchase the upgraded album you can just tell us which images and sides you want removed and we can get the size of the album back to what came with your package.
Every album design is unique and custom designed.

Q: How many album designs can we have?
A: Packages include up to three album designs.  After that there will be additional fees for designs and changes.

Q: If our package doesn’t come with album can we still order one?
A: Sure.  Just drop us an email and we’ll get the process going.  You may also create your own album designs through the Pictage site.

This is the cover of one of our favorite recent albums.  It’s a 12×12 album with 44 pages and it looks fantastic.  Here are a couple of shots of the spreads…

The above shot is the back cover of the album.  Covers wrap around the binding and are all custom designed.  The photos here don’t really do the album justice.  You should stop by our office and see it for yourself.