How long have you been photographing weddings?

I have been photographing weddings as a business since 2010. For a number of years prior to that, I photographed weddings for a number of  friends and family members. I think it's very important that when a bride and groom are looking to choose their wedding photographer, and they are looking at a photographer's website, they are seeing photographs on that site from multiple weddings in different types of venues and settings. When you're looking at a photographer's website with wedding photos from one or two weddings, You need to ask yourself how much experience does that photographer have, and do you want them experimenting and getting experience on your wedding.

I've been looking into wedding photography companies to interview to photograph my wedding. Some of these companies are large and have multiple photographers, and I was told that I won't even know who the photographer for my wedding will be until a month or so before my wedding. If I hire your company, when will I know who my wedding photographer will be?

The answer to that is very simple, your wedding photographer will be me. From the moment a couple hire me to photograph their wedding, I like to make myself available to them personally via phone calls, emails, text messages, and even in person if possible. I like to get to know my bridal couples and I like them to get to know me. It makes for a much more relaxed atmosphere on a wedding day. For couples that choose to have an engagement session as part of their wedding package, this is also a great way to get to know each other even more.

I know that there are a great number of wedding photography businesses with names that don't give you a single clue who is going to be photographing your wedding. I list my name as my business name because I'm proud of the work I do and I want potential clients knowing right up front who will be photographing their wedding.

My fiancé and I love seeing your work on your website. Is it possible to get to meet you and see some of your work in person?

Absolutely! I will be happy to set up a complementary consultation for you and your fiancé. I will bring along some of my work in print for you to see, and it will give you an opportunity ask me whatever question you may have. When I meet with couples, I do like to talk with them about what they may be thinking will be happening for their timeline for their big day. Please feel free to call me or email me and I'll be happy to set up your consultation!

Before we get together, it's a good idea to keep a notepad and write down questions you want to ask me as your thinking of them. Most cell phones have a great little notepad app on them. This is a perfect place to write down your questions as you think of them.

If you decide that you would like to book me after our meeting, I would suggest that you let me know as soon as possible so that we can get your date locked for you. Also, if you decide to go in a different direction, an email letting me know of your decision is very much appreciated.

My fiancé and I have been to a number of our friends weddings lately. We've seen a bunch of different things at these weddings that we were thinking about using at our own wedding. We're wondering how to fit all of these events into our own wedding day. How does our timeline handle all of these things?

The best advice I can give is don't try to pack events from six weddings into one wedding day. I like to work a timeline with you that will not only incorporate things you want to include, but give you time to enjoy your day. Prioritize things that you want to include so that we can work from the top of your list down. 

When a timeline is written down, couples will actually see how the flow of the day will go. 

Can I provide a list of shots that we would like to be taken at our wedding?

The short answer is yes. I actually will request from a bride and groom if there are particular shots that they want.  I ask every couple for a shot list for their formal shots, that in most cases would immediately follow their ceremony. I like to have the list for the formals no later than a week before their wedding day. This way, I can give the bride and groom an idea of how much time we'll need to complete those photographs. This will also give us an idea of how much time we'll have to do some outdoor location shots before we need to be at the reception. I recommend that you limit the number of photo ideas from Pinterest or Google, mainly due to time restrictions that we'll have.

I have a large extended family,... aunts, uncles, cousins, 2nd cousins and so on, but I really don't want to spend a lot of time doing large family portraits. What do you recommend?

Let's keep in mind, this is your wedding day. And although it may seem like a family reunion to some, as far as time allotted for wedding photos go, this is not a family reunion. You have a limited amount of time for your formal posed photos with bridal party members, parents, and siblings, and then the more casual photos with just the bride and groom. If your ceremony and reception take place all at one location, your time is even more limited because your cocktail hour will typically start as soon as your ceremony is over, and your DJ will want to line up the bridal party for introductions 5-10 minutes before your cocktail hour is over. Add in time to bustle the wedding dress after the photos, and time for bridal party to use the restrooms before being introduced, you're left with about 45 minutes for your posed formal photos and casual photos.

I feel the best option for those large family photos is to do take them during the reception in a more casual setting. These group photos are always more relaxed than the formal posed photos and always more fun!

What kind of equipment do you use?

My cameras and lenses are all Canon professional grade equipment for digital photography.

Do you bring back-up equipment?

Absolutely! I am usually carrying 2 separate cameras with different types of lenses while shooting a wedding, and I always carry a third camera body in my equipment bag. As well, I carry backup lenses, flashes and light modifiers, and a number of other pieces of equipment.

Will I receive digital files with a copyright release for my wedding photographs?

All of my wedding packages include the final shot selections ( .JPG files ) along with a Release To Print, so you may have prints made wherever you want. If you wish to order prints, wall art, albums, etc., though me, I will be happy to place those orders though a professional lab.

I had another wedding photographer photograph my wedding. I saved some money but I'm not very happy with the way the photographs turned out. Can you re-edit my wedding photographs from the other photographer for a fee?

No. This is a questions I've been asked a number of times. The photographer that photographs the wedding in all likelihood, owns the copyright to the wedding photographs. That prohibits anyone else from editing or altering their "Work". As well, even with written permission from the photographer that owns the photographs, I will not re-edit these photographs.

Will our photographs be posted to an online gallery for us to view?

Yes. When your gallery is posted, it will be password protected so that nobody can see it without you giving them the password. Since you will receive a Release To Print with your digital image files, you may print photos for yourself as well as other family members and guests. Many couples that I have worked with don't wish to be bothered doing that, so they can tell their guests that they can purchase prints directly though me when viewing the online gallery.

Do you edit the photographs before you post them to an online gallery?

All of the photographs that are posted to your gallery, I will have edited for color corrections, lighting, contrast, with a limited number of the photographs in B&W. Photographs are not retouched to remove blemishes or fly away hairs. Typically, these are things that your hair and makeup artist have taken care of already. For print orders placed through me, I will retouch for blemishes and fly away hair. Removal of items in the photograph or possibly unwanted people in the background is done on a quote basis per image.

I've seen some wedding photographs that are edited in a dark style. I'm looking for bright colors for my wedding. What are your thoughts on dark photos?

Some people will refer to these darker images as a "moody" style. I prefer to keep my images truer to real colors for a few reasons. First of all, I personally like the truer colors. Also, I think it's important to see what real colors you selected for your wedding, especially your flowers and dresses. In my humble opinion, the images that completely morph the colors ruin so much of what you spent so much time choosing for your wedding day. There are trends in wedding photography that come and go. I want your images to be timeless!

Do you include a second photographer with your wedding packages?

My Sweetheart and Romance packages are standard with one photographer, which is me. A second photographer can be added to either of these packages with a 4 hour minimum. Many couples like to have a second photographer for part, if not all of their big day. This can be especially true when the bride and groom are getting ready at two different locations and the bride and groom want photos of each getting ready. As well, many couples that I photograph weddings for aren't worried about photographs at two locations. Ultimately, it comes down to the bride and groom's budget for photography. I don't want to build in an unwanted expense that a bride and groom can't afford. So I leave it up to my clients to decide if they want one or two photographers.  The Crystal packages come automatically with two photographers for the wedding day.

Do you book more than one wedding on any day?

No. Not only do I not book any other weddings on your wedding day, I will not book any other kind of photo sessions. I want to keep the day as uncluttered as possible.

What happens if my wedding day becomes delayed and the events of the reception have not happened by the time your services are supposed to be finished?

If, on the day of your wedding, you want or need me to stay longer than the time I was originally scheduled and contracted for, just let me know if you would like me to stay for an additional 1 or 2 hours.  I will invoice you for the additional time. Payment for the additional hours to be paid within 14 days.

Do you carry insurance?

Yes, I do carry liability insurance . If your venue requires an insurance certification from me, I recommend that you let me know this as soon as possible. I will need a minimum of 30 days notice to provide you with an insurance cert.

Does your business also do videography?

No, I do only still photography.

What is needed to book you as my photographer for my wedding?

A date will be considered "Booked" when there is a signed contract and a non-refundable retainer has been paid.  The retainer is applied to the total cost of the wedding package, with the balance due no later than 30 days prior to the wedding date. Some couples have chosen to make payments along the way instead of paying the full balance all at one time. That is perfectly okay. Methods of payment that I accept are: Cash, Check, Credit Card through Paypal, Money Order, and Cashier's Check.

I love your work, it's exactly what I want and what I'm looking for. I'm not sure I'm ready to book yet. If I give you my wedding date, can you let me know if another bride asks for the same date?

I'm sorry, no, I don't do that. I've done that a few times in the past but that never seems to work well.

Will I receive every photograph that you take during my wedding day?

On average, for the Sweetheart package, the number of images that make the final cut is somewhere between 600-800 images. For the Romance Package, the number of images that make the final cut is between 800-1000 images. These numbers can very up or down slightly depending on what events you do or do not include as part of your wedding day. For example, if your ceremony is an hour long as opposed to 10 minutes long. If you choose to have or not to have a bouquet toss, garter toss, specific dances as part of your reception, or even outdoor portraits not able to be taken due to inclement weather. As part of artistic judgment, I retain the right of discretion in selecting the photographic materials released to the client. Unedited (RAW) files are not included in any package and are not for sale.

When will you begin photographing on my wedding day?

I begin when YOU want me to begin. The number of hours in the package you choose will begin at that time and run straight through until the package hours are complete. Most often, if a bride is getting ready at a location different than the actual ceremony site, I will be asked to begin two hours before the ceremony time, but that is all very flexible.

If I have questions or ideas about my wedding day that I think of between the date I book you and my wedding day, is it okay if I contact you?

Absolutely! I want your day to go as smoothly as possible in all aspects of your day. Besides your initial consultation, I want to meet again with you in person 1-2 weeks before your wedding day to go over the final details. Anytime in between those times when we meet in person, I'll be happy to discuss details of your day by phone, email, or by text message if you prefer. I live in Butler PA, so if you need to meet in person and you are in Butler, I'll be happy to meet with you. Also, I like to talk to the bride and groom when they are setting up the timeline for their day. Too often, the planning of a wedding day will get squeezed, and the bride and groom will underestimate home much time they need, not only for their photographs, but for time getting ready, time to travel from one location to another. So when the time is cut short, the remainder of their day becomes rushed.

What advice do you have for a bride and groom for their wedding day to get the best photographs?

Get all of your preparations done well ahead of time. Little things may happen on your wedding day that you hadn't planned on. These are probably things that none of your guests will even notice. Don't over worry about these things. This day will go by too fast. So, above all, enjoy your day and have fun! My best work comes when the bride and groom are having the most incredible time on the biggest day of their lives.