Here are some of the most asked questions I get via inquiries; I hope this helps you on your wedding planning journey!
My wedding is not in Winnipeg, what do you charge for mileage outside of the city?
Currently, my wedding photography packages include mileage for the wedding day, up to 3 hours or so drive outside of the city. However, I do charge additional mileage if your engagement session is further than 1 hours drive outside of Winnipeg, so keep that in mind!
Do you capture elopements/micro weddings?
Yes! Absolutely. I have an hourly rate for elopements/micro weddings, as well as a 4-hour wedding day package that includes an engagement session and a glass keepsake box with 25 high-quality prints of your choice.
I feel awkward in front of the camera… what can help with that?
This awkwardness (which is very common and trust me, SAME) is why I strongly recommend taking advantage of an engagement session with your wedding photographer. I offer them in all of my current packages. This session is a great opportunity for you to get used to being in front of the camera and become more comfortable with me and my shooting style. Also, might I say that YOU ARE AMAZING and BRILLIANT. I’m just here to cox that out of you with my lame jokes, pet stories, and oversharing.
Do you recommend a second photographer?
The short answer is yes, but this is dependent upon the number of hours of coverage you will need for your wedding day. My 6-hour and 8-hour wedding photography packages already include a second photographer for a portion of the day. A second perspective for “getting ready” photos and the ceremony is really helpful, especially if you and your fiance are getting ready at two different locations. I usually send my seconds home right before the reception starts, since shots become redundant at that point.
I need to plan my wedding day timeline, but where do I start?
To start, figure out when you want your ceremony to start and how long it will be (your officiant can usually help you out with this) and when you want guests to sit down for food. Then, work out the rest around those two times - are you seeing each other before the ceremony with a first look? You may be able to do portraits before the ceremony in that case. If not, you’ll most likely have to do portraits between the ceremony and reception. What time do you need to be ready? Check with your beauty team to see how long hair and makeup will take for you and your crew and that gives you an idea of when you need to be awake for getting ready! You got this!
What if we need you for longer on the wedding day than we had anticipated?
No problem! With the purchase of any of my wedding photography packages (minimum 4 hours) I ensure that I am available to you for several hours before and after your scheduled event should you need me earlier or longer. With my packages (including any custom packages of 4 or more hours of wedding day coverage) I only book one event per day. The prices for additional hours of wedding day coverage will be outlined in the contract I send you.
Where should we do our engagement photos?
I’ve written a short blog post just for that question! In short, start by thinking of locations that have a special meaning for you as a couple or that you frequent on dates, hangouts with friends. Also, if you want to include your pets, you may want an at-home session which I am always a big fan of (both the pets and the in-home part!).
AHH! Planning is so stressful right now; what if we have to postpone?
Communication is critical, especially in the case of postponements. Should you need to postpone your event simply let me (and all of you vendors!) know as soon as possible. So long as I am available for your postponement dates, I’m all yours! If I am unavailable, you will have the option of choosing to use a trusted associate to capture the day, and I will edit and provide you with the final gallery, or of canceling your contract with me. If you need to cancel, just know that you will forfeit your retainer.
Also, if I am unable to capture your wedding day due to (knock on wood!) that-which-shall-not-be-named, I have trusted associates to send in my place at no additional charge to you!
Can I have all of the RAW photos you take on my wedding day?
The short answer is no. I do not give out RAW files of my work. Part of what you are paying for is my culling and editing of the images I’ve taken. A wedding day can produce thousands of RAW images, many of which are duplicates (for example, I take dozens of the same family portraits to ensure that I have a few to work with, in which everyone has their eyes open!), or don’t make the cut because someone is blinking or taking a bite of food or the focus is slightly off. The final gallery of images I give you is work that I can be proud of.
What equipment and file backups do you have in place?
I currently have a few camera bodies and a few lenses I work with that give me a variety of options but also act as backups if one stops working. I have multiples of everything just in case!
For files, I back up my RAW files when I come home from your wedding, on two separate hard drives that are kept in two separate places in my house. I also immediately upload all of your photos to the cloud where they stay until I have completed editing, then are replaced with your final gallery. I keep your final gallery for up to 3 years and I strongly recommend backing up your files in the cloud as well as on physical drives!
