FAQs, about our company

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: A COLLECTION OF COMMON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

We have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions in regards to our work, style, packages, and resources that will help you with your own wedding photography. We really care for everyone that we work with and have written this to best help answer your questions. We hope you’ll find these answers helpful! Please don't hesitate to contact the studio if you have any questions not answered here.

What is your style of photography? Our style is simple but we believe that images should speak volumes - about who you are as a person, about the relationship between a newly married couple, about the subtle nuances of everyday life. We strive to create images at each and every wedding that illuminate the relationships; both of each individual family and the new family being created that day. Our goal is to provide you with a documentary based illustration of your wedding day with minimal guiding or posing. It's not our intention to just "make pretty pictures" but to truly make images that capture the relationship between two people in love. We cover weddings in a very journalistic style but we don't think photography should be limited by a "genre." While we try to be unobtrusive in our coverage of the day, during the formal photos we casually pose images of the bride and groom together and of the bridal party. We’d like about an hour during the day to pose some images of you and your bridal party. We also capture a lot of candid photos and details; preserving all of the small things of the wedding.

What is your pricing? We create custom collections for many clients, which is something that we can absolutely do for you! Simply check out our “Photography” tab for packages and prices. There are more options under the “Order Prints” tab. Or, drop us an email and we will send you all of the information that you need! We promise to respond ASAP, and look forward to chatting further!

Can we add on a second photographer? Absolutely! A second shooter is a great asset to your wedding day coverage when the day requires a second vantage point! Many days are able to be covered fully by one photographer, therefore a second photographer is not necessary to complete the documentation of the day. Some days have many moving parts, a lot of guests, or other things that would benefit from a second photographer. For that reason, you can choose one with, without, or choose to add one on later!

Do you edit our photographs? Yes, we do! We generally do a run through your photos and adjust for lighting. Everyone’s photographic preference varies. We ask that you go through your photos and let us know whatever changes you would like done. We are happy to make any adjustments and there are NO setup fees.

How far will you travel? We cover the Greater Buffalo Area, including Amherst, Tonawanda, Kenmore, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, Dunkirk, Lakeview, Angola, Lancaster, West Seneca, Alden, Depew, Clarence, Williamsville, etc. Please let us know if your event is outside of this region. We are able to travel to most areas (within reason), but a small travel fee may be added on.

Do you have an assistant? Usually we do not have an assistant. If we should have one with us for your day, we will make sure to ask your permission first to have them along.

Do you have past clients we can speak to as references? We don't provide client references to prospective wedding couples for a few reasons. First of all, any reference we would give you would be biased - of course we'd choose clients that we know would speak most glowingly about our services! Second of all, we truly respect our clients' investment in our services and work, and could never ask a client to market for us on their own time. If you'd like to read reviews about us, please check out Wedding Wire!

Can you offer help with our timeline throughout the day? Absolutely! We do this all the time! Any questions you may have, we are happy to help with. We are happy to help you plan from getting ready until the end of the night. We know how to keep your day’s schedule on-time and relaxed so you are not stressing out the whole day or feeling rushed.

How easy is it to get ahold of you? We always have the office phones and emails forwarded to a cell phone. It is very easy to get ahold of us. We welcome any questions from colors, textures, centerpieces, florists, etc. If you do it right, you do this once – we do this all year round!

Do you know if we need a permit where we want to take our formal photos? We would love to help you with this, but the answer is that we're not sure. If you're getting married on-site, the chances that you'll need a permit are very small. If you're leaving your venue and going somewhere else, a permit might be required. There are many places that do require you to get a permit, but the permit has to be obtained by the client, not the photographer. If you have a question about a location, just let us know and we will help you figure out if a permit is needed. If we try to shoot in a location that requires a permit, and we don't have one, we may be asked to leave; we don't want that to happen to you.

Can some of our photos be delivered in both black & white and color? Images delivered in black and white are only available in black and white. We shoot everything in color and if you would like it changed to black and white, we are happy to do so from the original color photo.

How long does it take before we receive our photographs and products? Your photo disc is usually available for pick up within 3 weeks after your wedding. Online galleries are posted within two weeks of you getting your disc. Digital albums are usually designed and posted online for review within 3 weeks of submitting your paperwork. Upon final approval of album designs, most albums are ready for pick up within three weeks.

Are our digital files watermarked? They are not. The high resolution files do not bear any watermarks.

How many pictures will we receive? The number of photographs taken depends on many things - the number of guests, hours of coverage, types of events, hours of dancing, and so forth. Our average for an eight hour day is 700 images, but those numbers may vary depending on the day itself. If you have questions about image quantity, we'd love to hear more about your plans! This would help us provide you with a more detailed explanation and estimate.

Do we get to keep the digital negatives? Of course you do! You are provided with a written release and a disc of your photos that will allow you to make unlimited personal reproductions and copies for your friends and families.

Do we get the copyright of the images? Copyright is something that I get asked about often. Many photographers include a "copyright release" in their contracts, which generally just means the same as a release to have your images printed by yourself, or any lab you choose. That's not the same as obtaining copyright! Copyright simply means that we are the creators of the images, and we "own" the copyright. Selling or obtaining "the copyright" is not possible, but you will have the ability to print and share your images as much as you'd like!

What if we want to order extra prints? You can order extra prints directly through your online gallery or you are welcomed to order them through our office. Any prints that are to be included in your package must be ordered through our office. Since you will also have access to your disc, you can order prints yourself at any lab you choose. We highly suggest that you order through our lab, as we can make sure the prints go through a rigorous quality control process. We cannot guarantee the quality of any prints that are not created through our preferred lab. Your digital files are also available online in your image gallery. This is also a cart/ordering system for prints.

How does the album design process work? We promise to make this process as easy as possible for you! We pre-design your album for you and post it online for your review. After you've had a chance to look at your album, simply let us know if there are any requested changes or if you would like it printed as is. Your album will appear in-person the same way it looked online.

Do you offer engagement sessions? Yes, we do! Please take note that most engagement sessions have to be done Monday – Thursday because of a heavy wedding schedule, but there's occasionally Friday or Saturday availability. Sessions are photographed either in our office or at a nearby park. We are available to travel elsewhere for your engagement session; certain travel rates may apply to areas outside our usual geographic locations. The sessions generally take about a half hour to complete. If you have any questions about your engagement session, please don't hesitate to contact us!

Do you take posed family photos? Absolutely. We strongly believe in those family images, as they're records of your entire family at an important time in their history together. The Photo Request list must be complete and returned 2 weeks prior to your wedding. This covers the details of the day and a list of posed images - these are the family, friends, coworkers, etc. that are traditionally photographed at each wedding. You'll have space to write in your own additional groupings. These groupings are usually quick and easy as we try to make them pleasant and enjoyable for everyone involved! It's very helpful to know what important relatives and friends are coming on your day.

Do we have insurance? Yes. Please feel free to put your venue or your coordinator in touch with us and we can work out those details easily. Each venue has different requirements and we can provide certificates to meet all their needs.

What kind of weddings have you photographed? We’ve shot on beaches, in churches, on boats, in the rain, and everywhere in between.

Can you hold a date for me? We're so sorry, but we can't hold the date or pencil you in. To be fair to everyone we can't "hold" a date without a retainer and a signed contract. We accept bookings on a first come/first served basis.

What is your payment schedule? A deposit is due to reserve your date. The final balance is due two weeks prior to your wedding date. You are welcomed to make payments if that is easier for you, but we require full payment before the event. Payment for overtime, album upgrades, or additional products beyond your initial contract can be paid post-wedding. If you have any concerns about the payment schedule, we'd love to chat with you about them!

What if our assigned photographer can’t make it to our wedding? We will still supply you with coverage from another one of our staff photographers. We are also a member of many local organizations and networking groups upon which we could call to find you a replacement photographer. We have never missed a wedding for any reason. Please know that we take the responsibility of shooting your wedding extremely seriously, and wouldn't just "call in sick" without a very grave, serious reason behind it. If that were to happen, we would find you a replacement photographer at the same skill level. If this is something that concerns you, please contact the studio and we can chat! I promise that this is a situation that we plan for carefully, and hope we never have to execute that plan!

When should we book you for our wedding? ASAP, since we can't "hold" dates or "pencil you in" dates are booked when...well, when they're booked. Most of our clients contract us within a year of the wedding date, sometimes as close as two months prior, sometimes a full calendar year or more in advance. It's easy to predict what will be popular weekends, but not always easy to predict when those weekends will book up!

Do we need to feed you at the reception? Please do. We prefer to be fed when you are fed, not afterwards, because when you're eating you're not at your most photogenic. And when you're done, we want to be done as well to continue your coverage.

Can our family and friends take pictures with their cameras? Of course they can and it doesn't bother us in the least bit! We do request they not swarm the family photographs right away because we'd prefer all eyes facing us in your images, but we don't mind at all if they snap away from the background. We don't recommend family or friends to come along for the bridal party formals for privacy purposes and because, frankly, other people can be distracting! We welcome other cameras during dancing, cake cutting, and other events, just ask politely if people could please not push us out of the way and respect our presence.

FOR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WERE NOT ANSWERED HERE, PLEASE CONTACT US AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM FOR YOU!