What to expect from your wedding photography experience.
Wedding photography is a special kind of photography that requires a high level of skill and attention to detail. The images captured on your wedding day will be cherished memories that you will look back on for the rest of your life. That’s why choosing the right wedding photographer is one of the most important decisions if you are the type of person who thinks photography is uncountable valuable.
This article is divided into three sections: What to expect before the wedding, on your wedding day, and after.
I hope this roadmap will assist you in planning your wedding photography experience.
before the wedding
- It's crucial to understand the type of photography that appeals to you. There are various styles, such as bright and airy, dark and moody, and others. Apart from the colours, you can also pay attention to whether you prefer an editorial or candid look. My style is more documentary and authentic, with slightly warm colours that tend to reflect honest moments.. I also offer some images in black and white because some moments require it. It all depends on the mood captured in the moment.
- It's also important to have an idea of your budget for photography. Here it’s a wedding budget planner that might be of help to you.
If you have room in your photography budget and value quality, don't settle for mediocre photos that you might regret later. Although talent comes at a cost, it provides peace of mind to know that a professional photographer will beautifully capture all the special moments of your day.
- Once you have determined your preferred style and budget, reach out to the photographers you like. Request a price guide and view full wedding galleries to get a complete understanding of what to expect on your wedding day. Instagram can give you an idea of a photographer's style, but viewing full wedding galleries can help you make a more informed decision. After you have received all the information, if possible, schedule a Zoom call to get to know the photographer and ask any questions you may have. In my case, some clients book me immediately after receiving the price guide, while others prefer to speak with me over the phone.
If the photographer you like, including myself, is available for your wedding date, I recommend securing the booking as soon as possible. It is common for me to receive multiple inquiries for the same date, and the first to sign the contract and pay the retainer fee will be the one who ultimately books me.
Before finalizing the booking, I help clients determine the best timeline for their wedding day and provide a more accurate quote, which can be done through email. Every wedding is unique, and each couple has different needs that why it’s important to have a personalised quote based on your needs. If you decide going with another photographer, I’d appreciate if you can let me know too to close the loop.
- Please review the online contract before signing it. If there is anything you would like to change, let me know. The contract is an agreement between both parties.
- The payment plan consists of a non-refundable advance fee of 800 to secure the day, and the remaining balance can be paid up to two weeks before your wedding. If you prefer break it into more payments let me know before signing the contract.
- The preferred method of payment is via e-transfer, but if you prefer to pay by credit card, a 3% fee will be added to your final balance. Once the contract is signed and the 800 retainer fee is paid, your booking will be official.
Just after booking, i’ll send you a wedding planning guide including the best vendor recommendations. If you also book an engagement session we will be in touch to set a day and a plan.
Engagement session are really helpful to get to know each other. I recommend choosing a location that holds special meaning to both of you and where you can connect naturally. This can be your home, your neighborhood, or even the place of the proposal. I am open to anywhere you choose and if you don’t have any ideas, I’ll give you some recommendations.
- 3 to 4 weeks before your wedding day, I will send you a comprehensive questionnaire to gather more information about you, your family, and the details of your special day. We can then schedule an online meeting if necessary. During this meeting, we will finalize a detailed timeline. Also, it’s important for me to know if there is any specific photos that you want, or if there is anything that I should be paying more attention. . It's also important for me to have a formal family photo list that I can bring with me on your wedding day.
During the wedding
At the wedding day, me and my second shooter if hired, will be there 15 min earlier than our official time. I’ll be there documenting and creating the best memories but also assisting you in any way I can.
After the wedding
I’ll send you a large sneak peek 72 hours after the wedding. I know how exciting is to see the first wedding pictures! I usually spend a little bit more time, because instead to send 2-3 photos, I usually send around 20-30 photos. This will include important family portraits that your parents may want to have. If there's any specific moment you would like to see in the sneak peek, please let me know.
It will take me 6-8 weeks to deliver the full gallery. You will receive a link that you can share with others. Through the online gallery, you can download high-resolution pictures or web-sized images if you want to post them on social media.
I've included a slideshow featuring the best photos of your day. I shoot weddings with a storyteller approach, and the slideshow is an excellent way to see how your day unfolded, from getting ready to the start of the dancing. That's why I like to include it in the final gallery. You can view an example by clicking here.
The gallery is also connected to a professional photo printer in Toronto, making it easy to order prints. As a bonus, I'll deliver 15 high-quality prints to your location for free because I love prints.
If you decide you want an album or it comes included in your collection, then we will design it at that time.
Thank you for reading this far. I hope this information was helpful. If you've already contacted me, I hope this clarifies any questions you had. If not, feel free to reach out to me here. I can’t wait to hear from you and let you know if I’m available on your wedding date!
Your wedding photography experience should be a fun and memorable one.
— Ashley Greenough
Kind Words
— Sydney Stonier
" Let’s start off by saying that choosing Cristina as the photographer for our wedding was, without a doubt, one of the best decisions that we made. Our photos are absolutely beautiful and we could not have asked for anything more perfect. With each and every photo, Cristina was able to bring to life all of the emotions we shared with our family and friends on our special day. We have a storybook of memories that we get to hold onto for the rest of our life!
We loved working with Cristina. She really took the time to truly get to know us through touch points prior to our big day to best prepare her to capture the moments that were truly important for us.
We sincerely appreciated her commitment to making sure that our photos were everything we wanted. She did a wonderful job capturing the day in its entirety, and most importantly, she brought wonderful energy to our whole experience–she felt like a friend on our wedding day!
We would recommend Cristina to anyone looking for a friendly, creative and detail-oriented photographer. You have found your photographer here - look no further!"
"Cristina and her second photographer were such a calming influences on the day and really helped us get through each step of the day. They both captured everyone in the room so beautifully and I am so proud to have such beautiful photos of my loved ones to share, They perfectly captured our wedding day and I couldn't be more grateful to have these beautiful candid memories of our special day."
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