Things you need to know ….
Before the Day:
How will we reserve our wedding date?
Once we receive your signed contract and the non-refundable retainer of £400, we will not accept any clients for that date.
What happens after the booking?
We’ll then start pre wedding consultations leading up to the day. Further, if included in your package, a date is arranged for the pre wedding/engagement session. This is also an opportunity for us to get to know a bit more about you.
We live out of town, how will this affect our consultations?
While we would love to meet up before the day, busy schedules and distance may prevent that. However all decisions can he handled remotely. Then again we could meet with your trusted friends or relatives if necessary.
Where and when will the pre wedding/engagement shoot take place?
Normally somewhere in London, preferably at some place that holds some special meaning to you. Ideally due to having to shoot events over the weekend, most of our engagement sessions take place during the week. But sometimes we do manage to arrange a weekend shoot.
Do you provide video services as well?
No. We like to concentrate on what we do best.
Do you charge extra for travel and hotel accommodation?
Yes. If the event finishes at unsuitable hours and is further than 1.5 hours drive from London, then reasonable overnight accommodation will be charged at cost. All packages within the M25 won’t attract extra costs. However beyond the M25, additional costs will be charged for travel.
Do you offer discounts on weekday, Sunday weddings?
When the pressure is light, we normally have promotions and rebates. Contact us for details about that.
The Wedding Day:
What time will you be arriving on the day?
We normally get to the bridal prep venue at least 1.45 minutes before the ceremony time, and normally spend about 1 hour shooting the bride. We will then allocate about 30 minutes for the girls, and guys depending on the situation and on the package.
How many photographers will be there on the day?
This also depends on the package booked. Normally there will be two professional photographers to ensure maximum coverage of all parts of the day. Unlike many other photographers who work with assistants, we are two independent photographers working together.
What cameras do you use?
We use professional Canon DSLR cameras, and particularly prefer the Canon 5d mark 2 as well as the 7D, coupled with a range of fast professional lenses to capture images in extremely difficult lighting situations.
How many photographs will you take on the day?
A regular wedding will have us shooting at about 120 images per hour. That normally averages at about 1,000 photos for most weddings.
Is it important to have a second shooter on the day?
While a single photographer can adequately capture your day. Having and associate shooter will ensure no key moments are missed. While one focuses on the father of the bride’s speech for example, the other can focus on reactions from the bride or guests, thus creating a more compelling story of your day. Further with two different photographers shooting slightly different styles at different times, you’ll end up with an amazing collection of different images to choose from.
Do you take formal groups as well as candid photos?
We are photojournalists, and while we try to unobtrusively capture the story of your day, we however will photograph a limited number of formals. For this, we like to get it done in less than 15 minutes. We’ll normally insist you write up a list and give us before the day, and on the day, arrange for ushers help us gather necessary guests for the pre arranged photographs. Keeping this list short, keeps everyone, including you happy.
For the time dependant collections, can I break up the hours of coverage? We have a long break between the ceremony and reception and won’t be doing much between the times.
I’m afraid not, the hours are billed as consecutive hours of service. Truth of the matter is we are never resting on the day. If there’s some downtime, we’ll probably be backing up images, arranging lights, travelling across venues, shooting detail shots, or making up for lost time due to wedding day delays.
What do you do about eating on the day?
As we will be with you all day, we are normally invited to eat at the same time as your guests. Obviously we won’t be taking pictures while guests have their mouths full. We are very happy to eat in another room nearby, but will always be on hand to photograph all the key events.
How long will you stay with us on our wedding day?
This will depend on the wedding package booked, or on pre agreed upon time schedules. However rest assured, if our time is up in the middle of the cake cutting for example, we won’t just pack up and run off.
After the Day
How do we get to see our photographs?
If a preview book is not part of your package, we will upload the images unto a private web portal for you to view and select final album images. With the album delivery, we will also send you a web resolution or print resolution disc of the images depending on the collection you chose.
How many photographs will we get to see?
Images will be pruned down to a minimum of 500 images on a regular wedding.
How much digital manipulation goes into our pictures?
All images are assessed for colour and tone. Blemishes and distractions are then taken care of before presentation. If large framed prints or albums are ordered, a little more creative editing will go into the images.
Is there an extra charge for this service?
No. All reasonable editing is carried out on a complimentary basis.
How many photographs make a great storybook album?
Most people choose between 60 and 100 pictures for their album, depending on the album size. There is no limit however, if you need more than a 120 images, it may be advisable to make two albums.
Are album design preview changes allowed? … will you be charging for them?
Album designs can be reviewed free of charge up to three times. After this, there will be a charge of £30 per review.
How long will our album take to arrive?
Albums normally take about four to six weeks from placing your order till delivery at our end.
How will we get our album?
You can pick it up, or we can deliver it to you if you live in North London, or we can courier it to you ‘at cost’.
What other presentation options are there?
We have a variety of beautiful and lasting presentation options. Parents’ albums and coffee table books are available from £100, while framed prints and wall decors cost from £90 to £1200. The actual price depends upon the number of prints and the type and size of albums or frames. Full details are available on request.
Do you photograph anything else in addition to weddings?
Yes! we are people photographers, and are available for portrait sessions in addition to weddings, and that includes maternity, children, family and parties!
Finally … why is wedding photography so expensive?
… er … no its not. A lot of people tend to see wedding photography as just the 8 odd hours the photographer shoots on the day. But by our calculations, we spend over 40 hours on each wedding. Right from the first contact, the subsequent meetings, emails and phone calls, the hours start piling up. The engagement shoot will probably take 3-4 hours, editing its images another 4 hours. The wedding day itself throws out over a thousand images which could take anywhere between 8-10 hours to edit, images need to be backed up, uploaded, albums designed, modified, all the while continuing communications with you, the printers and the binders. Weeks after the wedding, we’ll be the only vendors still working on your wedding. Added to it all is the album … the culmination of all the hours, artistic vision and creativity, which is the true product you’re paying for, and which will always be there in all its beauty, to remind you of your wonderful day.
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