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[av_heading tag=’h4′ padding=’10’ heading=’Q&A – pre-booking’ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=’26’ subheading_active=” subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”][/av_heading]
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[av_toggle title=’How far in advance should I book my wedding photography?’ tags=”]
The best answer is as soon as possible. Generally speaking, most of my dates (especially Saturday’s in spring & summer, do tend to get booked up around 18-24 months in advance.
I know also that some couples shortlist photographers and keep an eye on their work for a few months before getting in touch, to then often find that their date is not available. My advice is to get in touch straight away to check for availability and then from this draw up your shortlist.
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[av_toggle title=’How much of my wedding budget should be allocated to photography?’ tags=”]
Of course I would be tempted to say “as much as possible” but, being realistic, the general rule of thumb is that around 10-15% is about right.
Your wedding photographs should be one of the most important aspects of your day and one of the few things that will remain long after the day is over.
Surveys reveal that most couple’s biggest regret post wedding is that they wished they had spent more of their budget on photography. Generally with photography, the old adage that “you get what you pay for” often holds true, so cutting corners in this area can often lead to disappointment.
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[av_toggle title=’Why are your prices so high? I can get a wedding photographer for under £500.’ tags=”]
True, but please be absolutely certain what you are getting for your money.
Wedding photography is my profession and typically, I will spend somewhere in the region of 60-70 hours end to end on your wedding photography including the day itself, full editing of all your wedding images to make them look their absolute best and the design of your album. For this reason, I limit the number of weddings I shoot per year so that I can devote this amount of time working on your wedding images and provide you with a fantastic end to end service.
Even between professional wedding photographers, prices can vary greatly based on such things as the number of pages you’ll get in an album, the number of pictures you’ll be supplied with and the number of hours coverage on the day, so sometimes it can be a bit like comparing apples with pears when comparing one costing against another.
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[av_toggle title=’Do you offer any discounts or run any promotions?’ tags=”]
Yes and yes:-).
I’ve always offered a £200 “earlybird discount” which is always popular with couples when booking. I do run promotions from time to time throughout the year and will published on the blog so do keep a look out for these.
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[av_toggle title=’What would happen if we book you and then you are ill on the wedding day?’ tags=”]
It would take a lot to stop me photographing a wedding but, I’m realistic enough to know that I need to make provisions for this.
If I am not well enough on the day (or any other reason for that matter), then I will ensure that another photographer is provided for you through the network of colleagues that I have. Failing this, the SWPP also operate a “find a photographer” scheme for it’s members for events such as this.
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[av_toggle title=’Are you full-time or part-time?’ tags=”]
I’m a full-time photographer and weddings is what I do more than anything else. Being full-time enables me to spend many hours during the week working on your wedding pictures to make them look their absolute best.
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[av_toggle title=’Are you a member of any of the associations?’ tags=”]
Yes, I’m very proud to be a member of both the SWPP and a qualified member of the BIPP where I hold a Licentiate qualification for weddings. For you, this is peace of mind that I have achieved a recognised standard to photograph your wedding day and also that you have an intermediary body that you can turn to in the event of any dispute.
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[av_toggle title=’Why should I book a qualified wedding photographer over an unqualified one?’ tags=”]
There’s always a bit of a debate among photographers on this issue. Those who are qualified, such as myself, will always argue in favour of it whereas those who are not will always say that qualifications are a waste of time.
One misconception is that qualifications can be bought – they can’t! To gain a qualification, my work had to be assessed over a period by a mentor and only then, could I put my panel of work forward for the qualification and, I don’t mind admitting, that first time around, I didn’t qualify. But I learnt from that and believe it eventually makes you better at what you do and it keeps pushing you to do the very best at each and every wedding.
For you as a couple, it’s peace of mind knowing that my work has been assessed independently and I have been judged as being fit to photograph weddings to a high standard. It also means that I am regulated by an independant body in the field of wedding photogaphy which, in an industry that is unregulated, and where anyone can buy a camera and call themselves a wedding photographer, I think is important.
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[av_toggle title=’Are you insured?’ tags=”]
Yes, as a qualified member of the BIPP I have to be and this includes both public liability and public indemnity insurance.
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[av_heading tag=’h4′ padding=’10’ heading=’Q&A – pre-wedding shoots’ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=’26’ subheading_active=” subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”][/av_heading]
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[av_toggle title=’When should I book my pre-wedding shoot?’ tags=”]
The short answer is, anytime that suits you best. Ideally though, it’s not a good idea to do this too far ahead of the wedding date as one of the main benefits of the pre-wedding shoot is to prepare you for the pictures that will be taken on the wedding day, and too far in advance of the wedding will mean that you will usually have forgotten a lot of what we run through. General consensus is that about 3-4 months prior to the wedding is about right.
Please also bear in mind that, as I’m always busy at weekends shooting weddings, pre-wedding shoots can only be undertaken weekdays Monday to Thursday, which may mean taking a day off work, so again, please factor this in when booking the shoot.
During the summer months, there may be scope to do an evening shoot Monday-Thursday, due to the light evenings, but please do get in touch with me asap if you wish to do this, as availability will be limited.
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[av_toggle title=’How far will you travel for a pre-wedding shoot?’ tags=”]
I’ll cover a distance of 35 miles from here which easily covers Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and anywhere else in between. If you prefer, I can travel further although this will be subject to an additional charge per mile to cover extra fuel and time.
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[av_heading heading=’Q&A – the wedding day’ tag=’h4′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’26’ subheading_active=” subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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[av_toggle title=’Can you bring along a 2nd photographer if we wanted one?’ tags=”]
No, call me a bit old fashioned, but I am of the belief that your wedding photography should be the vision of just one person, rather than a mish-mash of styles from two or even three.
Careful planning ensures that I still get all the necessary shots prior to the ceremony and often, couples looking at my work across a wedding day would not be able to see if there were one, two or more photographers at work.
Working alone also ensures that I can keep my costs lower as well and also, quite importantly, keeps your photography on the day more “low key” which fits in with my style.
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[av_toggle title=’Can I request specific shots on the wedding day?’ tags=”]
In short, yes.
For your family group shots, I will always ask you for a list prior to the wedding day as that helps get the shots done in an orderly and timely manner. Of course, I can still do some ad-hoc group shots on the day itself even if they’re not on the list.
When it comes to other requests, I am open to your own ideas but do please bear in mind that each and every photographer has a specific style of photography which is why you’re drawn to them in the first place. Certain requests may be outwith my own style of photography which, doesn’t mean that I can’t do them, but you do need to bear in mind that the results cannot be guaranteed.
For example, I was recently asked to do a shot at night, twirling trails with a sparkler around an embracing bride & groom. Whilst there are photographers out there who do this sort of shot each and every wedding, I’m not one of them and therefore, although we did try the shot, the results were mixed. The gallery on this site will give you a good idea of my style of photography and, for the most part, when it comes to your bride & groom shots, I would recommend that you just enjoy the day and let me do my thing :-).
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[av_toggle title=’How long after the wedding will my pictures be ready?’ tags=”]
Typically 4-6 weeks although this may be slightly less outside of peak season, but I’ll be able to advise you nearer the time of a more accurate timescale.
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[av_toggle title=’How can I view my pictures when they’re ready?’ tags=”]
All your pictures will be uploaded to a personalised online gallery which will be password protected. The gallery also has an ordering facility where you and your family and friends can order prints (both framed and unframed), canvases and other wall art direct from the site.
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[av_toggle title=’Will I receive copyright with all my pictures?’ tags=”]
No, this is often a confusing area. Copyright of your pictures will always remain with the photographer, ie me, as I own the pictures. What you will receive from me is a “licence” that enable you to use the pictures for personal use and this includes being able to print them as well as using them in social media.
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[av_heading heading=’Q&A – wedding albums’ tag=’h4′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’26’ subheading_active=” subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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[av_toggle title=’What is the process for designing our wedding album?’ tags=”]
Once your pictures are ready, I’ll set a time aside for your album design a few weeks later. This gives you the opportunity to let me know if there are any “must have” images that you want included in the album. I’ll then use my experience to design the album using images on each page that complement each other to tell the story of your day.
The album proofs will then be uploaded to an online gallery for you to view and make any changes that you wish to the design.
You will then also choose the type of cover and bindings that you would like for your album, along with the type of presentation box that you would like.
Only when you are 100% happy with the design of your album, will it then be sent to the lab for printing.
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[av_toggle title=’Can I order an album after the wedding day?’ tags=”]
Yes, you can, but there are a few reasons why, if you do want an album, it’s better to book this as part of your initial package.
Firstly, the album cost itself. Most years, the lab do increase the cost of their albums. By booking an album as part of your package, the price you pay at the outset is “locked in” by me, so you are not subject to any price increases by the lab that may occur from the point of booking until after your wedding date. Also, by booking an album package, the total cost can be offset by either of the two discounts I offer.
Secondly, time. If you have booked an album package, then I can factor in the time to design the album for you just a few weeks after the wedding, meaning you’ll receive it in a timely manner. If you decide to add an album after the wedding, the design time will need to be factored into my work schedule at that time, which could mean that it may be a few months before I can even start the design for you.
Finally, although I do understand that keeping costs down, especially with weddings, is always a priority, the truth is, that of all the couples that have booked with me and stated their intention to book an album after the wedding, only about 5% ever do. Weddings are expensive and usually, after the wedding day, most couples just don’t have the funds available to purchase an album and the more time that passes by, the less likely this is to happen. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule but my advice is, if you do want an album to treasure your wedding day for years to come, do factor it in to the package at the outset.
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