I’ve compiled a convenient Lake Tahoe wedding photographer FAQ to send to my potential and booked wedding couples because I want to make sure I’m as open with information as possible about my Lake Tahoe wedding photography!
Wedding Photography FAQ by Lake Tahoe Wedding Photographer
How would you describe your STYLE?
I describe my style as authentic and heartfelt…catering to your unique romance. I don’t use trendy filters in my editing, nor do I fall into the hype of other trends because your photos should stand up to the test of time. So I edit in a genuine, classic way – true to the mood of your real wedding day. I would also describe my style as polished. I am very attentive to your final edited images, down to the cropping of each photo.
Who is your ideal couple?
A couple who values the timelessness of my style, and appreciates that I’m preserving your personal story as a legacy to future generations. A couple who craves a genuine and authentic reflection of their romance, with a focus on their honest, beautiful relationship.
How many weddings do you shoot every year?
I shoot approximately 10 weddings per year. I also only commit to shooting ONE wedding per weekend (with some weekends totally off in between), so that each couple gets the time, attention and energy they deserve from me while I create wedding day fine art for them. Not to mention, weddings are typically 14+hour days for me (wake up early, prepare, shoot all day, travel, upload/archive images etc), and doing those for two or three days in a row is not a life goal of mine <<insert laugh-crying emoji here>>
I put in A LOT of hours before and (especially) after a wedding, and if you’re hiring someone who shoots upwards of 40 weddings a year, your images probably aren’t getting the attention they really deserve from the photographer personally – and neither are you. I come to each wedding ready to rock it.
What kind of investment should we be prepared for?
I offer three wedding collections, ranging from $4399-6399. ALL of my collections include:
- At least 8 hours of wedding photography by me AND a secondary professional photographer.
- My time culling the RAW images (selecting the best images from your day – usually about 800-1200 images), editing (color correcting, adjusting contrast, brightness, sharpness, cropping etc), exporting your hi-res edited wedding images and preparing a highlight slideshow for you to view together.
- A USB drive of your hi-res edited images in a beautiful wooden display box.
- A 1-hour engagement session in the Reno/Tahoe area + online download of the hi-res edited images.
Couples who prefer collections with albums an wall art typically choose either my $4399 or $5399 collection, and I absolutely recommend these options so you can start adorning your home with the images from your wedding day ASAP. We can also customize your wedding collection by adding on hours of coverage or products from my a la carte menu (max of 10 hours total for a wedding day).
Will you travel for my wedding day?
I can travel throughout the U.S. as my family’s schedule permits! I can provide a quote for travel and accommodations after a detailed conversation about your wedding plans.
Can we book you for less than 8 hours?
If you’re eloping or having a small, intimate wedding day on a weekday, or in the off-season weekends (November-April), I have Elopement Collections that might suit your needs! If you are having a full traditional wedding day, 8 hours is typically my minimum, since I know with experience as a wedding photographer that cutting the time might exclude so many precious moments from your photography collection. If you have something totally out of the traditional wedding day box (and this happens, of course), let’s talk!
Can we book you for more than 8 hours?
On your wedding day, if you decide you want more hours of coverage (if you booked one of my 8 or 9 hour collections), my team and I are happy to shoot for a max of 10 hours. We will square up the additional cost of coverage after the wedding day, so no need to whip out the credit card on the spot.
How do we know how long our portraits will take on our wedding day? Will you be there for our getaway at the end of the night? When do I need to be ready for photos?
As part of my wedding process with you, I will send you a link to a questionnaire that will give me a ton of essential information that I’ll use to create your unique wedding day photo timeline. In combination with your planner’s timeline, and your DJ’s order of events, this photography timeline will structure your wedding day from the time we arrive until the time we leave. You will know exactly when your hair and makeup needs to be complete – how long your portraits will take throughout various points in the day, and whether or not you’ve booked enough coverage to cover your sparkler exit. This timeline is one of the most important services I offer. Wedding photography without a timeline is chaos. With me, everything is planned – and if something throws the timeline off, we know exactly how to catch back up because we have the whole day laid out. It’s magic.
Can I give you a shot list from Pinterest? I really love some images I found there.
I don’t typically accept shot lists of any kind other than your specific family formal portrait requests. But I do ask you to notify me if there is anyone in particular you would like me to make sure I get photos of, or particular items that are meaningful to you at your wedding (if it wouldn’t be obvious – like for example, you’re sewing a special patch into the interior of your wedding gown).
Pinterest is a fun tool for wedding planning and envisioning your day, but asking me to recreate a shot by another photographer is asking me to copy someone else (aka copyright infringement – yikes). Also, I can’t recreate things like the time of day in which a photo was taken, or a particular landscape that just doesn’t exist at your wedding site. If I attempted to recreate something purposely, you may be disappointed – and I aim to take your breath away with unique imagery.
As a photographer with almost a decade of professional design and photography experience, I will photograph you in a way that is true to my artistic vision and style. I enjoy working with couples who completely trust me to create amazing images that are authentic to their individual wedding day. That level of trust is paramount in our relationship.
Should we provide dinner for you on our wedding day?
Please do ask your caterer to provide a meal for me and my team (my second photographer & my assistant). Dinner is one of those essential things for us wedding vendors – since we are not only on our feet all day, but usually running around like crazy without even stopping for a bathroom break most of the time. Your caterer may ask you to purchase these meals, or they may be included in their service. I encourage you to speak to your caterer very directly about “vendor meals” so there are no surprises for any of us. And if you’re wondering WHERE we should eat, vendors always appreciate a table at your reception. When we’re in another room, it’s much harder (or often times impossible) to know if something important is happening that needs our attention.
If your dinner is plated, my team should be provided with our meals right after you and your wedding party are served. If your dinner is a buffet, we should go through the buffet line directly after you and your wedding party. If you don’t inform your caterer of this beforehand, your caterer might tell us to wait until all of your guests have gone through, which is huge disservice to you because we may then be unavailable to capture the moments of you interacting with your guests when you’re done with your meals.
Who is your second shooter?
He or she is chosen from a pool of exceptional professional photographers who I know and trust, based on their availability. I do not bring amateurs with me to document the most important day of your lives. I choose only photographers who I can depend on to shoot your wedding alongside me as if you were his/her clients directly. You will only get the best from me and my secondary photographer.
What happens if you get sick on our wedding day?
This is something I always make sure to prepare my couples for, because I am subject to catching the dreaded flu or dealing with medical (or other) emergencies. I have photographed weddings through laryngitis and colds, but there have been instances where I couldn’t be present on a couple’s wedding day myself. But don’t worry – if I am unable to be your main photographer on your wedding day, the secondary professional photographer I have already hired will become your main shooter, and I will find a different secondary photographer ahead of time. They will handle the wedding professionally (and what’s great is that they will already be familiar with the wedding day timeline I created for you) and provide a great experience for you just as I would have, and because they are a total professional in the same league as me, we will all know that your wedding was covered in the best possible way. I will edit and return your wedding images as originally planned, or worst case, my secondary shooter will handle that as well.
Do we really need a wedding album?
Definitely. Although I offer a starting package without an album, I highly recommend purchasing one up front. Once your wedding day is over, life carries on very quickly and you may never hold a printed wedding album if your collection doesn’t come with one. I know from experience on this one…as a pro photographer with a previous career in graphic design, I took over 5 years to make my own wedding album. It’s just hard to get to…believe me!
How many images will we get?
The number varies greatly from wedding to wedding, but you can expect at least 80 final edited images per hour of coverage.
What happens if your camera breaks during my wedding day?
Not to worry, I have backup equipment and I will just grab my other camera and get back to work. Also, I double record your images as I shoot, so if one memory card fails, I should have a reliable version of the files on the additional card. Things happen, though, and there is never a guarantee of nothing ever going wrong. But you have my word that I do EVERYTHING humanly possible to protect your images in every way – while I’m shooting, all the way through backing up your images as I edit, storing your final images “in the cloud” and storing them off-site in addition to my office storage. You’re in good (and kind of OCD) hands.
What do you do with all of the photos we don’t receive on our USB drive?
Those hit the cutting room floor. They are unusable for any number of reasons. For example, an image could be out of focus, a test shot, or an experiment that didn’t turn out to my liking. They could also be duplicates of the excellent shots you’ve already seen. I will delete the unused files after I have selected and edited your final images. In other words, what you see in your wedding collection is all that exists.
When will our photos be ready?
Engagement photos are typically ready in 3 weeks, and wedding photos are typically ready 8 weeks after your wedding date. I will post sneak peeks of both your engagement and wedding as I can (usually about 2 weeks later).
Can we have your RAW images?
I don’t transfer my RAW files under any circumstances. And trust me, you really don’t want those ginormous files…they are hard to store and they are definitely not as pretty as the edited versions.
What will you wear while shooting our engagement & wedding?
During your engagement, I will climb on rocks, squeeze myself between trees and crawl on the ground, so you can expect me to be wearing my workout gear….yoga pants, a sweatshirt and my sneakers. Photo sessions, to me, are kind of a workout, and being able to move around more flexibly helps me focus on my creativity…not my dumb ol’ stiff jeans that keep inching down as I move around (you know what I’m talkin’ bout, ladies). I have straight up ruined many workout leggings and shoes at photoshoots. I am not afraid to dive into mud, or snuggle with a thorny bush to get a particular shot.
During your wedding, I will STILL be climbing rocks, getting in water or army-crawling in grass to get “the shot,” but I will also be dressed in a way where I won’t look entirely out of place at your wedding. Therefore, I’ll ditch my workout gear in favor of comfortable slacks & dress shirt, or a comfy dress with leggings….business casual style. Also, I will probably be VERY sweaty and dirty at the end of your wedding day, and you’ll have amazing photos to show you just what I was up to the whole day.
What should we wear for our engagement?
Don’t fret about outfits just yet! I will send you a comprehensive list of tips to get the most out of your engagement session with me – including a long list of helpful wardrobe tips.
What if you’ve never photographed our venue before?
In that case, I look forward to shooting somewhere new! I will do research on your venue and I will show up in advance (either early on the day of your wedding, or even on a date beforehand) to scout locations and get a game plan prepared for your wedding day. I am ALL about preparation and I will do whatever it takes to get acquainted with your wedding venue.
We love your portfolio, but can we see a full wedding?
Of course, and I’m glad you asked. Here’s one in Tahoe City! And here’s another at West Shore Cafe! Want more? Just ask! I think it’s important to view a photographer’s full body of work. That way you have a better idea of what to expect on your wedding day, and if you don’t see something you’d like to see – we can chat about it before your wedding day!
Do you have proper business credentials and insurance?
You bet I do! I am a Limited Liability Company, and I am insured and carry state and city business licenses. I also pay my taxes 😉 If your venue needs proof of liability insurance, I am happy to provide it.
Do you have a studio or do you work from home?
While my computer is located at home (I spend an unconscionable amount of hours on it…editing and emailing at all hours of the day), I am one of the few photographers in the Lake Tahoe area with a brick and mortar photography studio. It’s a cozy place to meet and plan. Plus, if you are interested in an indoor photography session, or a boudoir session, my studio is the perfect place to do that!
What’s a boudoir session?
A boudoir session is a private and confidence-building romantic stripped-down portrait session of a female in an intimate bedroom-like setting. My boudoir sessions are catered to your vision of how you want to be represented (either for yourself or your partner), whether that’s sexy-casual, sexy-glamorous, or sexy-sportsy-rocker-flirty-nerdy. No matter what the “look” of your session is, it will be beautiful, tasteful and fun! It’s a no-dudes-allowed zone and I do everything to make it a comfortable experience for you – and luxurious pampering by an amazing hairstylist and makeup artist is included! Contact me for more details.
Can you be our photographer after the wedding day?
Oh my gosh – yes! If you decide to have children, I can be there for your maternity, newborn, baby, child and family photography needs for LIFE. I also photograph high school seniors, and anything family related. It’s the highest compliment when my wedding couples come back to me for ALL of their photography needs throughout the years. It’s an absolute HONOR to be a family’s historian and visual storyteller, so yes, yes and more yes!
Tell us more about you, the woman behind the camera.
Although I breathe, sweat and bleed (mostly because I’m clumsy and will do almost anything for the perfect shot) for my photography business, I also do all of those things for my beautiful family. My motto is family first – which has helped me shape my business into something that works for me. It offers me flexibility to be with my family at important times, and to spend precious time with my kids…helping them grow and learn. My photography business is such a personal part of myself that it’s sometimes hard to separate, but I am always striving for the perfect balance between being an artist/entrepreneur with being a great wife and mommy. My youngest son is two, and my step-son is a whopping eleven-years-old. My husband works for the magnificent City of Sparks, where we reside (and adore).
I also have graphic design and illustration skills, and one of my dreams is to write and illustrate a children’s book. I also have a love/hate relationship with Netflix and HBO.
If you have any questions about me or my service, or how I can provide an amazing Lake Tahoe wedding experience for you, please get in touch. I want to know you, and I want to create your wedding day images for you to treasure your whole lifetime 🙂