Wedding Photography FAQs
-
PACKAGE AND SERVICE QUESTIONS
- How does your package work?
- Why do you only offer one package?
- Discounts?
- How would you describe your style?
- Do you have traveling fees?
- Do you shoot digital or film?
- Can you shoot in black & white?
- Do you bring back up equipment?
- How many photographers will be at the wedding?
- How long will my photos last?
- BEFORE THE WEDDING
- THE DAY OF THE WEDDING
- AFTER THE WEDDING
- ALBUMS
PACKAGE AND SERVICE QUESTIONS
How does your package work?
The George Street Photo Package gives comprehensive documentation of your wedding. This package comes with a complimentary engagement portrait, a lead photographer for up to 10 hours or midnight, free digital negatives, free proofs, online picture hosting, and a custom 10X10 album.
With this photo package, you are free to choose any album style, as well as any of our custom photo options.
Why do you only offer one package?
George Street Photo & Video has listened to our clients throughout the years. We have figured out exactly what our wedding customers want from their photography, and we want to give it to our customers. Rather than a confusing pricing structure, we have developed a package that includes everything that we know our customers want, including excellent all day photography. To keep it simple, we give you everything—digital negatives, unlimited photographs, even the ability to choose your photographer!
Discounts?
Our most popular discount is a savings applied to customers who use George Street for both video and photography services.
How would you describe your style?
This is a difficult question to answer because every wedding demands its own approach. However, through our professional training and experiences, we are inclined to shoot with a mix of photojournalism and traditional photography. Our first priority is to document the day’s events by unobtrusively capturing the essence of your wedding by photographing every moment. Our fine art touches shine through in every exposure, giving you an artistic documentation of your wedding day.
We always encourage our clients to indicate a preference for a particular style or type of photography. If you see a particular type of photograph that you like, please show us and we will shoot your wedding with that in mind.
Do you have traveling fees?
When you choose our packages, there are no travel fees if the wedding is within 45 miles of our office. However, any out of the ordinary expenses that we incur such as parking or paid admission may need to be reimbursed.
Do you shoot digital or film?
As the quality of digital photography has increased, we began to rely on it more and more, and we now only shoot digital. Shooting digital gives us the great advantage of making quick adjustments during your wedding, creating higher quality images through our in-camera preview. Additionally, there are fewer restraints on the number of images we are able to capture at each wedding, because of the ability to quickly change film speed and there is no need to reload film.
Digital photography is great for you because you can print any picture in black & white or sepia at no additional cost.
Can you shoot in black & white?
The benefit of digital photography is that the customer has the choice of deciding whether they want their images to be in color, black and white, or sepia. We shoot everything in uncompressed digital color. When you order your prints, you have the choice of leaving it in color, or changing it to black and white or sepia. You can even preview what it will look like when you order online. Unlike many other photographers, George Street does not charge for this service.
Do you bring back up equipment?
At George Street Photo & Video, we tirelessly maintain our equipment, so we are extremely confident in our gear. However, if anything were to happen to any equipment at a shoot, we always bring an additional camera and accessories.
How many photographers will be at the wedding?
You will have one principal photographer throughout your wedding day. We can also provide a second photographer who will shoot in a photojournalistic style. A second photographer is great for providing much more extensive coverage because they are free to move around in order to capture unique angles from balconies, more candid shots at the formal portrait session, and even more comprehensive coverage during the course of the day.
How long will my photos last?
All your photos are archival and will last easily beyond a lifetime with basic care, and with more extensive care will last well past 100 years. We love the timeless quality of our printing process. It is exciting to think great-grand children will be able to enjoy these photos at the same quality that you do.
BEFORE THE WEDDING
Can I get an engagement portrait?
Absolutely! All of our clients get a complimentary engagement portrait session. You are invited to visit our studio, and meet with your photographer. After the portrait is taken, it will be placed online so that anyone can order prints. Then, many of our customers use those photos to order announcement cards, decorated with their engagement photos. We will also give you a digital copy of the engagement photo.
In addition to the engagement portrait session, we offer you a complimentary 8X10 print of your favorite photo. Oftentimes, customers display their engagement portrait at the reception near the table assignment cards for a great personal touch.
We will also design event cards which will feature this photo and give them to your guests at the reception.
I have made the decision to hire you, what is the next step?
When you decide to hire us, the first step is going over the details of your wedding and the package you selected, and to double-check your date is still available. Next, you will need to sign our contract. Upon signing the contract, a 50% down payment of the photo package is due to reserve your date. The entire base package amount is due two weeks before the wedding date. After the wedding, you can choose an album upgrade, or any other custom options you like.
What happens after I hire you and before the wedding?
We will send you our Wedding Photography Planning Sheet after you book with us. This planning sheet helps us to ensure that your wedding day runs smoothly, and that we provide the most comprehensive coverage of your wedding. The planning sheet goes over details such as a timeline of the day, formal portrait details, emergency contact numbers, locations, church rules and regulations, and many other details. Please complete this sheet as soon as possible, so that we can make sure everything runs smoothly.
We prefer to shoot your engagement portrait session at least three months before the wedding.Please note that you need to plan at least six weeks for us to put your engagement portraits online, and for delivery of your prints.
We will also show you how to order online after your engagement portrait session. We will show you how to log into your event, order prints and products online, and how to automatically notify your friends and family when your wedding proofs and engagement portrait are online.
We will meet with you or contact you again about one week before the wedding to confirm details and schedules, and to answer any questions you may have.
THE DAY OF THE WEDDING
What should I expect the day of the wedding?
The following is a description of a typical wedding day. Please note that all of these details will be scheduled weeks before your wedding day.
Your principle photographer will arrive at a pre-discussed location two hours before the wedding to photograph the bride getting ready and to take family portraits. Before the ceremony, your principal photographer will leave the bride to take candid photos of the groom and his family. Please keep in mind these portraits will be much more informal than the portrait session that we will take after the ceremony.
During the ceremony, your photographer will be as unobtrusive as possible, while taking as many photos as possible. If time permits, the formal portrait session with the complete wedding party and family will take place directly after the ceremony. Ideally, we like to take pictures at two different locations. One is usually the ceremony location; the other location is usually somewhere outdoors or anywhere special to the bride and groom.
The next stop will be the reception. At this point formal portraits with the wedding party will usually be completed. We will have an announcement that anyone who wants his or her picture taken can visit the portable studio at any time. For the rest of the night, your principle photographer will be splitting time between the portable studio and documenting the festivities at the reception. Four hours after the reception starts, the photographer will begin to break down the portable studio. Most likely at this point, our services will have ended. For an additional fee, the principle photographer can stay, but generally after four hours, there are not many great photo opportunities.
What is your approach during the day?
Our approach stems from our attitude on weddings and photography. We know that weddings should be a fun, joyous occasion. Often, the bride and groom are so busy during the wedding that they forget this is their day. We try to put them at ease with our comfortable and relaxed sense of humor. After all, we consider ourselves guests at this celebration, and we want to make sure the bride and groom have the best day possible. We have this fun-loving attitude throughout the day.
Regarding photography, we will try to stay in the background as much as possible. This is very conducive to our approach of documentary fine art photography. We cannot accurately document your wedding day if we instruct you the whole time. For the most part, the only time we will direct you is during the formal portraits. This is to ensure that the formal portrait session moves quickly, and everyone gets the photographs that they want.
How do you organize formal portraits?
We will use our Wedding Photography Planning Sheet to plan the details of the formal portraits. If time permits, we like to have the formal portrait session take place in two different locations. Usually the formal portrait session will take place between the ceremony and the reception.
What if the photographer gets ill and cannot attend the wedding?
We promise to keep the appointment within all reasonable bounds, but unfortunately, unforeseen problems can happen. In the unlikely event of an illness or emergency, we always have someone on call just in case. Fortunately, it rarely does.
AFTER THE WEDDING
What happens after the wedding?
First, we will optimize your photos for printing. During the optimizing process, your photos will be color corrected, density adjusted, and given other improvements to prepare them for the high quality printing process. After the photos are optimized, we will upload the proofs online.
Once the photos are online, all of your family and friends will have access to them. You just need to email them the information, and they can log in to the website with their own password.
At this point, the album creation process begins.
How does online ordering work?
After your photos are online, and your family and friends have created a password, they can order photos directly from the website. They have the opportunity to choose color options, such as sepia or black and white, along with many border options. Family and friends can create folders on the site with their favorite photos. The photos are professionally printed and mailed to them.
ALBUMS
Can I have our names and wedding date written on the album?
Absolutely! All of our albums come with the names embroidered, stamped, or thermally inserted on the cover of each album. Additionally, we offer the option for an opening (cameo) in the center of each album where a picture of your choice can be inserted. Please see our Photo Custom Options section for more information on cameos.
Do I pick out the pictures that go into the album, and if so, how do I do that?
We give you the option. Some couples like to choose, others would prefer that we do it. We have no preference except that you at least select the photos that you definitely want to get in the album. However, if you would like us to do it ourselves, then we will use our discretion in picking out the photos that we think will make the most elegant album.
Can I preview the album?
After your album designer puts together your album, you can preview your album online before it goes to print. Then, you can tell us any changes you want before we begin the printing and binding process.
Can I order replica albums?
The album styles that we offer at a discounted replica rate include Magazine, Panoramic, and Designer. For more information, please look at our Album Upgrades. However, duplicate albums can be ordered for any of our album styles, not necessarily at a discounted rate.
How long will it take for me to receive my album?
This really depends on the complexity of your album. Some can take two months, while others can take up to six months. Generally they take about three, but it really depends on the type of album that you purchase, because the binding and design process can be very different for each type of album.
