Wedding Photography FAQ - Booking, Pricing and Payment.
Q 4.01. What is the procedure to book your services / How much of a deposit do you require? Answer
Q 4.02. How far in advance are you taking bookings / do I have to make a booking? Answer
Q 4.03. Is my deposit refundable / What is your cancellation policy? Answer
Q 4.04. When do I pay? Answer
Q 4.05. How much will you charge to shoot a wedding in (specific location)? Answer
Q 4.06. What happens if my wedding runs long and I go over the set "Number of Hours" that is included in my package? Answer
Q 4.07. Is there any extra charge for editing of photographs? Answer
Q 4.08. If your rates change before my wedding date, will I have to pay the new pricing? Answer
Q 4.09. What forms of payment do you accept? Answer
Q 4.10. Do I have to select a package or fill out the contract at the time of my booking? Can I purchase additional options such as Digital Negatives & Usage Rights after the wedding? Answer
Q 4.11. Is the amount of my deposit subtracted from the total price of my package? Answer
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Answers.
Q 4.01. What is the procedure to book your services / How much of a deposit do you require?
The Short Answer. We consider bookings on a first come / first serve basis. However, simply inquiring about, expressing interest in, or asking for a specific date does not constitute a booking. Our services for wedding photography coverage should be considered as secured only after we discuss your requirements in detail with you, which will determine if our style of coverage is well suited to your needs. After this initial exchange, payment of a $400.00 deposit secures the date.
The More Detailed Answer. When we get an inquiry as to availability of a specific date, we usually respond within 24 hours. If the date is still available, a consultation can be arranged and your wedding date can be temporarily reserved in our calendar. Consultations are arranged for within a few days of the initial contact. We generally do not take deposits during consultations.
In situations where a consultation cannot be arranged for within a few days of the initial contact, as often is the case when the client is living outside the province, we encourage the couple to review our web site (primarily this FAQ) and view the highlight galleries, as well as call or write with any questions. We also offer to meet with family or friends of the couple, allowing them to get impartial feedback on us and our work. A separate consultation can be arranged for the couple to go over details of time and locations when they are next in Newfoundland, or for a few days before the wedding date.
We encourage all clients, but particularly those that are unable to meet us for a consultation, to familiarize themselves with our style of work. We have written a FAQ item that specifically addresses this topic (please see Q 1.05), as well as an article entitled Styles of Contemporary Wedding Photography that gives complete detail on the subject. We have also referenced several articles from the Wedding Photojournalist Association that can assist the couple in understanding the practical implications of selecting a photographer that shoots in this style.
After the consultation or other initial exchange, both parties consider if they are suited to each other and decide if they will be working together on the wedding day. While the style of photography that we shoot is essentially an artistic representation of your day, it is also a documentation of what truly happened. It is for this reason that we are increasingly selective about the clients for which we work - we strive to select clients that truly have an appreciation for and understanding of this style. In short, we want to be sure that our clients won't merely like their pictures - we want to be confident that they will love them.
Once a deposit is received, your wedding photography is booked and confirmed. Please note that, in situations where the booking is not secured with a deposit within one week of the consultation (or initial reservation of date for clients outside the province), the client's name is removed from our calendar and the date is made available to the next inquiry.
We consider all wedding date bookings that are pending a consultation or receipt of a deposit to be tentative (or unconfirmed). This means that we do not turn away other inquiries for a date based on these tentative bookings. Payment of a deposit confirms your booking, thus ensuring that you'll have us providing photography coverage of your wedding.
The deposit amount for all packages is $400.00, payable in cheque or money order. Our mailing address is available on the Contact page.
For couples that have their wedding date set and are therefore not flexible with scheduling, we cannot stress enough the need for them to contact vendors and start planning as soon as possible, and when they find a vendor they like, to move quickly in securing their services. Depending on the date, competition between customers to secure a booking has in the past been very competitive, so clients are encouraged to quickly secure their booking once a mutual decision has been made between both parties that we will be providing photography coverage of their wedding.
For details on cancellation of a booking, please see Q 4.04.
Q 4.02. How far in advance are you taking bookings / do I have to make a booking?
A. Our bookings are generally made about a year and a half before the wedding date. If you want to be sure of securing a specific date for a Friday or Saturday during the busy summer months (we generally consider this to be July to September), it's best to book two years in advance, if possible.
For a summary of the number of confirmed bookings that we currently have, please see the Booking Percentage Counter at the top of our News page.
As of the time of this writing (February 2008), we are taking bookings for the 2009 summer season, but are not yet taking bookings for 2010. If you'd like to be added to a notify list for when we start accepting 2010 bookings, please let us know. Note that we will not be able to hold a date in your name, but we will notify you as soon as we start accepting 2010 bookings.
Q 4.03. Is my deposit refundable / What is your cancellation policy?
A. The function of the deposit is to serve both parties. For the couple getting married, it confirms that they will have professionals available to photograph their wedding day. For the photographer, it ensures that they will be working so they can maintain their business.
As stated in our contract, deposits are not refundable or transferable to another date. However, if your wedding has to be cancelled, we will make that date available to future inquiries. If we are able to book another wedding for that date, we will gladly refund your deposit or allow you to use it for another date.
Please note that we require signed confirmation that a booking has been cancelled before we can re-book a date.
Q 4.04. When do I pay?
A. As stated above, the deposit is paid at the time of booking. The balance can be paid before the wedding date, or upon the delivery of proofs. Proofs are sent by COD or courier.
For further information on payment, deposits and our booking process, please see Q 4.01.
Q 4.05. How much will you charge to shoot a wedding in (specific location)?
A. For out-of-town weddings (outside St. John's) we generally charge our regular rates, plus $0.60 per kilometer traveled (round trip distance). Depending on the circumstance, additional charges may apply - please contact us for a quote.
As with any wedding we cover, we decide which clients to work with based on their individual needs - if our style of work is well suited to them, travel is not a major concern. However, there are other factors relating to our decision to cover an out-of-town wedding, such as the date of the wedding and required travel time to the location. For example, we are occasionally not able to cover an out-of-town wedding on a Friday date, as required travel often interferes with an existing booking for the following Saturday.
Q 4.06. What happens if my wedding runs long and I go over the set "Number of Hours" that is included in my package?
A. It's normal for things to not go exactly as planned during a wedding. When planning their schedule, we suggest the client overestimate the amount of time for planned activities. In the end, this strategy will also make your wedding day far less stressful!
If your wedding still runs beyond what you've estimated and you want us to stay, we shoot at an hourly rate of $200.00 billed in 30 minute increments, as stated in our contract. All additional photographs, location moves, etc. are covered by this rate.
Q 4.07. Is there any extra charge for editing of photographs?
A. There is no additional charge for editing that is deemed necessary by the photographers. There is also no additional charge for selective colour editing, as requested by the client, within reason.
Additional charges do apply for larger edits, such as adding or removing people or objects from photographs. These projects require a specific quote, and are completed as time permits.
Q 4.08. If your Package Pricing changes after I've confirmed my booking with a deposit, will I have to pay the new rate?
A. No, once your booking is confirmed with a deposit, your Package Price won't change. You are guaranteed selection from the Package Pricing that was current on the date that your booking was confirmed. For details on confirming your booking, please see Q 4.01.
We keep track of the date on which each booking is confirmed and the Package Pricing that was current at the time of that booking. However, we positively encourage our clients to visit our Pricing page to familiarize themselves with our packages and download a copy of the price list that is current at the time of their confirmation.
Q 4.09. What forms of payment do you accept?
A. At this time, we accept only Cheque or Money Order for payment of services. We accept Visa and Mastercard for enlargement orders via our Event Ordering Site.
Q 4.10. Do I have to select a package or fill out the contract at the time of my booking? Can I purchase additional options such as Digital Negatives & Usage Rights after the wedding?
A. You do not have to select a package or fill out the contract when you secure your date with a deposit. We suggest that you take a copy of the Pricing that is current at the time of your booking (because you are guaranteed selection from that Package Pricing, see Q 4.08 for more on that), and you can specify a package selection as late as a month before your actual wedding date, when you submit your details via our web site.
The contract can be completed when you have a good idea of the times and locations for your wedding. You can specify a package selection when filling out the contract, but that can be changed at a later date if desired. Again, these details are submitted about a month before your date via our Client Date Details page and can be modified at that time.
The options listed in the Additional Enlargements and Package Add-ons section of our Pricing page can be purchased up to six months after your wedding date.
Q 4.11. Is the amount of my deposit subtracted from the total price of my package?
A. Yes. For example, with a Package Price of $1650.00, two payments are made. A Deposit amount of $400.00 and a Balance Payment of $1250.00.
However, please note that 13% NL HST (Sales Tax) is assessed on the entire Package Price when the final balance is paid, usually after the wedding. For this example, the total amount due after the wedding would be $1464.50
($1650.00 + $214.50 tax = $1864.50 total - $400.00 deposit = $1464.50 final balance payment).
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