Choosing Your Wedding Photographer // PART THREE

Before you read further, if you haven’t already, you can read the other parts of this little trilogy here: PART ONE and PART TWO!

Okay so you found your true match made in heaven... with your photographer. You love their personality, style, and the price is just right. You've asked all the right questions and you're ready.

What do you do now?!

You snatch them up because there are only limited weekends in a wedding season and you want to make sure you get your first choice *cough PICK ME! cough*. Basically you like it so you need to put a bunch of money down on it.

The typical wedding photographer will need between 30-50% as a non-refundable retainer fee. This is required for two reasons. The first is to secure your date. Unfortunately many photographers have been burned by not receiving any kind of payment for their work. The second reason is to offset loss of business if the event is cancelled. Since there are only a limited amount of weddings per year, chances are that after you book your photographer, they are getting more inquiries that they turn down because they are already booked. If for some reason, you have to cancel, they are most likely not able to rebook their dates. Some photographers have in their contracts (like I do) that if the event is cancelled or postponed within a certain timeframe AND the photographer can rebook the date, the retainer fee will be returned. While we are business owners, we are fair.

Speaking of the contract. Make sure you are sent one to protect yourself. If a photographer does not have a contract you might want to reconsider hiring them. The contract protects both the photographer and you! Make sure you read through carefully. The contract lays out all the things you can expect from your photographer and what they expect from you. This contract should list the time and date booked for, the wait time for post processing the images, payment schedule, cancellation and rescheduling policies, as well as print rights and model releases. As under copyright law in Canada, photography is considered an art and the photographer, the artist. Photographers hold all the copyrights to their images, even though they are being paid to create the art. So your contract should have a print release and a description of what the photos can be used for. Typically, they can be used for all personal reasons, on social media, printing for your house or albums, and sharing with your friends or family. You won’t be allowed to use the images for commercial gain or sell the images, those rights remain with the photographer only. As well as sharing with other vendors, leave that up to your photographer so that they can thank the others involved in your day as well as explain the proper use of images. And as always, do not edit or alter the photos!

Photography is such a fun thing to book for your wedding but these “boring” aspects cannot be overlooked. You are paying thousands of dollars and you want to make sure you are booking a trusted, capable, and responsible photographer. Make sure you look at reviews on their Google business pages as well. This will help ensure you are booking someone who is going to show up for you. However, be warned, sometimes people leave terrible reviews to photographers who they haven’t even worked with, so be mindful of both the positive and negative reviews!

And then, if everything checks out and you and your partner feel comfortable (and excited!) sign the contract, send the payment, and take a deep breath because you can confidently check off one huge decision off of your wedding planning checklist!

If you’ve read through this whole trilogy and you’d like to book me as your wedding photographer, click HERE to contact me!

A Year in the Life of a Photograhper

One of the biggest blessings in my life is being able to do what I love for a living. While there are definitely areas of my job that I would rather not do, I LOVE being a photographer. Being able to celebrate life’s major milestones over and over again is indeed a blessing.

Being a photographer in Ontario has it’s own challenges. We have less impressive landscapes than other areas of Ontario but after travelling quite a bit this year, I’ve realized that without the distraction of mountains and canyons, oceans, and the focus of photography can actually be on people. I can focus on capturing those moments, creating those moments that you’ll remember and that you will be the focus of those memories.

Plus we get all the best seasons, especially those glorious fall colours! In spring we can go to the Guelph Arboretum for cherry blossoms in your engagement or family session. In the summer we can head to Burlington beach for some super fun beach sessions, In the fall, everywhere you look has the most beautiful reds and oranges and yellow. Then those winter sessions which are few and far between are so magical! We are so luck to have the array of different seasons here and being able to capture everything from engagements to weddings to maternity sessions, and family sessions, and solo sessions. I have the best job in the world.

And I could not do what I love without the support of all of the local wedding vendors in the areas. This year every wedding was incredible and so special shout outs go to Cellar52, Cambridge Mill, and Langdon Hall, thank you for having such incredible venues in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region!

Thank you to all my couples, families, and entrepreneurs for supporting my business. For trusting me with capturing your life and you as you are, thank you!

Ready for a Wedding Adventure? Here are 5 Reasons Why You Should Elope.

You’re engaged! Yay!! Congratulations! If you’re here, maybe wedding planning has gotten a bit overwhelming and you’re looking for reasons why you should elope. Or maybe it’s what you’ve been hoping to do all along. Either way, you’ve come to the right place. Are you a couple who is super adventurous? Not-so-traditional? Not a people-pleaser (or trying to not be)? Eloping is the perfect way to celebrate your love for each other and be authentically you. Put all the pressures aside. All you need is your love (and an amazing photographer to capture it). Check out these 5 reasons why you should elope.

You can do what you want

When you plan a wedding, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE has an opinion. Even though family and friends are usually well-meaning, let’s be honest for a second… you couldn’t possibly please them all. Maybe you have that ultra-conservative relative who will definitely notice (and judge) that you’re not wearing white (which, by the way, isn’t even all that long-standing of a tradition!). Or maybe your in-laws (gotta love ‘em) are just a tad overbearing and insist you invite a bunch of their friends that you’ve never met and will never see again. All the conversations can become incredibly uncomfortable. How do you say no, right? That’s why you should elope! Eloping removes all of that pressure and other people’s expectations of your day so that you can just be you and celebrate your love for each other. At the end of the day, that’s what matters most. 

You can plan your own adventure!

Maybe your dream for a wedding is to hike up a mountain and share your vows surrounded by a panoramic view of the mountains. Perhaps you’ve pictured your special day underwater, in an ice castle, floating in an air balloon, or at an iconic landmark that just can’t accommodate a long list of guests. That’s why you should elope. Eloping gives you the freedom to do something amazingly adventurous. No need to worry about your friends not being keen on hiking for hours or taking scuba lessons for your big day - you can savour the moment together (and I’ll be there to capture those lasting moments for you!)

You’re not a fan of tradition

You might not be one of those “cookie-cutter” couples. The mention of a traditional religious ceremony and classic banquet hall make your eyes roll so far back they fall out the back of your head. There isn’t an emoji or GIF that could even begin to express your disdain for all the traditions and rules that come with a wedding. So if tradition isn’t your thing, it’s definitely another reason why you should elope. When you elope, no one is telling you to follow traditions X, Y and Z. Who needs tradition when you have each other?

Use that budget for an adventure

Another reason why you should elope? Have you seen how expensive weddings are? The venue, the caterer, the dress, the cake, the flowers, the tux, the band, the photographer… need I go on? It adds up so quickly and let’s just take a minute to remember that you don’t have to spend it on those things if you don’t want to! Perhaps you’ve dreamed up something outrageously exciting for your wedding - now you can do it! Or maybe you would prefer to spend it on a longer honeymoon or destination ceremony. Or there’s always the responsible thing of using the money for a house down payment or home renos. When you elope, you can use your wedding budget for an amazing adventure rather than spending it on all the wedding things out of sheer compulsion. 

Why You Should Elope: It’s authentic to you

If you’re imagining your wedding and just dreading having to put on a show for all your friends and family… is it really about you? Sure, it’s the happiest day of your life, but is it authentic to who you are as a couple? You might be a more introverted couple and just want the day with each other. Your wedding day should reflect your personality as a couple, your beautiful love story; not everyone else’s. When you elope, your wedding can be exactly how you want it to be. 

If you do decide to elope, you will definitely want an adventurous photographer to be there to capture all the beautiful moments together. And that’s what I do! I bring the energy, the spunk, the silliness that helps you relax as a couple and get the perfect photos that tell your love story. Whether you travel to another country, hike up a mountain, or you have a meaningful location nearby, I just might be your girl! I absolutely LOVE talking to new couples to help get a feel for their day. If you have an elopement planned, I would love to chat! Contact me here.