FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
You’re engaged to be married. You only intend to do this once & you haven’t planned a wedding before so you have lots of questions. Fortunately for you, I have photographed hundreds of weddings. There are often repeated questions that I hear beforehand. So here I’ve prepared a list of my ANSWERS to your frequently asked QUESTIONS!
I like to document a wedding as it unfolds so I arrive with an open mind & can be influenced by my environment. I anticipate & follow the little sub stories that go on through out a day & I interfere as little as possible. That said, I do always have a few ideas up my sleeve! I’m mindful that I’m there to record your day & not stage produce & direct it 🙂
Yes, always of your immediate families. Back at your venue, time permitting I’ll take more informal ones of friends, extended family & guests.
No, I shoot stills only. Videography & photography are very different professions & skills so it’s advisable to hire yours separately. I’m always happy to make recommendations to suit your needs.
I usually start with the bride in her house or hotel room. From there I usually go to the ceremony venue to setup. I usually meet the groom there & get images of him with his groomsmen.
If you’d like me to go to the grooms house & if logistics allow it, I’d be happy to. If it’s not possible then a second shooter may be required.
99% of the time I work alone & find an assistant or second shooter a distraction on the day. However, I can organise a second shooter if you feel it is necessary for the groom’s preparation shots.
Approximately two weeks after your wedding I will prepare & share a sneak-peek slide show for you. Your full set of images will be edited & uploaded to an online gallery 4-5 weeks from your wedding date.
As soon as you’re happy that I’m the photographer for you! The absolute answer is “Just before the next couple want to hire me for your date”.
Bookings are extremely unpredictable. In general Fridays, Saturdays & bank holiday weekends are the busiest & book up the earliest. The week between Christmas & New Year is also a very busy one, regardless of what day of the week.
Secure as soon as you’re sure!
My recommendation to any couple is that once your date is confirmed & you’re sure you want to hire my services, pay your booking fee in order to secure your date & avoid disappointment.
On more than one occasion I have had 2 couples on the same day, try to pay their booking fee for the same wedding date. Is it stressful all around & best to avoid that situation if at all possible. The same advice applies to any of your service providers who can only service one wedding a day. Book them as soon as you’ve decided you’re happy to go with them!
No. Bookings are taken on a first come, first served basis. In order to manage bookings & to be fair to everyone, a booking is only secured with a fee.
Fortunately it hasn’t happened in all my years as a wedding photographer.
That said, illness can strike anyone at anytime so a backup plan is a must. I am an associate member of the IPPVA (Irish Professional Photographer & Videographer’s Association). There are 100’s of professionally qualified & insured members in the association that I can call on in an emergency. I have a hotline to several photographers with a similar style to mine & any one of those will be on hand to shoot your wedding if need be.
Yes! I will literally travel anywhere in the world to shoot a wedding.
This is a very common question but it’s not a one-fits-all answer. It really depends on you & the type of day you want & have organised.
But to give you an idea here are a couple of examples that are quite typical.
Wedding 1
Assumptions: A local medium sized church wedding where the bride is getting ready close to the church & the wedding reception is nearby. Location photos are taking place locally or en-route.
I’d suggest a minimum of 4hrs between the church ceremony time & the meal bell time. If the drive from the church to the wedding reception is 1hr then add this time on, so that there are 5hrs between the ceremony & bell time.
Wedding 2
Assumptions: A medium sized civil wedding where the ceremony & reception are both taking place in the same venue. Location photos are taking place locally.
I’d suggest a minimum of 3.5hrs between the ceremony time & the meal bell time.
I’d be happy to discuss your own unique day either over email or phone. Get the ball rolling by using the contact form below!
Thinking about insurance is boring until it’s needed, right? Yes, I am fully insured, both public liability & professional indemnity.
I am also an associate member of the IPPVA, who offer support for both client & photographer in the rare instance where mediation is required. So, it’s an added layer of insurance for you that you won’t get with a non IPPVA photographer.
Yes! I have several cameras, lens, flashes, batteries & memory cards with me on any given wedding day.
After your wedding, I upload your images to my Mac, I create a backup (second copy) & I create another backup (third copy) of your files to be stored off-site.
Ask me using the form below & I’ll be back in touch very shortly!
Get in touch!
If there’s anything I can help you with or if you’d like to make your booking please use the form below.
I look forward to hearing from you! 🙂
Don’t forget to check out my wedding gallery, blog & main website