There is so much to consider when planning a wedding, and its often something people have not experienced before! So I’ve put together a few answers to frequently asked questions to provide some clarity. If you have a query that I’ve not covered on this page then please get in touch - click here for contact details.

How do we find a photographer who is right for us?

The internet makes it so easy to find wedding photographers and research their style of work, but on the flip side there can be an overwhelming amount of choice when it comes to finding the best for for you! When browsing a photographer’s images, consider if you can picture yourself in their photos. Does their style of shooting and editing suit you and your chosen venue? You will be spending a day with your wedding photographer and its really important that you get on with them! So get in touch and make sure they respond professionally and in a timely manner, are helpful and can address any queries you have. I try to be as flexible as I can, as all weddings are unique, and will help your day run as smoothly as possible.

How would you describe your photography style and approach?

My goal is to deliver to all of my couples a gallery which they absolutely love, and which documents all of the elements and memories of their wedding for them to look back on and enjoy in the years to come.

I love to take a storytelling approach to the day, capturing the events, emotions and details of your wedding in a relaxed way to produce a beautiful, authentic gallery of images that cover morning preparations through the ceremony and speeches, and on to the evening celebrations. I can’t say that I work unobtrusively, because that won’t always be the case - sometimes to get an awesome photo I’ll need to stand up on a wall or crouch down in front of you! But the majority of the photographs I take are candid, with the exception of the formal groups and the couples portraits. I'm a fan of gentle direction for couples shots rather than overly posed images, so I’ll find you a spot with a lovely background, flattering light and give a few prompts to ensure you are looking your best, but I’m definitely not going to direct you into a pose that looks forced or uncomfortable or doesn’t feel like you. I especially love to take portraits of couples out in the beautiful gardens and outdoor spaces at their chosen venues!

How many photos will we receive?

For a full day of coverage (ten hours) from morning preparations to the first dance, you will receive 450+ professionally edited, high resolution photographs via a password-protected online gallery, so you can view them as soon as they are ready, and also on a USB. For a half-day’s coverage (five hours) I will deliver 250+ images. The exact number of images delivered will vary from one wedding to the next depending on the nature and events of your day, but I always focus on providing quality over quantity. All images are provided with a print licence, so you can display and share your images as you wish, although I retain the copyright.

When will we receive our photos?

I love to share a few of my favourite images with the couple within a few days of their wedding as a “sneak peak”, and will deliver the full gallery between six to eight weeks after your wedding date. In quieter months galleries are usually delivered within six weeks, whilst in the busiest months of May to August getting your finished gallery to you may take just a little longer. I take a lot of pride in my work, set myself very high standards and want to provide my couples with the very best quality, and I’d rather take a bit more time to deliver a product I’m fully happy with than rush a sub-standard gallery out.

Can we give you a list of photos we would like taking?

Of course. I always aim to capture photos that tell the full story of your day, and will ask if you have any particular images unique to you that you wish to be photographed (such as the groom with the beloved vintage car he has spent years restoring, a shot of the couple’s dog dressed up in a bow-tie, or the bride’s young daughter admiring her mother’s dress during morning preparations). I will also ask for a list of any formal group shots you would like, so I can be certain I’ve covered all of them, although I do recommend keeping this list short. If you have seen a particular image online that you would love to have taken on your day, you are welcome to send it to me for inspiration; please just bear in mind that the weather and venue may not allow us to recreate every image you might love! For example I cannot guarantee a gorgeous sunset sky, or beautiful sunny weather for you, and I can’t take a beautiful windswept beachy portrait if you have chosen a country house venue!

When it comes to group shots, I recommend keeping the list small as your wedding day goes by so quickly and I’m sure you would much rather enjoy yourself with your guests than stand waiting for various family members to be located for formal photographs. I suggest keeping formal group photos to ten or fewer different combinations of people but I will take as many group photographs as you want so long as you’ve allocated time for them. Couples who book me are generally looking for more natural, candid shots and want to keep formal photos minimal, but I do think it’s important to take a few as they often are greatly valued by parents and grandparents as well as the couple themselves. To speed things up I will request a group shot list in advance, and I may ask you to allocate a helpful usher, bridesmaid or someone else who knows the names of your guests to help me round people up. I usually recommend doing group shots just after the ceremony (often after confetti) before your guests have wandered away to get drinks and to mingle! This webpage has some great tips regarding making group shots easy!

Is it a problem if we aren’t confident having our photo taken?

Not at all! Your wedding might be the first time you have been photographed professionally and its understandable that you might be a little apprehensive! I know I much prefer to be behind the lens than in front of it! A good photographer should make sure you feel relaxed and comfortable. I am always happy to give my couples advice before, during and after their wedding day to help them have the best time and create some images that they will love. I always recommend meeting with my couples before their wedding so we can get to know one another and I’m then not a stranger turning up on their big day!

Do we need to have bride/groom prep photos taken?

No, but I would recommend them! Your wedding preparations are a special part of your day, often with your closest friends around you. I photograph preparations in a natural and candid way, capturing all the little moments, details and emotions as you get ready, and these images are often chosen by couples to feature in their albums. They are a lovely record of your morning before you say “I do” and I believe that it is better to have prep photos taken than wish later on that you’d had them taken but didn’t opt to.

When should we book our wedding photographer?

Most couples book around 12-18 months ahead of their wedding date, but there is no fixed timescale. Weekend dates in peak months (May to August) book up much faster than weekday dates and weekends in quieter months so if you are planning a summer wedding on a Saturday it is best to book your photographer as early as possible to avoid disappointment!

How do we book?

Firstly, get in touch to see if I’m available for your chosen date, either by email or phone (I’m also contactable via my Instagram and Facebook accounts if you wish!). If you have decided that I’m definitely the photographer for you then that’s great! I can book you in straight away, with a booking fee of £300 taken by bank transfer needed to secure your date. If you would prefer to have a chat or meet with me before making a booking then we can schedule that at a mutually convenient time to ensure we are a good fit for each other before you commit.

Why do we need to sign a contract?

A contract is an agreement between us that lays out all of the obligations and makes it clear what you can expect from our working relationship; for example, stating when you will receive your images, clarification around copyright and printing rights, how many hours of coverage you will receive and what happens if you need to change or cancel your booking. Contracts are essential in protecting both parties.

Are you insured?

Yes, I am fully insured, including public liability and professional indemnity cover. I always carry spare kit with me in case of technical failures, including spare camera bodies, lenses and flashes, so in the highly unlikely situation where a a piece of equipment does fail I’ve always got a replacement to hand, and I’m always well stocked with back-up memory cards and batteries too. I also keep a whole range of useful items in the car for wedding days, including a sewing kit (I have used this to repair a best man’s suit jacket before!), a long lighter for safe sparkler exits, and umbrellas and wellies for wet days.

What happens if you are ill on the day of our wedding?

Only a very serious illness or emergency would prevent me from fulfilling my obligations as your wedding photographer, but in the unfortunate event that I would not be able to attend I have a network of photographers whom I can contact to try and find a replacement should the need arise. I will always do my best to find someone to cover for me in an emergency so you are not left without a photographer for your day.

Do we need to feed you?

I would never insist that I’m fed at a wedding as I know some of my couples are working with tight budgets, but a hot meal is always much appreciated, as weddings can be a long working day, and feeding me will make me happy! While I have on a few occasions been treated to the same wedding breakfast as the guests (including a dessert - amazing!), many venues can offer vendor meals. The most important thing is that if there isn’t food arranged for me at the venue then I’m made aware of this ahead of time so I know to bring something to eat.

How far will you travel?

While I most frequently photograph weddings at venues in Shropshire and Staffordshire, and have also shot in the neighbouring counties of mid- and north-Wales and Cheshire, I am happy to travel to any UK location to photograph your big day. Are you considering a destination wedding abroad? I’d love to hear about your plans, and how I might be able to be a part of them!

Have you photographed at our venue before?

If your chosen venue is in Shropshire or Staffordshire then I may well have done so, and if this is the case I can send you some galleries of previous wedding from the venue to browse through. If I haven’t shot at a particular location before I’ll be delighted to photograph at a new venue, and I will be happy to meet up with you there beforehand if its reasonably local to me. If I’ve never visited a venue before I’ll do my research online (Instagram is great for this!) to get a good feel for it, and then arrive early on the day to scout out the best spots for group and couple portraits on the day, as the weather conditions and quality of light can make or break a great photo!

Can we meet up or have a chat about our wedding?

Absolutely! You need to choose a photographer who is a good fit for you both in terms of personality and style of shooting and editing, so I always encourage a meeting with my clients (either before booking or shortly afterwards) so we can get to know one another and I can ensure I know what your priorities are when it comes to capturing your day. I much prefer meeting face-to-face, and am happy to have you come visit me in my studio in Shrewsbury, meet you in a mutually convenient location such as a local coffee shop, or come to your home if you’d prefer that option and are reasonably local to me. If an in-person meeting proves difficult then a video call or phone call can be used as an alternative. I can offer early evening and weekend slots for meeting clients if needed.

I love it when couples keep in touch with me after booking - some clients like following me on Facebook or Instagram, while others keep me updated on their plans via email. Close to the wedding date (around 3-4 weeks beforehand) I like to get back in touch with my couples to confirm important details including timings and locations, and a group shot list, so I’m fully prepared.

How much editing do you do?

Rather than relying on presets or filters, I hand-edit every photo to adjust the basics - exposure, contrast, light colour corrections, straightening and cropping. I will happily remove small blemishes, especially on close-up shots; when first learning to use Photoshop I was taught to edit out anything that would be gone on its own in a few weeks, like a spot or scratch, but leave anything more permanent like a mole or birthmark unless specifically requested to edit this by a client. But I’m not trained in airbrushing and I don’t smooth out wrinkles or slim down waists. That’s really not my style - I’m focused on providing an authentic and genuine representation of you and your loved ones enjoying your day, not a set of perfect Insta-worthy shots. I will gently direct you to ensure I’m photographing you in a flattering way when it comes to light and angles but otherwise your images will be natural rather than heavily processed. My wedding gallery page and featured weddings pages show plenty of examples of my editing style.

When editing wedding galleries I stick to vibrant natural colours - no washed-out greens, blown-out skies or brown filters for me! I like to add a little contrast but prefer true-to-life colours - often couples have spent a lot of time and thought choosing their colour scheme and details and I want to record this authentically. I also love to represent some images in black and white, as it can give a beautiful timeless feel. Stripping the colour from an image can draw the viewer’s attention to the atmosphere and mood of the scene, and can also act to remove the distraction of colour, which can lead to a greater visual impact and better highlight the emotions of the subject (I have some strong opinions on this topic - if you are interested you can read about them in this blog post!). I always present a finished gallery with a mix of colour and black and white images (you can see plenty of examples in my wedding gallery page and featured weddings pages), but if you have a particular preference regarding colour shots versus black and white then please let me know beforehand and I will bear this in mind when editing.

Sometimes photographers are asked to provide all of the “raw” images taken on the day, straight out of the camera. This is not a request I can agree to, for several reasons. The photographs I don’t provide to clients will have been discarded because they have people blinking or pulling strange unflattering faces, were test shots where I’ve checked the exposure or focus before taking a “keeper” shot, or were duplicates. I’m a huge fan of taking candid images that tell the full story of your day and show your loved ones having a great time, so please be assured that all photographs worth seeing will be included in your finished gallery. Additionally, unprocessed raw files are massive and take up a huge amount of hard drive space and need specialist software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to open. And finally, I spend a lot of time editing your images to present the finished gallery as a coherent and consistent curated product, and unedited raw files do not represent the final quality of my work.

Do we need to buy a wedding album?

No, which is why my two packages include all photographs provided digitally via online galleries and USB, but wedding albums are a beautiful thing to have as a tangible keepsake. You spend so much time and energy on planning your wedding and choosing all of the details, and once the wedding is over it is lovely to have a physical album of beautiful printed photographs to remind you of your day, and to look through together. I am happy to show you some sample wedding albums so you can see the quality and style, and discuss options including different sizes and cover materials. If you decide after the wedding that you would like an album then I will be happy to provide you with a quote, and work with you on its design. I’ve written a little summary of why I believe having your photographs printed is important - you can read this here.

Have a question this page hasn’t answered? Get in touch!

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