RALEIGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS FREQUENTLY ASKED WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about by our bride and grooms about our Raleigh Wedding Photography that will help you get to know us a little bit better. If you still have questions about our Raleigh Wedding Photography after browsing this section, please send us an email to bluewavephotographic@yahoo.com or call us directly at 760-814-7058. We would be happy to answer any questions you have, or better yet, we can set up a time to meet you in person to discuss the details of your wedding day plans.
Q. HOW DO WE BOOK YOUR RALEIGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES? DO YOU REQUIRE A DEPOSIT OR RETAINER?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Working with, and booking our services to be your Raleigh wedding photographer is easy. Once you decide that we are the best fit for your day, we will need a retainer, typically $500, to reserve your wedding date. Once you reserve the date, it’s all yours. We suggest booking early since we don’t know what our schedule will look like far in advance, and popular dates can be reserved quickly.
Q. HOW CAN WE PAY FOR OUR RALEIGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY? DO YOU TAKE CREDIT CARDS? CAN WE SPREAD OUT THE PAYMENTS?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Working with us is very easy. We can accept checks or credit cards, and we can spread out the installments to make it easy on your budget. Typically, contract payments are broken into two smaller installments.
Q. DO YOU REQUIRE A CONTRACT FOR YOUR RALEIGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Yes. For both parties, it’s always good to have a written contract in place. That way, the obligations are clear so expectations are met and delivered upon.
Q. I ONLY WANT THE DIGITAL FILES FROM OUR RALEIGH WEDDING ON DISK SINCE I WILL PRINT ALL MY PHOTOS AND MAKE MY ALBUM. DO YOU OFFER THAT?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Yes, we have a Raleigh wedding photography package that provides just the digital files so you can handle the printing and album design. We can recommend trusted vendors who provide great quality printing if this is what you want to do it yourself.
Q. WE HAVE A GAP OF SEVERAL HOURS AFTER OUR CEREMONY AND THE TIME WHEN OUR RECEPTION BEGINS. HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: We will work with you if you have a time gap between your Raleigh wedding ceremony and reception. Often, that’s the perfect opportunity for us to spend more time with you than we would typically have with a normal schedule to create some awesome bride and groom portraits.
Q. CAN WE PROVIDE YOU WITH A SHOT LIST OF OUR “MUST HAVE” WEDDING PHOTOS?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Yes, you can provide a short list of the most important shots you want us to capture. Given our extensive experience with wedding photography, we already know the “must get” shots from the day. However, this short list can be be particularly helpful when organizing the formal family photographs so we know what groups of people you want shots of. However, we strongly discourage long lists of everything you would like us to capture during your Raleigh wedding since it can be distracting for us and lead to missed wedding photographs.
Q. HOW SHOULD WE ORGANIZE OUR GROUP PHOTOS, AND WHERE SHOULD WE TAKE THEM?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Creating good group photos after your Raleigh wedding ceremony takes experience and planning. We recommend selecting a location that is very close to the ceremony location so guests do not have to spend much time traveling far from the area. We also suggest selecting a location that has good light compared to an impressive background. When we are given the choice between light and background, we will choose the good light every time so that the people in the photo look their best.
Q. EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF YOUR BRIDAL GIFT REGISTRY. CAN MY WEDDING GUESTS BUY ME THE GIFT OF PHOTOGRAPHY OR ALBUMS?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: We offer a bridal registry service just like you would set up in a major retail store. This allows you to register for items that you may not have selected in your photography package or are out of temporary budget reach. This is ideal for keepsakes such as fine leather wedding albums or canvas prints.
Q. DO YOU SHOOT FILM OR DIGITAL?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: We use state-of-the-art, Canon digital cameras, lenses and other equipment. We are no longer shooting film due to the quality, higher cost and more limited number of shots.
Q. DO YOU BRING BACKUP CAMERAS AND LENSES TO THE WEDDING?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Absolutely. We have several lenses and bodies to make sure that we can deliver beautiful Raleigh wedding photography on your special day. We have experienced camera shutter failure in the middle of a ceremony, and because we had back-up gear with us, we didn’t miss a beat.
Q. DO YOU HAVE DIFFERENT RALEIGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGES?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Yes, we have several different types of Raleigh wedding photography packages to fit a wide range of budgets. Our basic package provides simple coverage with digital files, while our higher-end package includes beautiful, leather keep-sake albums to celebrate your once-in-a-lifetime day. Please explore our Investment page for complete details.
Q. WHAT ARE THE ACTUAL DELIVERABLES THAT YOU GIVE US AFTER OUR RALEIGH WEDDING?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: There are several levels of deliverables that we provide to our clients, and they are based upon the package booked. Please refer to our Raleigh wedding photography package section for details.
Q. CAN YOU PROVIDE US WITH A SAMPLE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY TIMELINE?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Yes, we can help give you an idea of a general Raleigh wedding photography plan and schedule by providing you with a mock timeline of the events associated with a standard wedding day. Surely, your wedding day plans will vary, but it can be a good starting point for you to gauge getting ready photo time, ceremony time – right down to the timing of the garter and bouquet toss.
Q. HOW LONG DO THE FAMILY PHOTOS TAKE AFTER THE CEREMONY?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: This varies depending on the size of the wedding, the number of family members and amount of group shots that would be required. It can take a long time, but if well organized, it doesn’t have to. We strongly encourage you to nominate a representative from each side of the family to help direct those needing to be photographed and the process will go much faster and smoother. We always photograph the family and parents first so we can send them back to the wedding reception to relax and enjoy the celebration.
Q. HOW EARLY DO YOU ARRIVE FOR A RALEIGH WEDDING?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Typically, we try to arrive at your location approximately 30 minutes before our official start time. This ensures that we get there well in advance to scout the area if needed, and it also minimizes the chance that we will be late due to traffic, a flat tire or other unforeseen circumstance. We do not charge for this extra service, and it is just another way that we make you comfortable and put you at ease on your wedding day.
Q. WE ARE HAVING A BLAST AT OUR RALEIGH WEDDING RECEPTION, BUT THE HOURS IN OUR CONTRACT HAVE ELAPSED. CAN YOU STAY LONGER?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Yes, once you get into the flow of your day, and you realize that you would like us to stay longer and extend our Raleigh wedding photography coverage, we extend the contract simply by adding additional hours. This is billed at a predetermined hourly rate in the wedding photography contract.
Q. HOW LONG SHOULD WE LEAVE FOR OUR BRIDE AND GROOM PORTRAIT SESSION ON OUR WEDDING DAY?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: We believe your bride and groom portrait session is one of the most important aspects of your celebration. We suggest scheduling at least 30 minutes for your portraits – and ideally more like 45 minutes to one hour. We want to work with clients who put an emphasis and importance on their wedding photography and can allocate us enough time to create some amazing images.
Q. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Our style could be described as blended between photojournalism, fine detail photos and casual portraits. We like this approach since it allows us to be creative and to capture some great photographs. We use a photojournalist style for your getting ready, ceremony and reception photography. We also shoot lots of detail photos of rings, jewelry, flowers, table arrangements and your cake. These fine detail shots can add a lot of context to the story of your day and showcase the special items that you have worked on so hard for your wedding. Our casual portraits bring personality, emotion and warmth to your wedding day, and are cherished by friends and family.
Q. HOW MANY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHS WILL YOU DELIVER?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Our experience has told us that for every hour of coverage, you we receive approximately 60-75 high quality photographs. This is not a guaranteed number, but rather an approximation that varies slightly based upon the size of your wedding, the size of the bridal party and family and the schedule of your day. Sometimes it is not possible to deliver quite that many wedding photos based upon the schedule and travel requirements of the day. Other times, couples will receive more than 75 photos per hour. Every wedding is unique, however, we try to deliver no less than 500 photos at every Raleigh wedding.
Q. CAN YOU PROVIDE A SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER FOR OUR WEDDING?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Yes we can provide a second photographer to ensure that you maximize your Raleigh wedding photography coverage. Second shooters, as they are frequently referred to, can be added for the full day – or only for the parts of the day where you would like more photos with different perspectives.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR POLICY REGARDING HAVING OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS AT OUR WEDDING?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: We are very easy to work with and have no objection to having other photographers, be it friends or family, actively taking pictures at your wedding. We only ask that these photographers be respectful and stay clear of our shots and not block us out from important moments that are happening. We do ask that our Studio be the the only wedding photography studio participating in documenting your wedding day.
Q. CAN YOU SUMMARIZE THE TYPE AND STYLE OF PHOTOGRAPHS THAT YOU WILL TAKE AT OUR WEDDING?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Yes, since we create a blended style of wedding photography for your Raleigh wedding, we utilize different techniques during your wedding day to capture the best possible photos. This can be summarized in the following list:
- Getting Ready Photos – Photojournalism
- Detail Photos – Contemporary, Elegant Photography
- Bride and Groom First Look or First Sighting – Photojournalism
- Wedding Ceremony – Photojournalism
- Groups and Formals – Photographer Guided
- Casual, Relaxed Portraits – Photographer Guided
- Bride and Groom Portrait Session – Photographer Guided
- Bride and Groom Entrance, Speeches, Toasts, Cake Cutting, Garter Toss – Photojournalism
- Reception Guests and Dancing – Photojournalism
- Bride and Groom Honeymoon Exit – Photojournalism
Q. MY FIANCE AND I WERE CONTEMPLATING HIRING A WEDDING COORDINATOR, DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Yes, we highly encourage our couples to hire a wedding coordinator or wedding-day-of-coordinator. They are instrumental in keeping your day on schedule which helps us create the photography that you are dreaming of.
Q. WE WANT A VIDEOGRAPHER AS WELL AS A STILL PHOTOGRAPHER FOR OUR RALEIGH WEDDING. ARE THERE ANY ISSUES WITH THAT?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: No. We have seamlessly worked alongside many videographers at our weddings and welcome working with other vendors in other service categories. Keep in mind, lighting requirements for photography and videography are quite different, and having both there will make you feel like a movie star for the day.
Q. WE LOVE THE WEDDING PHOTOS YOU CREATED FOR US, BUT WE DID NOT ORDER AN ALBUM WITH OUR ORIGINAL PACKAGE. CAN WE ADD IT LATER?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: Yes. You can easily add a fine leather wedding album onto your package at the end of your Raleigh wedding photography experience. We offer a wide selection of cover materials and sizes to ensure that you can create the perfect album to display your most favorite wedding photographs.
Q. HOW CAN WE SHARE OUR RALEIGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHS ON SOCIAL MEDIA LIKE FACEBOOK?
Raleigh Wedding Photographers Answer: We make it very easy for you to share your wedding photos on social media sites such as Facebook. When we deliver your digital files, typically 3-4 weeks after your wedding, one set is already pre-sized specifically for web sharing and sites like Facebook. We try to get you some samples, or “teasers”, just a day or two after your big day.
ABOUT RALEIGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS, BLUEWAVE PHOTO
Raleigh wedding photographers, Bluewave Photo, specialize in Raleigh wedding photography for contemporary couples in the Raleigh / Durham and surrounding areas. We use a blended style of photojournalism, casual portraits and fine detail photography to deliver beautiful wedding photography that you will cherish forever. To explore our Raleigh wedding photography portfolio, please visit www.bluewavephotoweddings.com
