FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Planning a wedding comes with a lot of questions. Below are answers to some of the things couples ask me most about wedding photography, engagement sessions, photo delivery, albums, travel, and working together. I photograph weddings throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and beyond.
Booking & Process
01.
How far in advance should we book our wedding photographer?
As soon as you know you want me there!
Popular wedding dates—especially Saturdays in the spring and fall—can book a year or more in advance.
That said, sometimes I still have availability just a few months or even weeks before a wedding, so it never hurts to ask. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia, reach out as soon as you have your date.
02.
What is the deposit, and what is the payment schedule?
A signed contract and a 50% deposit are required to officially reserve your wedding date. The remaining balance is due 30 days before the wedding.
Everything is clearly outlined in your contract from the beginning, so you know exactly what to expect—no surprise fees or mystery fine print.
03.
What is your wedding cancellation and rescheduling policy?
Life happens, and sometimes wedding plans change. I always work with all my couples and try to be as flexible as I can. If your wedding is canceled, your initial deposit is non-refundable. If your wedding is moved to another date, as long as I am available on that date, we can certainly apply this deposit to that date.
If you need to move your wedding date, reach out as soon as possible. I’ll do everything I reasonably can to work with you based on my availability.
Wedding Day Coverage
How many hours of wedding photography coverage do we need?
It depends on your timeline and which parts of your wedding day you want photographed.
Six hours can work beautifully for a smaller or more compact wedding. Eight hours or full-day coverage gives us more breathing room for getting ready, wedding details, portraits, the ceremony, reception, and all the wonderfully unpredictable moments in between.
Not sure how much coverage you need? I’m happy to look at your plans and help you figure out what makes the most sense. I’ve photographed enough weddings to know that every timeline is different.
Do you bring a second wedding photographer?
Depending on your wedding photography collection, yes!
A second photographer is especially valuable for larger weddings, multiple getting-ready locations, and capturing different perspectives at the same time. While I’m photographing one moment, my second photographer may be catching something completely different—and sometimes those unexpected images become favorites.
What happens if you become sick or unavailable on our wedding day?
I take reliability very seriously. In the extremely unlikely event that I’m physically unable to photograph your wedding, I have a circle of entrusted wedding photographers I can reach out to for emergency coverage.
Your wedding day is far too important to simply leave you hanging.
Do you carry liability insurance for wedding venues?
Yes. I carry professional liability insurance and can provide proof of insurance to your wedding venue if required.
How do you photograph dark or dimly lit wedding receptions?
Dark reception? No problem.
I come prepared with professional cameras, lenses, flashes, and lighting equipment. I love the atmosphere of a candlelit ballroom or a packed dance floor, and my job is to preserve that mood while still creating sharp, vibrant, beautiful photographs.
From elegant hotel ballrooms to outdoor receptions after sunset, I’m comfortable working in challenging lighting conditions.
Can we give you a wedding photo shot list or family photo list?
Absolutely—and I strongly recommend creating a list for your formal family photos.
Weddings move fast, and a clear family photo list helps us stay organized and get through portraits efficiently, so nobody spends cocktail hour wondering where Uncle Bob disappeared to.
For the rest of the wedding day, you don’t need to give me a giant Pinterest checklist. I’ll photograph the important details and traditional moments while also watching for the spontaneous, funny, emotional things you could never plan in advance.
Photos & Delivery
How many wedding photos will we receive?
On average, I deliver approximately 75–100 fully edited images per hour of wedding photography coverage.
The final number depends on the pace of the day, length of coverage, number of photographers, size of the wedding, and everything happening around us.
My goal isn’t to hit an arbitrary number. It’s to tell the complete story of your wedding day without filling your gallery with unnecessary duplicates.
Will we receive a wedding photo sneak peek?
Yes! I typically deliver a sneak peek within 72 hours of your wedding.
That way, you have beautiful professional images to enjoy and share while I work on the complete gallery—instead of relying only on blurry dance-floor phone photos. Although, to be fair, those can be pretty entertaining too.
How long does it take to receive our wedding photos?
My typical turnaround time for a full wedding gallery is 3–6 weeks.
During less busy months, your gallery may be ready sooner. During peak wedding season, delivery is typically closer to 5 weeks.
I carefully select and professionally edit your images while still working to get your memories back to you as quickly as possible.
Are all of our wedding photos professionally edited?
Yes. Every image you receive is professionally edited for color, exposure, contrast, cropping, and overall consistency with my photography style.
My approach is bold, colorful, genuine, and full of life. I want your wedding photos to look polished and beautiful while still looking like you and feeling like your actual wedding day.
Do we get printing rights to our wedding photos?
Yes. You’ll receive high-resolution digital files with personal printing rights, which means you can download, share, and print your wedding photos.
ou can also order professional-quality prints and products directly through your online gallery.
Do you offer professional wedding albums and prints?
Yes! Your wedding photos deserve to live somewhere other than your phone or a forgotten folder on your computer.
I offer professionally designed wedding albums and high-quality prints made to preserve your photographs for years to come.
There’s something completely different about sitting down together and turning the pages of your wedding album years later. Technology changes. Hard drives fail. But a beautiful album is always ready to bring the whole day back.
Engagement Sessions & Other Wedding Events
01.
Is an engagement photography session included?
Engagement sessions are included with select wedding photography collections and can also be added separately.
I love engagement sessions because they give us a chance to get to know each other before the wedding—and give you a chance to realize that being photographed is much easier than you thought.
We’ll plan the location, timing, outfits, and overall feel together. I also encourage couples to create a mood board so I can understand what inspires you.
The goal isn’t just to take pretty pictures. It’s to create something that actually feels like the two of you.
02.
Do you photograph elopements, proposals, rehearsal dinners, and other wedding events?
Yes! In addition to full wedding days, I photograph elopements, proposals, rehearsal dinners, welcome parties, and other wedding-related celebrations.
If it’s part of your story and you want it documented, tell me about it.
Travel & Wedding Venues
Do you travel for weddings outside Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia?
Absolutely.
I'm based in the Washington, D.C. area and photograph weddings throughout DC, Maryland, Virginia, and beyond. I also love traveling for destination weddings.
I’ve photographed celebrations everywhere from elegant city hotels and rustic barns to sunny Caribbean beaches. If your wedding requires a plane ticket and a passport, you definitely have my attention.
Have you photographed at our wedding venue before?
Maybe—but if I haven’t, that’s not a problem.
Every wedding is different, even at a venue I’ve photographed many times. I research unfamiliar locations, look at the light, study the layout, and arrive prepared.
A new wedding venue can actually be creatively exciting because I’m seeing it with fresh eyes rather than simply repeating the same photographs from the last wedding.
Drone Wedding Photography
Do you offer drone photography for weddings?
Yes! Aerial drone photography is available as an add-on for weddings at venues where drone flights are permitted and conditions allow for safe and legal operation.
Drone photography can give you a completely different perspective of your wedding venue and surrounding landscape. It can be especially beautiful at estates, vineyards, waterfront venues, resorts, countryside properties, and destination weddings.
Drone photography is always dependent on the venue, location, weather, airspace restrictions, and applicable regulations, so it isn’t possible at every wedding. If your venue allows it, though, aerial wedding photos can be an amazing addition to your gallery.