I have put together a list of the most frequently asked questions. If you are considering the services of a wedding photographer you are welcome to print these out and compare Wessex Weddings with others.
I believe Wessex Weddings must be doing something right; one client moved their wedding date to ensure I was available! Not a possibility for most, so it is advisable if you can, to book me early. Another client booked me from Australia because they liked my images so much. Unfortunately they didn’t fly me out to Perth, as the wedding was in Sussex, but they chose Wessex Weddings having looked at hundreds of photographers along the south coast. Originally Sussex was beyond my local region, but as they were coming all the way from Australia then I thought I could literally go the extra mile. One professional wedding photographer who I’ve never met booked me for his daughter’s wedding having seen my work as he’ll be too busy on the day with other matters like “giving his daughter away".
Q: Some of your website seems light hearted are you a serious photographer?
A: Ha, you noticed. Well to be honest Wessex Weddings feel that weddings, whilst being solemn occasions, should also be fun, light hearted events for your friends and family. If you want ultra formal wedding photographs taken by stuffy photographers you've got the wrong person. As for being serious photographers just ask to see some of my 'tearsheets' from my published work when you meet me.
The first question I often get asked is…Q: Are you available on our wedding date?
A: I have set up an availability page within the website to answer that initial question. Unfortunately if your date is blocked off, I'm not available. Sorry, but I'm now taking bookings well into next year. When I'm booked, I'm booked; so if you would like to use my wedding photography services, get in early. I may be available at short notice, but I'm booked for many Saturdays especially throughout the summer months.
Once you’ve established that I'm available, the second question is often
Q: How much do you charge?
A: Check out our pricing page on our website, especially as Wessex Weddings have frequent offers. I tried to keep it simple by offering only two options; one and two. Simple enough. Basically, they are time related:
Option one is eight hours and is £795 in the Summer.
Option two is five hours and costs £650 in the Summer.
Prices include supplying you with a CD/ DVD of high resolution images (300dpi). These prices do NOT include a photo book, album, or prints. Wessex Weddings can provide these services but our pricing is geared to offering great value for money photography first and foremost.
Q We are interested in having a photographer for six hours but your options are for 5 hours and 8 hours. Do you do six hours and how much will it be?
A: I tried to make the pricing as simple as possible, but they can be tailored to individual needs. I charge(for one photographer) an additional £55 per hour added to any option.
Q: How much experience do you have as a photographer?
A: I have been a working photo journalist for well over twenty five years and have supplied photographs to numerous publications throughout the world. I'm not a jaded old-school wedding photographer who only does formal wedding photography. My enthusiasm and drive and my passion for all kinds of photography enables my ideas to remain fresh and original, creating stylish and timeless images.
Q: We want a mix of formal shots and informal reportage images. Can you do this?
A: Absolutely. Wessex Weddings can cover both styles, and we understand you’ll almost certainly need some formal shots to keep everyone happy. However, if you only wanted informal images we can oblige after all it’s your day. However, if you only wanted Wessex Weddings to just shoot posed formal images then I’d strongly recommend you find another wedding photographer as that’s not what wessexweddings.co.uk is about.
Q: Will you personally be the photographer for our wedding/Do you use other photographers for our wedding day photography?
A: When you book wessexweddings you actually get Paul, and if you need two photographers another professional photographer. Wessex Weddings only uses a small team of photographers along with myself. I don’t (sub)contract out the photography, unlike some other wedding photography businesses. The only exception might be in the case of illness when we reserve the right to use a substitute photographer.
Q: We love your images and you’re available on our wedding day, what should we do next?
A: The next stage is to arrange a meeting. I like to meet up with all potential clients before I send you a booking form. That way i can find out if your photographic needs can be met by my photography services and that we all get along. If you then decide you would like to book our services I will send you a Booking Form and Contract to complete, sign and return. I would also request a booking deposit of 10% of your total package price. The outstanding balance would then be due 4 weeks prior to the date of your wedding / civil ceremony.
Q: Do you shoot in digital/film, and colour or black and white?
A: Easy one this. All photographers at Wessex Weddings shoot in digital, mainly Canon EOS professional cameras and lenses probably a lot more better than your Uncle Bob’s camera. Wessex Weddings carry enough professional equipment to ensure that we can deal with any equipment malfunction without resorting to mobile phone cameras, which some amateur photographers have as a second camera! The digital images are provided in colour but are easily converted to black and white and I usually put a few black and white images on the CD/DVD we send out.
Q: Are the images on the finished DVD/CD high resolution and how many shots are there on the disk(s)?
A: The disk(s) contain high resolution images (jpeg). Wessex Weddings supply approximately 300 images for an 8 hour shoot and 150 images for five hours. Also without getting too technical our photographers shoot all images in RAW which is the highest quality and non-compressed digital files. There is no limit to the number of photographs we take. Some old-school photographers, especially using film would set a limit on the number of shots taken. We have over 100 gigabytes of memory cards that’s more than enough.We want to capture the spirit of the day and we don’t worry about how many shots it takes to achieve that goal. Unlike most wedding photographers we actually supply DVD/CD’s of the photographs at no extra cost.
Q: Are the DVD’s moving images/slideshows and do you do videography?
A: The DVD’s do not contain moving images. They are still photographs. We don’t supply images with music/soundtrack or images fading in and out to the next shot as the styling/choice is too personal. We do NOT offer videography.
Q Who owns the copyright, as on some wedding sites they suggest the copyright ownership should be passed to the bride and groom?
A: Whilst we own the copyright we give you free licence to use the photographs to use in any non-commercial way that you like. You are able to use the images freely (other than to sell commercially).
Q: Do you need to be paid before the wedding day?
A: Yes. I need a 10% non refundable deposit to be paid to confirm the date. I only do one wedding a day, so once payment has cleared I block off that date on my availability calendar and I send clients an invoice 4 weeks before the wedding day for the remainder (90%) of the money. Payment must be made prior to the wedding.
Q: Do you visit the venue before the wedding day?
A: Yes, I like to do this about a week or so before the big day usually with, ideally both the bride and groom. If requested I can also take photographs of the bride and groom before the wedding day so they get familiar with having their photo taken, and go through any poses, and location for shots, if requested. I also check the venue for any suitable places for shots and to have a plan of action in case of rain/strong wind etc.
Q: Do you do wedding albums?
A: I do not provide wedding albums, photo books in any of my pricing options. Initially I didn’t offer this service, however, I’ve been regularly asked by clients to make photobooks. Check out my wedding album section of the website for pricing. If you are considering using a wedding photographer that includes a wedding album in the package be very careful on the kind of album you receive. The price and quality of wedding albums vary tremendously. Another advantage of our pricing system is that you don’t have to pay 'up front' for an album.
Q: Do you provide prints?
A: I do not provide prints in any of our pricing options. The DVD/CD I provide are of high enough resolution to make prints at any high street lab. However if you would like us to make prints for you we are very familiar with which labs produce quality professional prints and we can arrange very competitive prices especially if you want many rather than just one 6”x4” print.
Q: Do you charge extra for putting our wedding images online?
A: Absolutely not. i provide a password protected clients area that you can share with your friends, relatives, guests etc. I usually get this up and running within a week of the wedding day.
Q Do you do boudoir photography as I want to surprise my husband on our wedding day with a set of images of me in my underwear?
A: I don’t offer a boudoir service as such. However, Wessex Weddings are open to all kinds of photo requests. I like to work on ideas that you may have and especially if there is a humorous angle. I offer for example Trash The Dress shoots. I have photographed bare-footed brides in their teepee on their wedding day and the arrival of a burger van at 5am the next morning-I'm up for all kinds of unusual, alternative, eco-friendly wedding ideas.
Q Can you provide testimonials from previous clients?
A: Yes. If you are seriously considering using my wedding photography services I can also provide telephone numbers of past clients for you to call if you so wish. If you want to see what an actual online site of a recent days wedding shoot looks like it’s also possible for us to supply you with the password of past clients to take a peek. Please understand that not all weddings are the same. Some of my clients have given us an extensive list of must-have formal shots, whilst others had no lists at all. Some clients have a cake cutting and others don’t, so that is reflected in the images Wessex Weddings take for each wedding and placed online.
Q: Do you only cover the Dorset and Somerset area?
A: Initially most of our bookings were within the Dorset/ Somerset region but I have expanded the business to the south of England, and I have photographers who work for me in Cornwall, Devon and Hampshire. But Wessex Weddings have photographed in all of the southern counties of England and in South Wales too.We will be happy to consider coverage outside of the south of England or even outside the UK. An additional fee for travel and subsistence may apply.
Q: Do you photograph events other than weddings?
A: Yes. I'm more than happy to cover civil partnerships ceremonies, christenings, parties and other events on request.
Q: Can you work from a list of must-have shots that we’ll give you?
A: If you hire me, it’s your choice as to how you use us for your photography. Wessex Weddings can work from your list of your "must have" shots, although if you’ve got many requests please bear that in mind when it comes to timing as group shots can take some time to set up. Wessex Weddings also like to have some time with just the bride and groom to capture several romantic couple shots in a selected attractive setting.
Q: How intrusive will you be on the day?
A: A good question and one to which there is no easy answer. Photography, and particularly good photography, requires us to be prominently positioned and to be constantly working. However, we will do our very best to respect your wishes and not to be too intrusive. When I meet the bride and groom one of the questions I ask them is to find out the rules regarding photography during the actual service. Each venue has different rules as to where photographers can stand, and there are also many different rules concerning photographing the signing of the registrar.
Q: Are you insured?
A: All Wessex Wedding photographers have public liability insurance.
Q: You’re providing an exceptional value for money wedding photography service, experienced photographers, all high resolution images on a supplied DVD/CD, and you visit the venue, meet up with us, you tick all the boxes, what’s the catch?
A: There isn’t one. We haven’t tried to be the cheapest wedding photographers, cutting our prices to ensure they are lower than other photographers in Dorset and Somerset on a Google search. We do however have lower overheads than the "old school" wedding photographer who has to pay expensive High Street rent for a studio. Perhaps for what we offer my prices are too low, that’s perhaps for you to take advantage of and for me to suffer, but I enjoy what i do. I try to make it a fun day and at the same time Wessex Weddings try our damn hardest to get the images you want. I don’t do hard-sell, you’ll find that out when you meet me, but I believe that if I offer a quality product and I go the extra mile I will get happy clients who hopefully will recommend Wessex Weddings.
Hopefully this page has given you a flavour of what Wessex Weddings does and has answered any initial questions you may have. However, don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions, and as mentioned I meet up with all clients to discuss your photography needs in greater depth prior to any bookings being made. That way you can see me in person to find out if we are "singing from the same hymn sheet" when it comes to your photography requirements.
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