Welcome!
So many good things to come!
Thank you for choosing me as your wedding photographer! I appreciate your trust more than you know and can’t wait to start digging in with you.
Now that you’re here, I want to walk you through the process of working together so you feel comfortable with all the need to knows and expectations.
I’m an open door of communication and want you to feel comfortable reaching out to me whenever you have questions, concerns, or ideas to share. However, don’t feel like we need to be in constant communication in order for me to be invested! Some of my couples are open books and love to share everything from their dress to their table decor. Some are comfortable plotting along on their own and don’t need me for much until the day gets closer. I’m that friend that’s here when you need me to be and isn’t offended when you disappear for a bit. I’ll be here for you on your terms!
My expectations are simple - keep in touch with me if anything changes (especially a change of date or venue) and be open and willing to dream with me about what your wedding day could be, regardless of the schedules and expectations that may try to dictate how you celebrate. Give yourself plenty of space to think about what it is YOU truly want and allow me in that space with you! Welcoming me into that vulnerable place where you dream is where the magic of our collaboration truly lies.
I encourage you to follow along with me on social media so we can continue to chat and get to know one another! I’m happy to keep up with you and all your adventures leading up to the big day.
-Jess
01.
Developing a Wedding Vision
Planning is one of my favorite parts of the process. It’s where we begin the blend of your vision and my artistic voice. Most of my brides already have a wedding Pinterest board they’ve been developing for months (or years, I don’t judge), and I’d love to be invited to take a peek! As you plot out the details that fill your day, I’d love for you to create a separate section or board where we can collaborate on how you want your photos to FEEL. Not just how they look, but the emotions you want them to capture. How do you envision your story being told? In a way that is thoughtful and peaceful? Electric and full of energy? Intimate and romantic? All of the above?
I want you to put together a mood board between 3 and 6 months out from your wedding day that encompasses all the things you’re inspired by. It can be photos of mine, photos from photographers you love from all over the world, colors, textures, even words and lyrics. I want this board to be filled with things that make you HAPPY and excited to get married. That evoke all the good feelings when you think of your wedding day. And then send it to me! I want to meditate on it and add to it things that inspire me about you as a couple and how your mood board makes ME feel as your photographer. This board will be inspirational for us both as we prepare to create and document all the deep feelings and emotions from your wedding day. We’ll discuss this more during your one month out call that I’ll talk more about below.
- A note! -
This board is to help inspire us and help us envision how the day will feel. It’s not to be used as a benchmark for what your wedding photos should look like. Your wedding will be unique and filled with authentic memories of YOUR day!
02.
one month out
Just before the one-month mark, I’ll send out your wedding day questionnaire!
This questionnaire will be an in depth look at the timeline of your day and the people, places, and things that will make your wedding come alive. This questionnaire will be used to create my photography timeline and will be frequently referenced throughout the final stage of our wedding journey together. It’s important to be thorough and accurate! Once completed, we’ll schedule a call where we’ll go over the questionnaire together, run through the timeline, and discuss your wedding photo vision more in depth. I want to make sure no stone is left unturned!
Once that call is complete, I’ll type up and send out a little document with the notes from our call so that we both have a copy to refer back to.
03.
execution oF your day
This is it!
Wedding day is here and we are ready and excited to celebrate with you! I want you to know we’re prepared for anything - any weather, any time restraints, any family situations, any anything. We’ve seen it all and are ready for whatever the day throws our way. The beauty of what we do is that we can read the room and intuitively step in when you need us, and step back when you don’t. We’ll make sure we stick to the timeline but are flexible enough that if things run behind, we can make room elsewhere. Wedding days are often filled with a lot of last-minute decisions, and that’s normal! The key is to let us worry about the formalities - you just focus on soaking up every bit of your wedding day.
Tips for Magical Wedding Photos
Breathe. Relax.
The best tip I can give you is to ground yourself in the WHY of your day.
Everything else is just noise.
I always talk to my couples about the importance of trust and allowing us to do what you hired us to do - to document this day thoughtfully and artistically. That can’t happen naturally if you’re stressing out over how things “look.” Let us worry about what we’re seeing! All I want you to do is focus on experiencing this day fully and completely with your spouse. Interact. Play. Touch. Those authentic interactions are what we LIVE for in your photos. Give yourself grace and allow yourself to be fully present in the moment. It’ll make for the most magical photos, I promise!
04.
file delivery
I know I’m going to be SO excited to share these photos with you!
Expect a sneak peek gallery within 48 hours (72 hours max if something important pops up!). You’ll be able to download and share photos right away so your friends and family can celebrate with you! My contract covers full gallery delivery in up to 12 weeks' time, but I’ve never delivered a gallery past 8 weeks (and hope to have them out to you even sooner!) I will keep in touch with you if there are any delays that would prevent me from delivering your gallery within that time frame!
Extra considerations
Engagement Session
If your package includes an engagement session, AMAZING! It’s the perfect time for us to meet and get to know one another before the wedding. Engagement sessions are for much more than your save the dates, it’s for me to get to know the ways in which you like to be photographed, and for you to get used to the way I help direct you! It’s perfect practice for us both for the wedding day and I absolutely love getting to know my couples in this way.
If your package doesn’t include an engagement session, you can purchase one a la carte and at a steep discount for $500!
Albums & Prints
Once your gallery is delivered online, there will be a prints and products store attached! There you can shop prints, products, and albums with multiple cover options. I always give my couples a little discount as well!
Average print pricing ranges from $10-$100, with multiple sizes and finishes offered. The standard size, luxury & heirloom quality wedding album included in my top package is worth $1000 a la carte. If pre purchased before your wedding, I’m happy to give my couples 15% off their purchase!
If you don’t see a size or finish option offered in your gallery, ask! There’s a ton of options available in my back office!
Rehearsal Dinner & Day After Coverage
If you’re a couple that wants it all and is excited by the thought of your entire wedding weekend being documented in some capacity, let’s chat! I offer event coverage at an hourly rate and will often customize packages to suit your specific needs. Please reach out about your desire to book this coverage as soon as possible to make sure my schedule is left open for you!
I’ve had couples opt for more couples’ photos in their wedding attire at a designated time and place if their wedding day schedule doesn’t allow for golden hour portraits or photos at a desired location. Day after coverage is a great option in that case and is comparable in pricing to a couple’s session!
Honeymoon Sessions
Similar to rehearsal and day after coverage, if you’re interested in having the entirety of your wedding experience photographed, consider bringing me along on the honeymoon! Yes, couples do this and no, I won’t need to be with you the whole time!
I may already be traveling to your honeymoon destination (check our travel dates here!) OR I can build you a custom honeymoon package depending on the season and your destination. You’ll never experience this time in your life with your beloved ever again, and this is a unique and memorable way to document the beauty of your beginning!
If you’ve got questions, I’ve got answers!
If there’s anything you’re unsure of or you want to chat more about the options for your wedding coverage, feel free to email me at contact@valorandvine.com at any time!
