Welcome to our Wedding Photography FAQ’s.
Beautiful Natural Documentary Wedding Photography….Great Photos You’ll love!
Hello, I’m Mark a professional documentary Wedding Photographer based in Ipswich and London. I work as a team with my wife Tina and we love weddings!
We offer you a great wedding photography service before and after your big day. On the day we simply come along and photograph your wedding and leave you with loads of lovely photographs afterwards, all individually edited and hosted in a private on-line gallery. Exquisite albums, USB folios, prints and mementos are also available as is our Wedding Photo Booth and Photo Party Station which adds an extra dimension of glamour and fun to your reception.
Wedding Photography FAQ’s.
Do you work on your own, with an assistant or do you have a team?
It depends….I usually work as a team with my wife Tina and occasionally my son Austin who is also an accomplished photographer. I am the principal photographer and will normally take all the shots. Tina usually acts as my assistant… which keeps her very busy! I often work on my own quite happily if circumstances require it. If required we can arrange to have a second or third shooter.
Where in the country do you operate?
Your location is not a problem. We are based in Ipswich and London, so a good deal of our work comes from London, the Home Counties and East Anglia, but we regularly photograph throughout the UK and at international destinations around the world….. so don’t let the distance hold you back!
We’re getting married abroad, do you photograph destination or beach weddings?
Yes…Absolutely! We have photographed all over the world, so we’d love to work with you wherever you are planning to have your overseas destination wedding.
What wedding photography packages do you offer?
We like to keep things simple and easy to understand, so we don’t offer a large range of complicated packages and prices. Instead we offer four simple, easy to understand packages all clearly priced to suit every need and budget. We can offer bespoke or tailor made packages if our standard packages do not meet your requirements. Click here to take a look at our dedicated wedding prices page.
What is your photographic style.
We create great photos you’ll love with our modern, documentary style wedding photography combining a twist of fashion and loads of romance, all aimed at capturing beautiful un-staged images of your day as it unfolds….. that just about sums it up! Some people also call this reportage, candid, journalistic or editorial wedding photography.
You’ll find us very friendly and relaxed and we work with you to understand what you want to achieve. We communicate well and mix easily with your guests. We also work seamlessly with your wedding venue, reception venue and videographer etc.
We use natural light as well as being expert in the use of on camera flash and off camera flash which we blend perfectly with the ambient light to produce creative, timeless images that you’ll love forever. We are highly experienced at shooting in low light and difficult lighting conditions and keep calm and professional under pressure. We also have a full suite of portable professional studio lights, soft boxes and lighting accessories if your venue requires more sophisticated or artistic lighting.
We try to blend into your wedding and be as unobtrusive as possible so as not to affect the flow of your day. This is great for documentary or reportage shots, but we will become more obvious and take control to achieve the great group, formal and portraits shots you are looking for. Getting the required people and groups together in a quick, organised and relaxed manner is part of our style and expertise and comes from our experience and confidence of working with people.
We would like group shots and formal shots as well.
Even though we shoot in a documentary style, it’s fine to have group or formal shots as well. In fact we recommend this as weddings are important milestones when families come together and these photographs will become the historical documents of the future. We don’t generally work to a strict shot list by posing absolutely everyone in turn, as this really slows the day up, but we will work with you to ensure we capture all the group or formal shots that are really important to you… and your relatives and guests.
We aim to provide a balance of approx 80% reportage style photography and 20% formal shots, but this balance may vary from wedding to wedding dependent upon circumstances, or your individual brief.
Can we have private portrait or “break out shots?”
Absolutely…We usually like to do a private “break out” session with just the Bride and Groom between the ceremony and the reception. We will work with you to include this in your schedule for the day.
We’d love a pre-wedding, engagement or couples shoot…is this possible?
Yes.. Yes…. Yes… pre wedding, engagement and couples shoots are available to all couples and are usually taken at a location which can be as personal to you as the wedding. This is often somewhere picturesque like the beach or forest, an urban landscape or a special place close to your heart.
Apart from capturing stunning lifestyle and portrait shots of the two of you, this is a great way for us to get to know each other better before your wedding day. You can experience a professional photographer taking your photo and get a feel for how we work, giving you the confidence and the reassurance to feel comfortable in front of the camera. Then on your wedding day we are more like friends spending the day with you, blending into the background.
Do you shoot weddings of any faith, gender or orientation?
Yes of course! It would be our pleasure to photograph your ceremony, reception or celebration, whatever your faith, no-faith, gender or orientation.
Can you supply a Photo-Booth for our reception party?
Yes… but we go way better than a regular Photo-Booth! To bring an extra dimension of glamour and fun to your reception we have an exciting alternative to a traditional photo booth…our Wedding Photo Booth and Photo Party Studio, a Hollywood Red Carpet experience, VIP Fashion Shoot and a crazy Photo Party all rolled into one. This acts as great entertainment and a stunning focal point to your reception keep your guests entertained for hours. Click here or more information on our Wedding Photo Booth and Photo Party Studio.
Do you edit or retouch our photos?
All your photos will be professionally edited, cropped, colour corrected and sensitively retouched if required (unless you ask us not to). We are experts in the use of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom in our professional workflow. All photos are taken in RAW format and edited after your wedding in our post production process. All images are then converted from RAW format and delivered to you in jpeg format. We never show or provide unprocessed RAW files, only processed jpegs. Only images that pass our final edit will be made available and we will advise on the best images for inclusion in albums, frames, portfolios, galleries, mementos etc.
Can we see your digital shots on the day?
We don’t show you your images on the day….remember that what’s on the back of the camera is not necessarily the finished product and not every shot on the camera is delivered for the reasons we have spoken about above. Trust us and you’ll get a wonderful surprise when the final images arrive. If you are really nervous about how you’ll look, why not arrange a pre-wedding or engagement shoot with us?
How many photos do you take? Do we get them all?
You won’t see every image we capture on the day. We don’t restrict the numbers of photographs we take on the day, but only images that pass our strict editing process will be made available in jpeg format and we never supply RAW files. Whilst it is never possible to quantify the exact number of shots that will pass the final edit, a full days shooting will normally result in several hundred high quality images.
Can our guests take photos at the same time as you?
Yes of course…We are happy that your guests take their own photos. All your guest will have smart phones and we know they want to capture their own memories, but you have invited them to your wedding to be with you not to be your photographers. Please remember you are hiring us as professional wedding photographers to take your photographs, and we need to take priority over other guests if we are to deliver the images you are expecting. Guests with mobile phones, or uncle Bob with his new camera and big lens can have a very negative affect, most especially during the ceremony if they step into the aisle blocking the view for us and other guests. We also have to watch out for guests swarming around you and calling for your attention when taking their own photos while we are trying to take group or formal shots. This causes confusion and may end up with you looking in different directions in our photos and this not a great look, we prefer that all eyes are looking at our cameras! For this reason we may ask guests to temporarily stop photographing during group, formal or portrait shots until we have finished our photos of a particular scene. This is why we recommend that you schedule a “break out session” for the Bride and Groom only or for key family members.
How quickly can we see our edited photos after the wedding?
We know how excited you’ll be to see some of your photos as soon as possible. As a guide we try to have a small selection of key photos ready with 24 to 48 hours of your wedding so that you can share on social media etc, but this is not guaranteed and can alter depending on circumstances. The full set of proofing images are normally available to view in your gallery within 2-3 weeks of your wedding, but often it’s very, very much quicker. This is far faster than the industry standard. Occasionally, if unforeseen circumstances arise or during peak periods this may take a little longer. Specific timelines will differ from wedding to wedding depending on the circumstances.
Additional time will be required for USB folio production and packaging design, memento production etc. Album proofing, design, production and delivery may take several weeks in addition
How do you deliver your images?
All your photos are individually edited and hosted on-line in your personal gallery on our website which can be open for all to see or password protected. From here you can view and download your digital images, run on-line slideshows, share your images with friends and relatives via the internet on laptops, PC’s, tablets and mobile devices or post on social media. Your on-line gallery is also a secure shopping cart which links directly to our professional print labs and allows you and your guests to purchase professional quality prints directly from your gallery using debit or credit cards with secure payments via PayPal.
As part of every package, your images will also be delivered to you on a personalised USB memory stick, beautifully packaged in a stunning presentation folio as a lasting memento of your big day.
Exquisite wedding albums, photo-books, prints, frames, DVD’s, CD’s, USB folios and mementoes are available.
Can we order an album at a later date?
Yes, you can order our exquisite albums, USB folios, prints and mementos at any time after the wedding. In fact this is what most of our couples do.
What about your copyright?
You have full rights to use your images for personal use subject to our terms and conditions. Legally speaking, in line with International and UK law all images we take remain our copyright. This law applies to all photographers, not just us. This simply means that as creators of the images, we “own” the copyright. But you can relax, you have an unrestricted royalty free licence to use, copy, print, make your own albums and share the full size high-resolution photos of your wedding with family and friends for personal use without restriction forever…. after all, that’s why you want us to capture wonderful images of your big day! What you cannot do is to use the images for business purposes or financial gain unless we agree this in writing beforehand. We do reserve the right to use images of your wedding in our marketing materials and channels, adverts, blogs, on our website or social media etc, unless agreed otherwise in writing.
Can we meet before we book you?
Yes of course! On your big day you’ll probably spend more time with us than anyone else, so we generally prefer this as it gives us a chance to get get to know each other, to hear about your dreams for the future and to plan how we’ll capture your wonderful day, but its not compulsory. We call this our Pre-Booking Consultation. We can meet up or talk on Skype or over the phone, but often we get together at a coffee shop or hotel where we can relax over a coffee, talk about your day and answer your questions. Every wedding is unique, so this free consultation can be very useful in helping you decide which package is best for you and your budget. By special arrangement, our standard packages can be tailored to suit your individual needs.
How far in advance do we need to book you?
Our calendar fills up quickly, so it’s best to book as soon as possible. If we are available, we will happily take bookings for any future timeframe including short notice dates. It’s usual to book your venue first and then your other suppliers including your photographer, and for most couples this is around a year to a year and a half in advance. We have been booked up to two years in advance and on one occasion only 3 weeks before a mid-week wedding.
Can you hold a date for us?
We work on a first come first served basis. To be fair to everyone we can’t pencil you in or hold a date for you without a signed contract and an initial payment (deposit.)
Do we need to sign a contract when we book you?
Yes you will need to sign a contract, this makes it all official and protects both you and us. The contract will detail everything you are getting in your photography package, and what is expected from both you and us. This way there are no surprises. We do not hold any date or consider a booking as confirmed unless a contract has been signed and an initial payment taken.
When do we have the money conversation?
We are very transparent from the outset, all our packages and prices are on our website and there are no hidden charges or last minute surprises, please click here to visit our wedding photography prices page. We will always discuss pricing options with you at the early stages of our conversations, this allows you to budget effectively and not be surprised by costs further down the line. We are a business, so you don’t need to be embarrassed to talk about costs and what you’ll get in our packages. You need to be happy with your package and we have options for every budget.
Do we have to pay a deposit?
Yes, but we call this an initial payment. An initial payment and a signed contract lets us know you are serious and secures your date. We ask for a signed contract and a £250 none refundable initial fee as payment against losses or loss of business caused in the event of your cancellation after the contract is signed. When we’ve received your signed contract and initial payment your date and time is secured and reserved in our booking system and any reservations, enquiries or offers from any other clients for your date and time are turned down.
When do you expect to be paid in full?
Your balance is payable in full one month before the date of your wedding. We also accept payment by instalments that can be made periodically between the booking date and one month before your wedding, when all payments must be made in full.
What payment methods can I use?
You can make your payments by bank transfer, debit or credit card via PayPal or by cheque. If paying by cheque we will not consider that payment has been made until the cheque clears. Cash payments are not accepted.
Can you offer a discount? Your fee is a little more than we wanted to spend.
We are very lucky, we have more commercial, event, portrait and wedding enquiries than we could ever take on, so we don’t discount our prices. Your wedding photographs are a priceless and unrepeatable record of your day and apart from your rings, they are the only part of your wedding budget that will last a lifetime. So it’s definitely worth getting the photographer you really want.
Do you charge for travel and expenses?
Travel to your locations in London (inside the M25) or within a 70 mile radius of Ipswich by car is included in your packages. Travel by car will be charged for distances in excess of 70 miles from Ipswich. If overnight stays or the use of any paid travel such as ferries and flights is required, these will be charged at the cost of the operator or at the rates charged by the nearest Premier Inn, Tavel Lodge or equivalent.
What happens after we book with you?
We work closely with you to ensure that your day goes according to plan. We usually arrange an initial face to face meeting or at least a phone, Skype or FaceTime call to run through everything with you. As this is usually quite early in the process, many of your detailed arrangements will not be in place at this stage, so we will arrange a full Post Booking Consultation closer to your wedding date. Don’t worry calls or discussions are not limited, you can discuss things with us as often as you like. We may also stay in touch by email periodically between booking and the wedding date.
About 6 weeks before your wedding we usually arrange a Post Booking Consultation. This is a full post booking consultation in person, by phone or skype to discuss and define a comprehensive plan for your day. This will include your specific photo requirements, confirmation of the days’ timings, location / venue planning, logistics and contingency planning etc, as well as the album, prints, gifts mementos and digital delivery choices available to you.
Do you come and visit the venue before the wedding?
Yes, if possible we make our best endeavours to visit your venue before your wedding in all cases except our quarter day packages, although this is not guaranteed. If we have not shot at a venue before we prefer to visit both the wedding and reception venue at the earliest opportunity after you have booked us and paid your initial fee (deposit.) Whenever possible, we also attend your wedding rehearsal (please see below.) This is to ensure that any access, technical, scheduling or logistical issues are identified and resolved at the planning stage of your wedding…no one likes unexpected surprises on the day. It also helps to identify some good spots for the portraits and groups.
If for any reason it’s not possible to vist the venues before your big day, we always arrive early and have a good look around, check out the light and get the feel of the place as well as identifying good locations for photographing portraits and groups.
Do you attend the wedding rehearsal?
Yes, if possible we make our best endeavours to attend your rehearsal in all cases except our quarter day packages, although this not guaranteed. We are committed to producing amazing images for you to the point where, circumstances permitting, we’ll spend our time attending your ceremony rehearsal to help prepare for your big day. The wedding rehearsal is deceptively important, this is why we will always attend your rehearsal if possible. Weddings require a lot of emotional presence from us as photographers, so the rehearsal is the perfect kickstarter. It helps us get in the “Zone” and allows us to meet all the important people, so that we can be sure to get lots of great photos of them. It also gives them a chance to get to know us before we show up pointing a big camera in their faces!
Attending the wedding rehearsal gives us a chance to scout the ceremony location, check for lighting problems and plan how we’ll shoot. We can chat with the officiant to find out what rules they have for photography and where we can and cannot stand, figure out if we need to use flash (if permitted) and test our camera settings. We can discuss the timings of the important points or stages in the ceremony to be sure we have access and we are ready for them. It’s also important for you and the officiant to be aware of our movements , the light and our needs as photographers. We will discuss how the bridal party should arrange themselves, remind you (the couple) to hold the first kiss for photographs and how fast people should walk, especially in the wedding procession (a really important one for us as photographers!) and how to prevent your guests jumping in front of us and ruining our shots. The more prepared we can be, the more we’ll all enjoy the day and that means better images.
Can you work in low light? Our wedding venue does not allow flash.
Yes definitely*. We are highly experienced at shooting in low light and difficult lighting conditions where flash is not allowed or where it would be inappropriate. Our investment in the latest professional Canon cameras with advanced low light sensors and fast Canon L-Series lenses coupled with our expertise and knowledge in using them means that we can shoot in most low light environments without using flash. *Please note it may not be possible to shoot without flash in all circumstances.
We’re having a videographer, is that a problem?
That’s great. We’re really happy working with videographers and film-makers.
What do you wear on the day?
We always dress for the occasion to be respectful to you and to support and reflect the style of ceremony you are having. We will always consult with you regarding your dress code for your day.
Unless you are having a themed wedding we will always dress to look smart and professional. If its a formal wedding we will always be dressed in suits or smart clothes or in our own branded uniform. If your wedding is black tie, then we will normally wear black tie. If you are having a casual or themed wedding our dress will always mirror the nature of your ceremony unless our own branded uniforms are better suited to the occasion, we have even dressed in traditional dress at an Indian wedding! We have witnessed horror situations where the photographers or videographers turn up to your wonderful wedding wearing old jeans, scruffy trainers and T- shirts, this is very disrespectful and won’t happen with us.
Do you expect us to feed you?
Not many photographers will turn down an offer of food and drink…and we are no exception, but this can be very expensive so you really don’t have to!
We do not take photos while you and your guests are eating, and we’ll need to have something to eat and drink ourselves so we usually do this at the same time as you. If you do decide that you’d like to give us something to eat, caterers often do a ‘crew meal’ of lasagne or something simple that they give the band, photographer, toastmaster, chauffeur etc and it is really appreciated if you can stretch to some kind of hot meal.
If you provide us with food, this would be greatl, but if not we usually find a spot out of the way to eat and drink, this is often in the bar or in our car.
What cameras & equipment do you use?
We use professional full frame Canon Cameras and professional Canon L-Series zoom and prime lenses. All of these cameras shoot video if required.
For the best quality we always shoot in RAW format and covert the images to JPG or TIFF format in post production. We also carry plenty of spare memory cards, batteries and battery packs…. no one likes to run out of power or memory! All memory cards do not leave our possession until they are backed up on to multiple hard-drives and uploaded to our online cloud storage and archiving system for additional safety.
Professional Cannon 600EX-RT Speedlite Flash Units. We also carry four Canon 600EX-RT speedlites (Canon’s most powerful top end professional flash guns,) that we use on camera or remotley off camera. We control our remote off camera speedlites with radio controlled triggers for special effects or for use with our portable soft boxes. This produces beautiful, softly lit photographs which are carefully balanced to mix flash with ambient light and differing light sources at your venue.
Off camera strobe lights and light diffusers. When shooting large groups indoors (often between 10 – 60 people,) we normally use a two or four light off camera set up with soft-box light diffusers or shoot-through umbrellas to produce soft, even lighting across the whole group.
Photo Booth and Wedding Photo Party Studio. We also have our Photo Booth and Wedding Photo Party Studio the fun and exciting alternative to the traditional photo booth which adds an extra dimension of glamour and fun to your reception party, as described earlier in our Wedding Photography FAQ’s. Click here for more information about our Photo Booth and Wedding Photo Party Studio.
Do you have any testimonials?
Yes there are loads of testimonials and kind words from happy clients on our testimonials page. Here are just a few…
“We’ll never be able to thank you enough for producing some quite outstanding photographs of our wedding. We hardly noticed you were there but the results are superb and capture the whole day quite brilliantly. You’ve given us a lasting record of of a very special day”… Colonel Peter Durrant.
“We were really pleased that we decided to go with Mark and his team for our wedding. They were really professional, friendly and offered excellent value. The photos were brilliant and we have so many to choose from! Thanks mark, Tina and Austin.” Clare and Ed Harris-Hughes.
“Mark was kind enough to agree to photograph our daughter’s wedding this year. We cannot speak highly enough of him, his attention to detail was amazing all through the day. He was thoroughly professional, had the patience of a Saint and was a pleasure to have as part of our special day. The photographs when they came through were fantastic, he had captured the atmosphere brilliantly and nobody was left out! We would thoroughly recommend him to capture anyones special day.” Jane Blanford.
Click here to visit the testimonials page.
What if you are ill, delayed or unable to make it on the day?
So far (fingers crossed) it has never happened, but of course there is always a chance. Luckily we have several excellent photographers in our network and we would do everything possible to find you a replacement who works in a similar style, even at short notice.
Are you fully insured?
Yes, we are fully insured with Hiscox Insurance Company Ltd of London for both Professional Indemnity Insurance and Public and Products Liability Insurance. Never use an uninsured photographer!
Do you have a DBS Certificate?
Yes, Mark holds a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) certificate showing he has no criminal convictions or police warnings and is certified to work with children and vulnerable adults. The DBS service replaces the old CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) service and the ISA (Independent Safeguarding Authority.)
This all sounds great… we would like to book – what do we do now?
Click here to head over to the contact page or give us a call on 07738 558 934 to let us know and we’ll send you the booking form and contract.
Wedding Photography FAQ’s – Mark….I’ve got a question you haven’t answered here.
We hope this Wedding Photography FAQ’s page answers your questions, but if you’ve got a question we haven’t answered just give us a call on 07738 558 934 or send a message via the contact page and we’ll happily do our best to help you!
Wedding Photography FAQ’s – More information
For information on our Wedding Photography services please click here for our main Wedding Photography page or Click here for information on our Wedding Photo Booth and Photo Party Studio for your reception or click here for our Wedding Photography prices and packages
Wedding Photography FAQ’s – Thank You
Thank you for visiting our Wedding Photography FAQ’s page. Our Wedding Photography FAQ’s page is frequently updated, please call 07738 558 934 if you have any further questions.
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