Wedding Photography FAQ's

  What  is  “A  La  Carte”  Credit? 

None of our packages include any actual prints, however all of our packages include some “A La Carte” credit. This credit can be used to purchase prints, gallery wraps, album upgrades, etc from our “A La Carte” menu. Additional credit can be purchased at the time of booking your package to include enough credit to cover your costs. Please note “A La Carte credit purchased with your package at the time of booking is at the discounted package rate. You will receive $100.00 of credit for $85.00 spent. Credit or items from our “A La Carte” menu purchased after booking of your package are dollar for dollar. So be sure to try and include enough credit to cover the prints and upgrades you want at the time of booking your package.

With my disc, do I get every picture taken at the wedding?

No. We will take lots of photos of your wedding day, and honestly you probably would not want that many photos. In some cases we may have several shots of basically the same image. Some photos may simply be of a wall as we were testing the lighting and exposure before getting a shot. Cousin Larry may have stood at just the right time turning an otherwise attractive photo into a close up of his backside. And some shots for whatever reason are just not that great. If the image is not worth it, we won't edit it. And we will not release any unedited images. We do usually edit and include shots that we feel, although they may be lacking aesthetic appeal, may have some sentimental value to you or your family.

Why eight hours of coverage?

Our goal is not to just provide you with a few wedding photos, but actually piece together the story of the day. We would love to be there when you are getting your hair and nails done. If the groom is planning on squeezing in a round of golf before the wedding to relax, tell us when and where will be there. You get the idea. We want to capture the nervous jitters, the transformation, all the way to the shoe polish, tin cans and waves goodbye.

What do mean when you say you are editing my wedding photos?

Every photo that you receive is enhanced in Photoshop. We tweak exposure if necessary, color, boost contrast, a little sharpening, etc. You get the idea. Some photos even get a little special treatment. A great shot of the Bride and Groom embracing each other will probably get a little more attention then Aunt Martha enjoying a piece of wedding cake. Unless otherwise specified during your consultation we normally convert several photos to black and white. This is usually just a gut decision as we edit the images on whether or not we feel it works better in B&W. Some images we may provide both a color and B&W version.

Do you do colorization? (B&W with something in the photo still in color) example

Yes, however I admit I am not a huge fan. If this is something you are interested in, it definitely needs to be discussed before we sign your contract. I can include a couple of simple colorization images without any additional charge, however if you want more there will be some additional cost. Not because I am not a fan, it is simply about time. This editing process takes longer.

Can I purchase additional prints or an album after my wedding?

Sure. However, I would certainly consider purchasing a package with everything you want included. There are discounts built into the wedding packages. A la carte items purchased after signing of the contract are billed at the listed price.

Can I change my wedding package after I have signed a contract and paid my deposit?

Yes and no. You may upgrade a package; however you can not downgrade a package.

How much do you require as a deposit?

We require $500.00 and a signed contract to reserve your wedding day. This deposit is non refundable.

Is my deposit really "non refundable"?

Unfortunately, yes. Once you pay a deposit and sign a contract we reserve that date. That means we are turning down all potential clients that are interested in that date. As you can see, if we have had your wedding marked on the calendar for six months and you cancel two weeks out, It is very likely we are not going to be able to rebook with another client. If it is still pretty early and there are some special circumstances, let us know. We will consider it. Just don't sign the contract assuming you can get your deposit back.

Can I see a copy of your wedding photography contract?

Sure, here is a link to a page containing some of our forms. Just click on the contract link. It is a printable PDF file. Forms

I apologize; the contract is kind of "wordy". If you have any questions about it just drop us a quick email or give me a call.

After I have paid my deposit, do I pay the rest in a lump sum or can I make payments?

Either way. Just remember your total package price is due no later then one week prior to your wedding day.

I feel pretty awkward about being in front of the camera. Any suggestions?

Let's face it. It's your wedding day, so we know you are going to look beautiful. We got that covered. As far as how you should act, the answer is "natural". For the majority of the day you can just ignore us. Just go about your business being beautiful, being nervous, and being in love. Those are the shots we want anyway. If you can't resist occasionally looking at the camera and giving a cheesy smile it won't hurt anything. There will be enough going on that we will be a little easier to ignore then you might think. When it comes time to get a few posed pictures, we will guide you. However, this may sound a little weird, but you can practice. Look up some wedding photos online, check out some magazines, get an idea of how you want to look in your photographs and practice a little bit in the mirror. After all, it is one of the biggest days in your life. A little practice can't hurt.

How do we view our proofs?

After we have finished shooting your wedding and editing your photos, we will post your images in an online wedding gallery for you to view them. There will be an image number assigned to every image in your gallery. You just look through your gallery and let us know which images you would like by providing us with the appropriate image numbers. Our contract says we have 60 days to post your online gallery, however it is usually more like 3 weeks. (give or take a few days)

Can our friends and family view our online gallery?

Yes. The gallery is posted on lifeofrileyphotography.com. Once the gallery is complete, we will send you an email containing a link to your gallery. Your gallery is not password protected unless you request it. Your wedding gallery will be a floating page on the website. In other words their will be no links on the website that will take someone to your wedding gallery. The page name must be entered in the address bar or a link followed such as the one we will send you via email. (If you lose the link or forget the address, just let us know and we can send it to you again.) If you would like to share your gallery with friends and family simply send them a copy of our email or copy and paste the link into a new one. Obviously if you do choose to password protect your gallery, you will need to send them the password along with the link.

How many images will be in my online gallery?

That is a tough question. There is no exact number. We usually tell clients they can count on at least 50 images an hour. So if we shoot for four hours they should expect a minimum of about 200 photos. In reality, the number is likely going to be significantly higher then this. There are just too many variables for us to throw a bigger number out there.

Our venue does not allow flash. Is this a problem?

It can be. We try to avoid using flash at all costs during the ceremony. It can be disruptive. However, photography is all about light and churches don't create their ambiance by flooding their sanctuaries with powerful studio lights. We do however use "fast" lenses (better in low light) and can usually accomplish this without much problem. If you suspect that your venue may be a problem, find out about there rules regarding flash or let us know so we can contact them. We will come up with a plan ahead of time. It is a good idea to consult your venue ahead of time regarding rules for photographers anyway. Some venues and churches restrict all photography to certain parts of the ceremony and even then, only from certain areas. This is obviously information we would very much like to know ahead of time.

We are getting married in the most beautiful tropical destination you can imagine. Do you do destination weddings?

Duh! YES. Ok, so maybe this is not really a frequently asked question. We can do destination weddings. We also recognize that these weddings can provide a unique opportunity as well. Not only do we enjoy a beautiful location, but these weddings can make for gorgeous images that are great for a portfolio. Obviously, the price would have to cover our travel expenses, but depending on the when and where we may significantly discount the actual package cost itself. So if you are interested, just give us the information and we can work up a custom quote.

Who decides what images go in my wedding album?

We do. (well, kind of, sort of, maybe) Ok, here is the deal. We hope you picked "Life of Riley" Photography because you love our work and you love our style. That being said, you are going to have to give us a little bit of room on this. How it works is we make the initial design utilizing the images that we feel best tell the story of your wedding. The layout is a custom design done in Photoshop. We can overlay images, add design elements, use gradients, text, etc, etc, etc. When we have completed your initial design we will post it online for you to approve. Now here is where you come in. We hope that you fall over in disbelief with how wonderful your design is. But, we understand that it is likely that you may want to make a few changes. Maybe there is a shot of someone who you would prefer is not included in the album or there was a photo that you really loved that was not included in the design. Just let us know and we can make the changes. Once you approve the design we send if off to have it printed. Just know that the album design is fairly labor intensive and an artistic process. If you want total control of this process, this may not be the route for you.

Since I am getting a disc, does this mean that you are releasing the copyright to me?

No. "Life of Riley" Photography retains the copyright of all images. This means that we own the image. You do not have the right to sale it or use it to promote some business or product. Let's face it, these are your wedding photos and that is not what you are planning to do anyway. However, with your disc we do provide a print release. With this release you are allowed to share your photos with friends and family as well as have prints made wherever and whenever you would like. Obviously we would prefer you purchase prints from us, but we understand that is not always going to happen. In the very least we do recommend purchasing your prints from a quality lab.