frequently asked q’s

how did you become a wedding photographer?

I technically began photographing things as many young people often do - looking for ~~meaning~~ in abandoned buildings - but my formal photography career began as a staff photographer & later photo editor of a bi-weekly newspaper while preparing to apply to medical school. I legitimately (& with much sadness) believed I would never photograph anything professionally again after leaving said paper, but responded to a Craigslist ad in search of second photographer to check “shooting a wedding” off my bucket list. I totally thought I wouldn’t enjoy it, but the photographer I worked with ended up being an incredible mentor (Craigslist is occasionally useful for things other than sketchy parking lot car purchases!) and I ended up falling in love with wedding documentation, scrapping my plans for medical school, and second photographing about a dozen more weddings that first year. Over seven years & 150+ weddings later, I wouldn’t change a thing about the strange way I ended up here.

How many hours of coverage do we need?

Generally, 6 hours of coverage will get you from a first look or ceremony through most of the big reception moments. 8 hours is enough for about an hour of getting ready through a good bit of open dancing. 10 hours is only necessary when you're looking for documentation from hair and makeup through the end of the party or when there's a lot of travel between venues involved. 90% of my weddings each year involve either 6 or 8 hours of coverage. If you’re planning a smaller, more intimate celebration, there’s a chance your story may be able to be well-told with less than six hours of coverage, so don’t hesitate to ask if your plans are non-traditional!

To give you an idea of this looks like, this wedding had four hours of coverage, this one had six hours, and this one had eight.

Can we print our own photos?

Absolutely! While my online galleries do offer an option to quickly order professional prints from my lab for convenience + the best color accuracy, this is totally optional. My contract includes a print release with no restrictions on couples making their own prints.

Explain your editing process!

When I edit my wedding photos, my goal is to make them a beautiful, genuine recollection of how your day went through a film-inspired lens. I want to make it feel just like you’re back in that moment, reliving that day, so I include any photos that feel like they could be an important part of the story from your perspective. This often leads to very large galleries (maybe too large!) that I’ve been told feel almost like a freeze frame version of a wedding video. I spend a ton of time working to make this feel like a consistent story, tweaking every single photo to make sure they’re a cohesive part of that story. Beyond that, the only substantive alteration of the content of photos I ever do is modifying group photos to account for the occasional blinker (it’s ok, everyone does it!) - I don’t significantly retouch bodies or changing things that were a part of the experience of the day. All of the photos you see here are couples and their celebrations the way they really happened.

Do you travel?

All the time! I’ve been traveling for weddings basically since day one. I hop on a plane for about 5 weddings every year, from Anchorage to Boston to LA, and it’s one of my favorite parts of this career. I get so excited about experiencing new places for the first time through the lens of documenting awesome celebrations of love. I have a low-key goal of photographing a wedding in every single state by the time I retire (I’m at 23 so far). International weddings are still on my to-do list, so if you’re planning a celebration abroad, you should definitely get in touch.

tell us second photographer things! Now!

Okay!! My weddings tend to break down into half two photographers, half solo, so I'm comfortable either way. Whether or not you need a second photographer can usually come down to three things. I recommend one for weddings over 100-120 guests, couples who want photos of both partners getting ready in different locations, or when cocktail hour candid photos of guests are a priority, because I'll likely be preoccupied taking portraits with y'all during this time. 

how many photos can we expect?

My contract promises at least 60 photos an hour for weddings and 60-75 photos for sessions, but I typically over-deliver by quite a bit, especially for weddings. My approach to building my galleries is basically like very inclusive Marie Kondo-ing for photos. “Does this spark joy? At all? Include it!”

No one’s gonna get that reference in a couple more months.

What are your deliverables and delivery timeline?

I provide a preview of 20 photos within one week of your wedding, followed by a full collection of edited, full-resolution jpeg photos in a user-friendly online gallery within 6 weeks of your wedding date. At this point you’re free to download, share, and print your own photos to your heart’s content.

Are you comfortable in lower light situations?

Absolutely! Most of the receptions I photograph happen after dark, along with a number of indoor or after-dark ceremonies each season. Many of the weddings featured on my blog include a number of night reception photos, and one of my favorite weddings ever took place almost entirely after sunset.

Do you take posed family + wedding party formals?

I get this question a lot and yes, I totally do! They rarely end up on my social media or portfolios since my main focus is candid documentation, but I know these photos are important to couples & I take them at every single wedding. I have a pre-wedding questionnaire in which I get couples to write out which group photos they want so we can make this part of the day go smoothly in order to get everyone back to partying as quick as possible.

How do we make this official??

I require two things to book a wedding date on my calendar: a non-refundable retainer of 30% of your total wedding package price, and an electronic contract signed by both partners and myself. If I have another couple get in touch about your date, I'll do my best to inform you and give you a chance to book the date first so you don't lose it unexpectedly. Let’s do this!

If you have any other questions or want me to elaborate on anything I’ve written above, please don’t hesitate to get in touch & ask! I’m the king of over-explanatory emails throughout my couples’ planning processes + definitely happy to draft one up just for you.

vendor friend(or)s

wedding planning can be cray. i’ve (hopefully) done it 100 times more than you and i’ve become good friends with some incredible vendors + artists along the way. here are a few who have stood out to me over the years. you’d be in great hands with any of these people.

if you have trouble getting in contact with any of these people, let me know and I’ll do my best to put you in touch!