The Hidden Costs of Wedding Photography

Weddings can get expensive, no doubt about it. As a Wedding photographer I want to clue you into some common hidden fees other photographers charge so you don’t get taken to the cleaners.

Sitting fees

Back when photographers were primarily shooting film, they charged a sitting fee. This mainly covered the cost of the film and development in case the couple decided not to purchase any prints, the photographer wouldn't be out any money. Some photographers still charge a sitting fee even though they are no longer shooting film. It’s kind of like charging for 2 day shipping. Why is it even a thing anymore?

Overtime

Your wedding photography collection may come with 8 hour of coverage, which can typically cover a whole wedding, but sometime the reception is just rocking and you haven’t got to the cake cutting or other activities that you want the photographer to cover. If you ask the photographer to stay for another hour or two, they will usually invoice you the additional time. But find out before your wedding what an additional hour costs. For some photographers it’s upwards of $600 for the hour or more if you also hired a 2nd photographer.

Print Rights

A photographer will always own the rights to the photo because they created it. In the same way you may own a book, but the author owns the rights to the book and controls what can be done with their work. Some photographers have a business model where they will shoot your wedding for cheap but then hold the photos hostage knowing you have to go to them for prints which is where they will charge much heftier prices. OR you could buy the print rights allowing you to print the photos wherever you choose. I've seen some photographers charge more than $1000 for the print rights. The right to print the photo that you paid them to take, that you love, and want to display in you home.

Online Gallery

Having a gallery online to view your photos is a convenient and easy way to share the photos of your wedding day with family and friends! Some photographers charge you to host the photos online for you to view. Sometimes $100, $200, $300 for the year.

Minimum Purchase

Going back to the prints, some photographers have written in the contract that you will spend a minimum of $xxxx dollars on prints or albums before the digital photos are released to you. This should be written in the contract if the photographer follows that practice so read it!

There you go! Remember ALWAYS meet with your wedding photographer before you book them. Meeting them will allow you to get an idea of their personality as well as give you the perfect opportunity to ask questions and make sure you’re not going to be slammed with hidden fees after the wedding!

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Best Winter Wedding Favors for your Indiana Wedding

It can be hard to pick the perfect wedding favors for your guests. If you’ve never been married before this might be the first time you have thought about wedding favors. But as a proud hoosier you don’t take the easy way out, you want your guests to be talking about your wedding for years to come. The most popular wedding favors are 3 things, Memorable, Personal, and Seasonal. With a winter wedding here in Indiana you have a lot of options for wedding favors but here are my 5 favorite winter wedding favors.

1.Handmade Soap

Homemade soap is a great gift! It’s so much better than the soap you can buy in the store, they last longer, smell better, are not full of chemicals, and go to help out someone local creating a product they believe in! Give your guests something they would only find in a boutique resort to remember your wedding by. And with scents like honey pine, every time they smell pine for years to come they will think of your wedding day. Fragrant Blossom Soaps in Noblesville has a ton of incredible scents for your wedding day!

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2.Booze

Winter is the perfect time to warm up with a little booze. From mini bottles of your favorite whiskey to your own home brewed oatmeal stout and even personal sized bottles of your favorite warm red wine your guests are sure to appreciate the added warmth for your chilly winter wedding! And if you want to make your own wine but don’t own a winery, no worries! Harmony Winery in Fishers offers personalized wines you can make for all your guests in a fun class!

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3. Personalized Artisan Coffee

What’s better on a cold winter morning than waking up with a warm cup of coffee. We all know the big brand coffee you buy at the store is essentially ground up dirty cardboard. Buying a few pounds of ground coffee from a local roaster is a cheap and delicious way for your guests to remember the morning after the wedding after they had 1 to many Hot Toddy’s or Old Fashions the night before! You can also do hot coco for the kids!

Check out Bee Coffee Roasters downtown Indianapolis who makes some of my favorite local coffee!

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4. Custom Cookies!

Growing up every year our family would spend one weekend over winter break to make more cookies than there were humans within a 20 mile radius. When it comes to winter and holidays cookies are essential! Head over to Rene’s Bakery on the northside of Indianapolis and try out some baked goods if they don’t have what you’re looking for on the menu they specialize in custom orders for your wedding day!

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5.POPCORN!

How could I have list of Indiana wedding favors without popcorn?! Just Pop In is new to Indy and it’s a hit! They have half a dozen flavors to bag up as great favors for your wedding guests. On top of the classics like cheese and caramel they even have unique flavors like Blueberry and Strawberry and they can put on a custom sticker with your wedding date on each and every bag! It’s sure to not only please the adults but also keep the kids busy while you’re busy dancing with all of your sorority sisters on the dance floor!

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3 Styles Of Wedding Photography And What They Mean For Your Wedding Day

There is a LOT of different styles of wedding photography out there. You’ve probably seen a lot of them yourself! Every wedding photographer has a different approach and process that's going to affect your experience and the end product.

Fun Fact: I originally went to film school to become a Cinematographer for movies before I discovered the creative freedom photography gave me! The way I do things differs because I don’t show up at your wedding with a shot list. I was trained to focus on emotion and storytelling through creative light and composition. I don’t want to take the same photos at your wedding as I would at every other wedding I shoot. Your relationship is unique and your wedding photos should be unique too!

Today let’s talk about the 3 main styles of photography you will find when looking for a wedding photographer.

#1: Natural Light Photographer

Natural Light photography can produce beautiful soft photos in the right conditions, but struggle in low light most common during receptions on the dancefloor like the first dance. Natural light photography would be better suited for an early outdoor reception. In summary Natural light photography is more about the way the photo is captured with the camera rather than the story the photographer is trying to tell.

As much as I love using my flash and getting creative, you can’t deny that sometimes natural light is the best choice.

As much as I love using my flash and getting creative, you can’t deny that sometimes natural light is the best choice.

#2: Commercial Wedding Photography

Highly styled photos where every detail of the day will be staged to create beautiful images, however it does require a larger block of time to capture portraits and the most interaction with you and the photographer on your wedding day. Sometimes upwards of 2-3 hours. In summary with Commercial Wedding Photography, most shots are arranged or posed with very few candids to maximize image quality over everything else.

The multi light set up took some preparation while the couple were inside dancing during their reception

The multi light set up took some preparation while the couple were inside dancing during their reception

#3: Documentary Wedding Photography

This typically means the day will be captured mostly as it happened in front of the camera in the effort to tell the story of your wedding day. The emphasis of the photography will be artistic composition and lighting. Documentary photography is mostly candid and lets you spend more time AT your wedding instead of ON your wedding. In summary, Documentary Wedding Photography requires the least interaction with the photographer as they try to capture the most natural beauty.

Documentary photography is trying to anticipate the action and create beautiful images with the availible surroundings.

Documentary photography is trying to anticipate the action and create beautiful images with the availible surroundings.

My process: Well through my training in film and tv shows my style of wedding photography is 80% Documentary 20% Commercial. I know that family and friends may have traveled long distances to be at your wedding and you want to spend time with them and celebrate. So I love the documentary approach to capture the genuine interactions you have with each other and your guests. At the same time, I love creating beautiful pieces of art that require a bit more time and effort to put together. I know you and your parents will want a beautifully framed photo of you two and the whole family. When it comes to portraits of you two my love of both styles really shines. Instead of posing you two in awkward positions I give you two prompts and games to create genuine and meaningful interactions.

When you work with me, you work with just me. No assistant answering my emails, no staff to hand you off to, no associate photographers, no shot lists. You’ve put your trust in me so I take care of you 100% of the way! I’ll offer my advice and expertise freely and use my creativity to tailor photos you wouldn’t even think possible. I’m not just a photographer, I’m a resource for you throughout your wedding journey!

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