Have passport – will travel!   

Please chat to me about your plans and I will more than happily bespoke a quotation based on your requirements.  Please note that in these instances travel costs and accommodation & logistics would be inclusive. 

Locally, the first 80km of the round-trip is inclusive.  Beyond that, a R4/km rate applies.

Where necessary, if your wedding is further than 100km from Somerset West I will ask that you put myself and assistant / second shooter and or team (when relevant) up in a nearby B&B or ideally at the venue. This is a smart move because, after a long day of shooting at far away venues, the rural roads can be unsafe and after all, I am travelling with your precious memories!  All of the above will be taken into consideration and quoted. 

Loads!

I like to work very closely with you on your timeline as this can make or break your day – and anyways when doing this first time around, how on earth are you supposed to know what you are in for?!

We will discuss at length what you have in mind for your day and from there I’ll help you work that into something manageable & enjoyable! Especially that crucial time between ceremony and reception!

Each wedding is unique and I believe so should your timeline be however there are a number of things that apply to all that are worth taking into consideration.  For now, here are few points to ponder on:

Do you have a Planner?  I can 100% relate to DIY however a Planner/co-ordinator is worth their weight in gold.  You don’t want to be concerned with anything other than enjoying your day, and celebrating with your hubby to be and all your loved ones, and if I tell you this once or a zillion times leading up to your day, it goes by in a flash – so hear me when I say this.  Put your trust in someone who can deliver your vision and then let it go & enjoy!  For the same reason book your vendors accordingly and do the same.

Chat to your venue regarding timing – in all likelihood they already have a guideline in place that they can offer you to work from – one that works with them and their kitchen.  We will then build on that, to settle on something that works for everyone involved and covers everything you were hoping for and more.

*Wherever possible try and get ready at your venue.  I can assure you after years of all sorts of logistics, every wedding I’ve ever photographed this way has resulted in a much more relaxed bride & groom on the day!  The amount of logistical stress this alleviates is priceless!  Oh and best of all is to be able to hear the sounds of the build-up around your ceremony times draws nearer, it’s oh so exciting!  One of my fondest memories of this was with Emma @ Cellars Hohenhort were all through her preparation the 6 piece string quartet that Andy had organized were warming up for the ceremony down at the Palm Arch in the gardens below and so we found ourselves serenaded by Mozart, and it was utterly romantic and completely exhilarating!

Have your hair & make-up done on site.  I do not recommend having to head off to the salon for these – 9 times out of 10 you will run into delays due to unforeseen circumstances.  Oh and on that note we are so spoilt for choice when it comes to the incredibly talented professionals in and around CT (note professionals – yes I highly recommend booking a pro, you want to continue looking & feeling radiant throughout your day and well in to the wee hours of the morning, not just for your I-do’s!)  Please chat to me and I will gladly recommend a hair & make-up artist best suited to you.

Start thinking about who you want in your family formals – these are necessary, but they can become very timeconsuming if broken down into smaller numbers.  I will always suggest consolidating these into extended and immediate family groups rather than individual couples as you want to allocate no more than 20min or so for these shots – the prize at the end is being able to then build in time to spend candidly enjoying a celebratory glass of bubbles with your guests at pre-drinks before heading off for your private sessions.

Timing is key – if you are wanting a romantic golden hour shoot, then we need to work your timeline around that.  All too often sunset coincides with speeches or starters.  There are of course ways around this and we will look at all the options available to us to settle on the best solution for your day.

There will be much to talk about and many ideas to play with and I look forward to having these conversations with you!

I’m there for you 100% – its all about you & your guests on the day and we communicate throughout. 

I plan my wedding days with my couples & their planner/venue over email and/or in person in advance and then send through a very detailed Shotlist & Timeline that I urge you to both familiarise yourselves with – this so that we know what we are working towards on the day, that way you can remain relaxed and enjoy the experience to the fullest.

If you are having fun, I am having fun and that will reflect in your wedding photographs.

I generally shoot alone and prefer it this way but if your wedding requires it we will call in a second shooter.  I may choose to have an assistant with me on the day – again I will make the call on this depending on the size & requirements of your celebration. 

After shooting and being on our feet for anything from 5-12 hours it is always so appreciated that you make sure we are taken care of just as any other guest would be.  Thirst is insatiable – so access to water & soft drinks is a must, please.  When it comes to meals, I am happy to take my meal at a supplier table or nearby and I’m happy to chat through these logistics with you to find an easily workable scenario.  I, unlike many others, would urge you not to seat me alongside your guests – I personally find this very disruptive to their evening.  So long as I am close by to ensure I can keep a watchful eye on the action, I’m happy.  Thank you!

By all means, show me what lovely ideas, mood boards & inspiration you have found, be it here on my site, on Social Media or on everyone’s all-time favorite Pinterest.  This is a good way for you to visually express what you have in mind so that we are in the same headspace.  I will always bear those in mind however let’s go out there and make your own memories, capture your own unique moments and tell your wonderful story!

I work alone – a bit of a control freak like that but I am the artist you chose to trust with your visual memories and I therefore always strive to deliver on my promises. Care takes time. Simple put.  For weddings, I work on an average of 8 weeks in season and family sessions up to 4.  I will always strive to better this but will be sure to keep you up to speed should I experience any delays.

I still after all of these years can’t bring myself to outsource – one day I hope to connect with the right team to rely on for certain editing or design elements but thus far have not found those efforts to be satisfactory so for right now it’s still all on me and whilst I do love it, its hugely time-consuming when doing it properly.  Sleep deprivation is not uncommon to most of us!

Thanks to Jacki for a refreshingly honest blog she wrote on why it takes so long for your album to be delivered, in that I came across this illustration which helps to put things into perspective – ISPWP only based this on feedback from 50 photographers, in all honestly I think if they had taken it broader the actual percentage of shooting time would have dipped closer to 10%!