Your wedding investment is no different from any other financial investment you'll make. We want you to feel reassured about who and what you’re investing in. So we've put together a a list of our most frequently asked questions from couples who have been or are in the same or similar position as yourselves.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch with you within a few hours with our availability and pricing!
GENERAL QUESTIONS
What equipment do you use?
We use professional Nikon DSLR cameras, coupled with several top of the range professional lenses, and a host of lighting gear and modifiers.
Do you have insurance?
Yes we have liability insurance, which can be provided for any venue that requires it.
Where are you based out of?
We’re based out of East London in Essex.
Are you willing to travel out of Essex for our wedding?
Yes! We love both local and and nationwide weddings. Be it a few hours drive or a flight to your destination. We’re ready and willing to travel anywhere for your big day.
There are different photography rates for local (in and around M25) versus non-local weddings. Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us , or fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch with you within a few hours with our availability and full pricing.
Do you do other types of photography besides weddings?
Yes, we specialise in portraits and lifestyle photography and we believe these types of photography compliments wedding photography. We believe the only way to continue to grow and stand out is to be open minded and try different types of photography. That being said, we bring 100% focus and professionalism in all our projects and work.
Do you provide video services as well?
No, not currently.
What would you say is your style of photography?
Our approach and style to photography is to tell and document the people and place in a natural way, while composing photographs that are simple yet strong and genuine. By this we mean capturing moments in an unobtrusive but personal way, colourful and focusing on the candid shots without forgetting about the details and traditional portraits.
MEETING QUESTIONS
What are your normal office hours for a meeting?
We will do our best and try to be flexible and accommodating to our couples’ schedule, the best times for us to have a meeting are usually during weekday evenings from 6-9PM. We can also meet on weekends (Sundays preferably) in the afternoons provided we’re available.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form to schedule a consultation.
We hope to hear from you soon!
We hope to hear from you soon!
Can we have a virtual or phone meeting instead?
Yes! We can set up a Skype, FaceTime or Google Hangout meeting, or even a phone call with you and your fiancée/fiancé. These days, over half of our meetings are actually virtual or over the phone, it makes things much easier for our couples.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form to schedule a consultation, we look forward to meeting you and your future spouse in the very near future!
What information should we have ready before our meeting?
There’s no set list, but at the very least the info requested on the contact form: wedding date and venue, a rough idea of what photography package you have in mind, and most importantly, willingness to share with us your story and wedding day plans!
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form to find out our availability and pricing!
We're already interested in booking you, do we still need to have a meeting?
We never take for granted the feeling of being hired before having a chance to put faces to names, thank you!
Next steps will be to make things official and secure your date by signing the photography agreement and a 40% deposit. Following this, we'll be honoured as your wedding photographer to start talking about your big day and plan your engagement session (should you like to have one)
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form to take the next step, we look forward to connecting with you and your fiance!
BOOKING QUESTIONS
We'd like to book you, what do we need to make everything official?
Thank you! We’re honoured to work with you as your wedding photographer. To make everything official and secure your date, you’ll need to determine the photography package of your choice, complete and sign our online contract, and pay the 40% deposit.
Our Client Manager will assist you with every step outlined and details documented in emails to ensure there’s no surprises or miscommunication.
We're interested in booking you but aren't quite ready yet. How long can you put a soft hold on our wedding date?
By default, all bookings are on a first come, first serve basis (signed contract and 40% deposit). That being said, we appreciate that it is a huge commitment and an important decision for our couples when deciding on their wedding photographer, and we want you to take as much time as you need.
A soft hold on your wedding date can be arranged after an in-person or virtual meeting for up to 5 days. The date will be released and open again, unless we receive further notification by you.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch with you within a few hours with our availability and pricing!
PRE WEDDING QUESTIONS
What can we expect from you between the time of the booking and our wedding day?
We’ll be working with you and keeping the communication lines open at all times should you have any questions for us.
Of course if you would like us to organise your engagement shoot, we will be in touch to help prepare for the day and put together some ideas for the shoot. That said, we will schedule a meeting 5-3 weeks before your wedding to review the flow of the day, suggest some help tips and go over the final details.
What happens if after we book you, you're not able to photograph our wedding?
Thankfully, we have not missed any wedding dates and proud of our 100% attendance record. Once a wedding is booked with us we will do all we can to ensure we honour the agreement. Your wedding day is our priority and we are committed to you when you choose to work with us. Should something catastrophic (God forbid) happen to yours truly Stan, we have a network of experienced photographers who would do an admirable job.
Again, should it happen that we cannot perform this agreement due to a fire, casualty, strike or other civil disturbances, Acts of God, including but not limited to, road closures, severe traffic, fire, terrorism or other causes beyond the control of the parties, we return any money paid by the client.
Please rest assured we’ve never come close to missing a wedding, but do have contingency plans if that were to ever happen.
ENGAGEMENT SESSION QUESTIONS
Is it necessary to do an engagement session?
We highly recommend doing an engagement session, it’s not mandatory with us but it helps us to develop a chemistry between couples and the photographer ahead of the big day. That said, we understand there are circumstances that can limit the chance of this happening, especially if your have busy work schedule, or live far from each other.
From our experience most couples decide to have an engagement session, usually few hours shoot about 2-3 months to their wedding day.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form if you have additional questions about an engagement session or interested in scheduling one with us!
What are the pros and cons of doing an engagement session?
The pros are: you get to work with your photographer prior to the wedding, be comfortable in front of the camera (super helpful if you or your fiance is camera shy), have some lovely photos of you two that you can use in a variety of ways (save the date cards, wedding website, prints at the wedding, etc.)
The cons are: possibly having to take some time off of work for the shoot and investing a bit more into your photography collection. We think the pros far outweigh the cons, but there’s definitely no wrong choice.
Please give us a call 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form if you have additional questions about an engagement session or interested in scheduling one with us!
How long will our engagement session be?
Typically it’s anywhere from 2-3 hours. We think anything less than two hours is way too short, as usually the first 20-30 minutes is just warming up to the camera. Plus if you’d like to get a variety of photos and go to multiple locations with an outfit change or two, then it’s necessary to allot more time.
And if you’d like to get both late afternoon/early evening shots (when lighting is the best) plus creative night time portraits, we recommend around 4-5 hours. This allows us to get the best of both worlds without rushing things.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form if you have additional questions about an engagement session or interested in scheduling one with us!
What should we wear for our engagement session?
From our experience (not to say we are fashion stylists), we do recommend bold, solid colours. A few stripes and patterns are okay provided they don’t distract from the main focus (you and your fiance!). Complementary colour combinations also work well; try to avoid holiday or “interesting” colour combinations, i.e. red, white and blue or yellow and black. In general, treat your e-session like going on a date. It can be as fancy/formal or laid back/casual as you’d like, and the clothes you wear should reflect that.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form if you have additional questions about an engagement session or interested in scheduling one with us!
How much direction and guidance do you give during your engagement sessions?
We prefer your engagement session images, not be overly posed but at the same time we’ll give you lots of direction and guidance. Our goal when it comes to posing (both at the e-session and on the wedding day) is to have you and your partner look as natural as possible while capturing some beautiful images.
We’ll be constantly communicating with you both throughout the entire shoot and providing directions. We want the images to look natural and for couples to feel great and relaxed.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form if you have additional questions about an engagement session or interested in scheduling one with us!
WEDDING DAY QUESTIONS
How many hours of photography coverage do we need?
We prefer to document and capture as complete the story of your wedding day as possible. That being said, we typically shoot from getting ready through to the reception and from our experience we know that no one wedding is the same, where some will be shorter and others longer.
Although we’re happy to stay as late as you’d like, we normally say our farewells once all the important aspects is done and about half an hour into when the dance floor opens. On average, and depending on your chosen wedding package or on a pre-agreed upon time schedule, we’re at a wedding for about 8 hours. No matter what, we’re more than happy and ready to stay at your wedding for as long as you like.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch with you within a few hours with our availability and pricing!
How much photo-related direction/guidance do you provide on the wedding day?
Our intentions is to capture your wedding day in an unobtrusive and distraction-free manner. We’ve found that our couples and their loved ones are in their true, raw, real elements when we’re more of a “fly on the wall” rather than constantly giving directions or asking to redo something.
However, we’ve found that at every wedding, our couples and their loved ones are usually seeking direction/guidance from us, especially when it comes to the camera-aware/posed photos like couple/bridal party portraits and family formals. And we’re more than happy and willing to provide them.
Such as where to put our hands, where to stand, which direction to turn our bodies, lining all the subjects in the best order, etc. Our goal is to give just the right amount of directions and guidance to get the best images, so everyone can go back to enjoying the day, and we can continue capturing those amazing candids!
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch with you within a few hours with our availability and pricing!
I don't want to spend forever taking family formals, how long do they normally take?
We’re on the same page as you! On average, we won’t spend longer than 45 minutes of total time taking family formals. About a month before your wedding, We’ll normally insist you write up a very short shoot list of about 8 formal shots, and on the day, arrange for the wedding coordinator or MC to help gather necessary guests for the pre-arranged photographs. That way, we can conduct the family formals in an efficient and pleasant manner and have more time for more creative portraits of the bride, groom and the bridal train.
We see you mainly focus on the moments and portraits of a wedding day.
Do you also take details photos?
Do you also take details photos?
Yes most certainly! We understand how much thought and money you’ve put into carefully choosing all your details, and we want to make sure we photograph all of them in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible. We’ll always be looking for details throughout your wedding day!
Do you work with a second photographer and/or assistant on the wedding day?
For most of the weddings we photograph, it'll be yours truly as the main photographer and sometimes an assistant or main and second photographer. We’ve found that depending on the type and logistics of a wedding, it may or may not be beneficial for the couple to invest in a second photographer.
For example, if you want coverage of the guys getting ready and cocktail hour, more angles/perspectives during the ceremony and reception, and if there’s not much time for the main photographer to get details (among other things), we recommend including a second photographer in your wedding package.
But if the wedding is pretty intimate with a small number of guests (roughly 150 or less), everything is at one location, and there’s sufficient time to capture details (among other things), we’re confident a single, main photographer will be able to tell a comprehensive story of the day.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch with you within a few hours with our availability and pricing!
Is there a limit to the number of photos you take at a wedding? Of that how many do we get?
There’s no limit to the number of photos we take at a wedding and give to our couples. However, the number of images a couple will get is based on their chosen package. Couples can expect to get between 400 - 600+ images.
Naturally, the more time we have for couple/bridal portraits, the more happy and not stressful moments that are taking place, the less driving between locations, and waiting for family and friends to be in the formals photos, the more images we’ll be able to take and give to our couples.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch with you within a few hours with our availability and pricing!
POST WEDDING QUESTIONS
How soon after our wedding can we expect to see the photos?
You can expect to see a sneak peek of your wedding photos (about a handful) a few days afterwards, maybe sooner (on our Instagram feed).
Then about 4-6 weeks later (sometimes sooner), you’ll then receive a link to a password-protected online gallery filled with all of your high-res, edited JPEG files, from the getting ready to the reception.
Since we want to carefully go through all the images taken and remove the outtakes (someone blinking or not ready for the camera, test images, etc.), plus we want to give ample amount of love and care in color correcting/editing every single one of the images you’ll get, it takes a few weeks after your wedding all the photos to you. But we promise it’ll be worth it!
How will we be able to view, share, and obtain our wedding photos?
It takes about 4-6 weeks after your wedding to fully color correct/giving some TLC to all your images, we’ll have them up on a private online gallery for you and your future spouse to relive your special day!
We’ll be sending you a link and password to not only view and download the high-res, edited digital files, but also share with your family and friends and order professional prints of your wedding photos . By default, this gallery will be online up to 6 months after your wedding. Please make sure to download and back up all your images before then.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form and we can send you links to full galleries of recent weddings, so you can see exactly the photos our past couples received.
Do you do any colour correcting/editing to the images before we receive them?
We always strive to get the best image possible when we capture it in the camera. But all photos can use some editing, and that’s what we do to all of yours. Since there are hundreds to a thousand plus images to edit, it takes a good 3-4 weeks to go through them all individually and do the colour correction.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us or fill out the contact form and we can send you links to full galleries of recent weddings, so you can see exactly the photos our past couples received.
Is there an extra charge for this service?
No. All reasonable editing is carried out on a complimentary basis. Note however that digital manipulation, which is very different from editing, will come at an additional charge.
We're planning on ordering an album for ourselves but want to get a copy for our parents. Do you also provide them?
Yes! As much as we love putting together a beautiful wedding albums for our couples, we’ve found that doing so for their parents is special in a completely different way.
We can only imagine how excited and happy your folks would be when they get a beautiful book filled with moments, portraits, and details from your wedding. We can create the same design and sized as the main one for your parents, or completely start from scratch with different photos and a smaller or larger book.
Please note, albums normally take about 9-12 weeks from placing your order till delivery at our end.
Please give us a call at 07443994099, email us , or fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch with you within a few hours with our availability and pricing!
Do we own the copyright to our photos and what are we allowed to do with them?
Per the contract, we actually both own the copyrights to your wedding photos. But you’re more than welcome/have the rights to share, print, give away, use, and essentially do anything you’d like with your wedding photos provided it’s not for commercial/monetary usage.
If you decide to sell your wedding photos or use them in a profitable/commercial way, then we’ll both need to fill out and sign a separate contract agreement.
What do you intend on doing with our wedding photos?
Aside from a few dozen of our favourites, all of which will be web-sized only, we won’t ever give away/share your photos to other vendors without your consent. Rest assured keeping your identity, reputation and any other sensitive information secure is our top priority.
Anything questions we've missed, email us info@sawukuphotography.com