Photo shot while second shooting for Savannah Smith Photography: savannahsmithphotography.com
Happy Friday, y’all! It has been a while since I’ve done a wed-ucation post, so I wanted to do a little something fun for you today! Today’s post dives into what you can currently expect from my wedding experience! Right now, you can find a lot of these details on the weddings tab on my website, but I also wanted to dive even deeper into each point!
Now… I do anticipate that there WILL be some slight changes to this exact layout in the future, but I love this workflow now and I really do think that it helps my clients feel GOOD about their wedding planning, and later, relaxed on their day. That is always my goal! (So know that if you are reading this years in the future, there could be some slight differences these days! The changes will only be to improve the experience!)
I have to put a little disclaimer here: Planning a stress free wedding day does take work… a lot of work. BUT, it is so rewarding when you get to your day and realize that every I is dotted and T crossed. You’ll then be able to ENJOY everything you have planned, instead of stressing about the details and all that needs to get done.
I truly believe that the photography portion of your wedding day should be an amazing (and fun!!) experience, from initial inquiry to well beyond your day. Your wedding photography is an EXPERIENCE and not just a final gallery. I’m not someone that will show up to your wedding, day-of with camera in hand, without diving into any of the planning process with you. I want to know who you are as people and as a couple. I want to know what makes you laugh, what makes you uncomfortable and how your day is going to flow! We are going to spend SO much time together on your big day… we should feel like old friends, right?! It starts all before your initial inquiry!
So… what can you expect from your time as a CKP couple?! Let’s get started!
Initial Inquiry
Maybe we are Internet friends or you just stumbled upon my page in an Instagram or Google search. However you found me, I am so glad that you have chosen to get in touch! I am so honored to hear that you like my work and that you are interested in working together! There are a few different ways that you can contact me. The first is through my inquiry form and the second is through sending me a direct email at caity@caitkramer.com. Please try to include as many details as possible in your inquiry! I’m so looking forward to hearing from you!
From there, we’ll chat about your wedding date and details! I will determine if I am the right person to serve you during this season. From there, I’ll send a quick “get to know you” questionnaire email, and we’ll sign a contract and you’ll pay your retainer to reserve your date. So exciting!!! We are officially official! Welcome to the CKP Fam!
* I do tend to book up well in advance (usually 9-18 months in advance!). If you have been thinking of getting in touch with me, please don’t wait! I would love to chat while I still may have your wedding date available.*
Your Engagement Session
After reserving your date with me, we’ll start planning our very first date together: Your engagement session! During my busy season (Currently months May-November), I am only available to photograph engagement sessions during the week because my weekends are reserved for weddings or personal time with family and friends. I typically recommend booking your engagement session 2-3 months in advance because my dates do fill up rather quickly. I’ll provide you with some style tips and tricks ahead of time and am there every step of the way, should you have any questions.
I’ve written about this before, but I personally believe that your engagement session is one of THE most important steps in your wedding photography experience. It is so normal to feel a little weird in front of the camera, and this is where we shake off a lot of these nerves. It is also my chance to get to know you better as a couple! So, come wedding day? We already know each other, feel like old friends, and you are feeling like absolute pros in front of the camera! It is a win-win-win!
Image turnaround typically happens around the four week mark, so please keep this in mind if you are planning on using an image for your save the dates or wedding website. If your images are finished earlier, you will absolutely receive your gallery ahead of time!
Pre-Planning Breakdown
The countdown is ON!! This is typically how I start diving into the planning process with my clients:
6 Months: Check in!
I’ll send you a quick note to check in, answer questions and to let you know that I’ll be popping in and out of your inbox over the next couple of months as we work towards your wedding date!
5 Months: Timeline Prep
Let’s talk timeline!!! This is about the time that we start diving into the fun process of laying your timeline out. Like I mentioned before, I believe that your wedding photography experience should be more than just pretty photos! Which is why I love being part of the timeline process. I love ensuring that you have enough time to take the beautiful images that you have been dreaming of and still have a little bit of time left over to enjoy your day. We start timeline prep early to ensure that you have plenty of time to plan a day that you love and that you also have the time to communicate details to your wedding party, vendors, family, and anyone else that will be playing a part in your day.
If you have a planner that will be taking care of this, I’m more than happy to work with them on this task 🙂 Simply let me know that they will be taking this on and pass me their contact. We’ll work on your timeline together and will be in touch shortly after with your timeline!
8 Weeks: Your pre-wedding questionnaire
Time is flying! By now, I’m hoping that you have most of the big things set in stone! I’ll send you an email containing your pre-wedding questionnaire. This is my go-to document when it comes to all things related to your wedding day! It confirms important addresses for your day, vendor contacts and details, family information, wedding party names, honeymoon dates, and so many other details that are vital for me to know to execute photography on your day! My hope is that this simple questionnaire helps us avoid any crazy back and forth when it comes to the smaller details of your wedding day. I always love when my couples are super detailed with their questionnaire!
Approx. 6 Weeks: Your Family Formal List Prep
At this point, I’m hopeful that you have a good pulse on who will be attending your wedding! I’ll send you your family formal portrait prep document as soon as you get your questionnaire back to me. This is THE document that I will be working off of during your family portrait time. I do ask that you limit your family portrait time to immediate family only (Parents, grandparents, siblings and their spouses or significant others, nieces and nephews).
I’ll ask a question about family portraits in your questionnaire, and I’ll use your response to build out this family list! From there, I’ll need you to add in the names of your family members to ensure an easier time locating everyone at your wedding. If there are any combos that you would like to add in, this is the time to do it! I’ll go through when your list is complete to put it in an order that will allow us to release your family members as their time in front of the camera is complete. If you would like a photo with any extended family members, I recommend doing this during your reception!
2 Weeks: Confirm Details!
Can you even believe it?! Your wedding day is almost HERE!!! I am getting SO excited to spend your day with you!! This is our final official planning step before your day. 1-3 weeks before your wedding date, we’ll have a quick call to finalize all of your details! We’ll dive into your family portrait list to make sure that it is in the BEST order, will review your timeline and all applicable details. I’ll answer any lingering questions that you may have at this time too. Once we have everything confirmed, I want to encourage you to send a full copy of your timeline to ALL of your vendors that will be playing a part in your day!
Get excited!! Your wedding day is right around the corner.
Wedding Day!!!
Your wedding day is HERE, and I want you to know that you should ENJOY your day! You’ve done the prep work, and now, you get to celebrate the start of a brand new chapter with all of your favorite people and your brand new spouse. I am so excited to spend the day with you!
You can expect to see a sneak peek from your wedding on social media within 48 hours!
Gallery Delivery
I currently deliver all of your edited images online via an online gallery. Through your link, you’ll be able to download, print and share all of your images. You’ll also receive your print release through your online gallery! I always encourage you to share the link with your family and friends that may want to grab their copy of a family photo or the photo I shot of them on the dance floor.
Right now, my standard turnaround for your full wedding gallery is 4 weeks! After receiving your gallery, I recommend backing your images up in as many places as you possibly can. Definitely save the full sized files on a cloud based storage platform and on a hard drive too. A solid state drive is your safest bet for an external drive!
If this got you so excited to book your wedding coverage, send me a note through this form or learn more about my wedding experience here! I am currently booking for 2019, 2020, and beyond!
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