Reserve and commission our professional photography services for your carmel or monterey wedding

High school senior portraits, engagement photos, baby, and newborn photographs

faq index and info about your upcoming carmel wedding Return to the F.A.Q. INDEX

how to reserve and commission our services

Q: OK, I'm sold. I want to reserve you for our upcoming event but what exactly do I do to make this happen?

A: As described below, the process only requires three simple steps:

step one bullet Complete our Check Availability Form. We'll reply back to confirm that we're available on your event date(s).

step two bullet Determine which of our photography service packages best fits your needs (e.g., "Peak" (Friday-Sunday) event package, discounted "Off-Peak" (Monday - Thursday) photo package, or perhaps something else described via our catch-all "a-la-carte" pricing).

step threebullet Submit the applicable deposit via our Secure Payment Portal.

» That's it!  After you complete the above steps you're good to go in our book. However, there are of course a few other items left to do but at least after you complete the above three steps you may rest easy knowing that you're 100% reserved and in our master reservations calendar.

 

Q: Just those three steps above? That's it?! Surely there must be more to the reservation process; isn't there?

A: Yes and no.  Strictly speaking, in terms of *reserving* your event so that the date is officially secured in our calendar, yes, following those three simple steps is all you need to do...that's it! 

However, in terms of if there are any *additional* steps that you'd need to between between the time you made the reservation and the date of the actual event...no, those three steps do not comprise everything you'll need to do.  In particular, you will still need to complete the following:

step four bullet We would ask that you complete our required New Client Questionnaire so that we not only have all the pertinent details of your event but also that we may better understand you and your style a little better.

5) STEP FIVE:  If you happen to be a client that reserved a peak photography package that includes a credit for an Off-Peak Photo Shoot (e.g., either a pre-wedding "engagement" shot or perhaps a post-wedding "trash the dress" session), we would ask that you complete our Off-Peak Photo Session Reservation Request Form for Existing Clients as soon as possible.  This way we can get you scheduled and placed on our master reservations calendar.

6) STEP SIX: At your leisure, we recommend that all our new clients take a few moments to complete our optional "Must-Have & Special Request" Questionnaire. This form allows us to understand which shots, if any, are of more importance to you than others. Please complete this questionnaire no later than two-weeks before your event.

7) STEP SEVEN: No later than 7-days before the date of your event, any balance due on your account must be paid in full. To do so, either: (a) use our Final Payment Form for non-California clients or, in the alternative, for California clients.  FYI, in addition to paying any balance due on your account, you may also upgrade your event package should you need our photography services for longer than originally envisioned (subject to availably).

 

Q: To help me better estimate how many hours I need to book with you, what's a "typical" wedding schedule like?

A: Accurately estimating the amount of time you'll be needing us at your event is often quite a challenge. Realizing of course that each event is unique, many prospective clients ask for a "typical" wedding timeline for planning purposes so here you go:

» 2 hours - Wedding rehearsal (optional)
» 2-3 hours - Bridal shoot (day before event, around sunset)
- - -
» 1-2 hours - Bride & Groom preparation
» 1 hour - Group Shots (fyi, it typically takes about 30-minutes per 15 group shots)
» 1 hour - Wedding Ceremony, Marriage Certificate Signing, & other transitions
» 45-minutes to 1-hour - Romantic Bride & Groom shots (sunset is ideal)
» 3-4 hours - Reception, Bouquet Throw, Cake Cutting, Dancing, etc.

 

Q: I'm still not sure how many hours I should book you for.  Are there any "rules of thumb" that you can share?

A: Absolutely! The first general rule is that for weddings with more than 100 guests, you'll need to book at least an 8-hour service package. Conversely, for weddings with between 50-100 guests, I'd recommend booking a package of no less than 6-hours.

In terms of the most "basic" wedding scenario I can honestly conceptualize, the bottom-line fewest number of hours necessary to shoot an event would be four (4). Some of you you may think this is overkill but I can assure you it truly is not. Given that, you may wonder why we even offer the 2 and 3-hour packages. Again, although we strongly recommend that clients book us for no fewer than 4-hours for their upcoming wedding or special event; we nevertheless offer the 2 and 3-hour packages for those who simply have no other option but to keep costs to a minimum and acknowledges that large swaths of their event will not be documented properly as a result.

Backing up just a touch, the above recommendations are of course assuming you'll have us shoot at only one location for both the main event/wedding ceremony as well as any secondary event/reception. If you want shots away from the main event (e.g., shots down at the beach, overlooking the gorgeous Bixby Creek Bridge in Big Sur, or other key locations), be sure to tack-on the travel time to/from that secondary location.

 

Q: Tell me more about paying for your services. What is the "deposit" all about and when is the balance due?

A: To guarantee our services at your event we require a $500 "Professional Services Deposit" for all of our "Peak" (Friday-Sunday) wedding/special event packages. Our "Off-Peak" (Monday-Thursday) photo packages only require a $200 and $400 deposit for the 1 and 2 hour packages, respectively. Additionally, for individual with a California billing or shipping address, sales tax (8.25% of the total fee) is due at the time you reserve our services ("California Sales Tax Deposit").

The remaining balance of our professional service fee is due no later than seven (7) days before your event.  Please see our Re-Booking and Cancellation discussion for more information.

In terms of what methods of payment we accept, we highly recommend you use your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card via our Secure Payment Portal powered by Google Checkout. Alternatively, you may also submit payment by money order or personal check (simply mail the applicable payment to us). Note, due to the first-come-first-served nature of our services, we've unfortunately had clients fail to secure a reservation with us due to their decision to pay by check (e.g., during the delay of mailing payment, another client paid via credit card and locked-in the date).

 

faq index and info about your upcoming carmel wedding Return to the F.A.Q. INDEX