To print or not to print...?

That's one of the most important considerations after your wedding is over.  Do you want a physical book or print of your best wedding photos?

It's really popular today to get your USB with all of your photos from your wedding photographer and do the printing yourself.  This is always an option, but please consider the following four things before you decide not to get photos or albums printed with your wedding photographer:

1.  Generic printers, such as the ones at Walmart, Walgreen's, and Kinko's, just won't cut it when it comes to high quality prints.  They tend to be overly saturated, with the blacks much to dark and obscuring the details in the photos.  Costco and Sam's do have professional grade printers, but the best way to get the print you want is to print through me.  I know what high quality looks like, and if it's not good enough for me, I won't send it to you.  It'll be done right, or I'll have it redone until I'm satisfied.

Another thing to consider here is that the actual quality of the print from other printers isn't meant to stand the test of time.  Professionally done photo books are printed with ink and paper that are built for the long haul.  My photo books will be museum-quality family treasures for years to come.

2.  If you buy from me when you first make your contract with me, you'll get a big discount.  Getting professional quality items costs a lot of money, but I can give you a much better deal when you've done the entirety of your wedding business with me.

And not only that, but buying ahead of time means that after your wedding, all the work is over!  No more decisions to make or photos to organize.  Just enjoy your newlywed status and I'll handle the photo album organization for you.

3.  Getting a USB is so convenient...until you lose it.  Photo albums are always easily accessible, and a solid physical option to save your beautiful pictures forever.

Now, you'll want that USB with your high quality originals in it, too.  But back it up!  Save it to at least one other place outside of that little USB drive.  If you ever completely lose your pictures, your photographer will have them backed up somewhere.  But they'll charge you for their time and access to pull your photos from their archive.  Keep it safe and make copies!

4.  One more reason to use me for your printing: we can discuss sizing, printing type, layouts, how and where in your home you want to display, and anything else we need to go over to be sure you're getting exactly what you want.

Do you know how big a 20" by 30" print really is?  Is it going to look great on your wall, or get lost in the decor?  Should we crop some photos differently from their original look for the display you're going for?  All of these decisions are things I can help you figure out, and get them right the first time.  Why spend extra money on physical prints that aren't exactly what you want?  Let me make sure your wedding photos are perfect, from engagement to final display.

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Check out a few photos of one of my favorite wedding items, the classic lay-flat photo album:

My Five Most Frequently Asked Questions

1.  How many images can I expect to see from my wedding?
 
Answer:  600+ images.  But there's more to consider...

There are three major things that will affect how many images I get from your wedding and am able to give to you: How many people are in attendance at your wedding?  How long do you have me?  How many photographers did you hire?









I don't actually have a cap on how many pictures I shoot during your wedding.  I'll take as many as I can during the wedding and catch all of your beautiful moments.  Once back in my studio and processing your pictures, I will see how many good quality images I've taken.  And if you hire me with a second photographer, I will have a lot more images to look over.  Once I've looked through everything, if I think there are more than 600 images that look great, I'll give you all of them!

2.  Are the images edited, and if so, how much?

Answer:  Yes, but here's how I do it...

There are three main components to my editing style: color calibration, cropping, and minor blemish control on the bride and groom only.

My goal as a photographer is to shoot everything right the first time, and make the images as perfect as possible in the camera.  And it's very important to me that I give you images that look like you.

3.  Do I have copyright release for the images? 

Answer:  Yes, but there's more to it than that...

You don't actually own full copyright, I do.  However, you have full permission to use the images for printing and for sharing on social media.  So share with your friends and family!

4.  How long will you spend with us on our wedding day and before? 

Answer:  Depends on the package you choose, and I'll help you make the right choice...

Every package you buy with me comes with an initial consultation with me.  This is when you officially book me for your wedding and we go over the plans for your big day.  You will also meet up with me for a pre-wedding consultation just 2-3 weeks before your wedding day.  We'll finalize the schedule, the wedding timeline, and any details we need to cover to be sure you've booked me for the right amount of time.  I work hard in the planning stage to be sure no one ever feels short on time on their wedding day, so no one needs to ask for additional hours the day of.

And on the day of, we've already talked about everything and you're ready to enjoy your wedding day.  I'll show up about 30 minutes before the wedding starts to be sure I'm ready when everything gets underway.

5.  What happens if you're sick on my wedding day? 

Answer:  I'll have to have one foot in the grave to miss a wedding, but...

I will always be at your wedding, unless I'm on my deathbed.  However, if an absolutely unavoidable emergency arises, I have a strong network of photographers I can call upon.  These are people that I trust that could replace me on your wedding day shoot.  But even if I have someone else shoot your wedding day, I will personally review, edit, and prepare all of your wedding photos.