YOUR
QUESTIONS
ASK US ANYTHING
Choosing a wedding photographer is tricky so we've put together some of the most common questions we get asked. Hopefully it will answer some of your questions and give you a feel of what it's like to work with us.
If you have other questions you'd like to ask then drop us a message and we'd love to chat some more!
Q: HOW MANY WEDDINGS HAVE YOU PHOTOGRAPHED?
A: We’ve been doing weddings professionally for 7 years together and to date have covered over 150 weddings across the UK.
Q: ARE YOU INSURED?
A: Yes. We have public liability and professional indemnity insurance and can provide evidence to your venue on request.
Q: WHAT HAPPENS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY OR ILLNESS?
A: Hopefully that never happens but if it does, we’re part of a network of photographers who we can call on to provide cover as back up in an emergency.
Q: HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET OUR PHOTOGRAPHS?
A: We aim to give you a sneak peek of around 50-100 photographs with 48 hours of your wedding so you can share with family and friends. Your final gallery is usually delivered within 6-8 weeks of your wedding.
Q: DO YOU PROVIDE A SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER?
A: We work as double act so our full day package always includes the two of us (Natalie & Andrew) and you don’t need to pay extra for both! We work very well with each other and are very familiar with how the other works which makes us super efficient on the day!
Q: WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE?
A: We work with Sony and Nikon mirrorless cameras with a variety of prime lenses which cover most lighting situations. We both work with two cameras on wedding days and have enough lenses to cope with equipment failure!
Q: WHEN DO YOU LEAVE ON A WEDDING DAY?
A: If you’ve booked the full day package then we don’t have a specific end time – we don’t run off straight after the first dance! We try to capture a feel of the evening with plenty of the dancing/party (they always make great shots!) but we will discuss with you when we think we’ve captured enough without annoying the guests. We don’t want to drive your guests off the dancefloor and think we have a good feel of when to step back.
Q: DO YOU OFFER ENGAGEMENT SHOOTS?
A: Yes, you can add an engagement shoot to your package – it can be a good way to ease yourself into being photographed if you are uncomfortable and gives you a chance to meet us and get used to having us around. They can also make great photographs for wedding invitations.
Q: DO YOU CHARGE FOR TRAVEL?
A: Mostly no, if your venue is a more than 2 hours away (we currently live in Cheshire) then we might have an additional charge.
Q: HAVE YOU WORKED AT OUR WEDDING VENUE BEFORE?
A: We have worked at a range of venues and encountered most lighting scenarios that you could imagine! If we haven’t worked at your venue before then we’ve probably worked at one very similar! We plan carefully before we shoot at new venues to ensure we know where we want to shoot in advance, if we think we need to view it then we’ll visit the venue before the wedding day to familiarise ourselves with it.
Q: HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE TIMELINE OF THE DAY?
A: We have created a pre-wedding questionnaire which we send to couples about 6 weeks before the day and use this as a basis for our pre-wedding consultation. We’ll advise you what we think works best to ensure the photography doesn’t impact on your day as much as possible. We’ll ensure the flow and timing works for confetti, group photos, couple portraits, venue details before your guests are seated and candid photos of you celebrating with your guests. We want you to spend as much time with your guests as possible without worrying about how much time is taken up with photography.
Q: HOW MANY WEDDINGS DO YOU DO A YEAR?
A: We aim to do around 30 a year. We put a lot of effort and time commitment into each wedding and to ensure we can do a great job we limit the number we take on. Shooting a wedding can be very tiring so there’s only so many a photographer can take on and keep their standards up.
Q: DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR YOU?
A: While we appreciate having food provided, this is not an essential - we know meals can be expensive at weddings and we are happy to bring our own food!
Q: DO WE NEED TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS?
A: There’s two of us so we would say ‘yes’! However, we think it really makes a difference to the final set of photographs delivered as you get two angles on the same scene and the second angle can often be the best and most natural. One of the other main benefits is that it enables two locations to be covered at the same time such as guests arriving at the venue while the bride is still getting ready. We think we can read a situation well and if certain moments might feel like overkill to have both of us covering then one of us will step back. We try to be as discrete as possible throughout the day and have as little impact as possible as that is the way to get the most natural, candid photographs.
Q: HOW MANY PHOTOGRAPHS DO WE RECEIVE?
A: This depends on the number of hours coverage you have booked. Typically a full day will be at least 750+ delivered photographs. We take many thousands of photographs on the day and try to give you a full, well curated gallery of images that tells the story of your day.
Q: HOW EARLY SHOULD I BOOK A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER?
A: There is no hard and fast rule on this however certain key dates can get booked up 12-18 months in advance, so do act fast if you find the photographer you're looking for and you know your date is in demand, such as May and August bank holidays and early September dates.
Q: HOW MUCH TIME DO WE NEED TO SET ASIDE FOR PHOTOGRAPHS?
A: This will vary with each wedding and venue but it’s your day so it’s up to you based on what’s important to you! During the pre-wedding catch up we’ll look at your timetable and how many group shots you’d like and talk over the logistics (and how important it is to have photo helpers who can help round up your guests!). You’d be surprised how many people go AWOL when you need them! Most weddings set aside 30-60 minutes for this segment. In terms of couple portraits, we suggest you set aside at least 20 minutes usually after group photos and before your wedding breakfast. Couples often say this segment is a good time for them relax and enjoy a bit of time with each other as the day will pass by very quickly. If the weather is playing ball, we also like to use golden hour for those bonus shots in the best light and this is usually another 10-15 minutes just after your wedding breakfast!
Q: WHERE DO YOU COVER?
A: Although we are based in Cheshire, we cover weddings across the north and central England and cover the whole of the UK.
Q: HOW DO WE SECURE A BOOKING?
A: We request a £200 fee to secure your wedding date and the remaining balance is due 28 days before your wedding.
Q: WE DON’T LIKE HAVING OUR PHOTO TAKEN, IS that ok?
A: Yes, this is perfectly normal and very common! Lots of our couples say they don’t like having their photo taken (we don’t like having our photo taken either!). We try to be low key to help you feel comfortable, and usually start of with some nice and easy walking shots! We offer tips about what to do with your hands, where to look etc. and will always make sure we aren't putting you into poses you don’t want to do or that just don't match you as a couple! We want to capture you being yourselves and interacting with each other so it’s more a case of directing than posing. The style of photography we are aiming for is natural and relaxed so you’ll soon forget we are there!
Q: CAN WE HAVE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS?
A: Yes, if you would like any of your photos in black and white let us know. We tend to deliver our final galleries in colour but some images lend themselves better to a black and white edit so we use those when appropriate.
FIND US
Cheshire Wedding Photographers
Altrincham, Cheshire
m: 07854017135
e: natalie@natalierawdingphotography.com
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