What happens next?
You’ve made your first payment, signed on the dotted line (and are reading this!) and you’re all booked in. You won’t hear much from me until a bit closer to the day, but I am always available if you need me – just shoot me an email at anna@annawoodphotography.com. I’d love to help!
Your next payment is due six months before your wedding. If you’d like to check what’s owed, you can log back in to your portal on my website at any time. Your final payment will be due eight weeks before your wedding.
We will have a final chin wag to go over all your wonderful plans and make sure I know what’s happening (so I don’t miss any key moments!). I’ll send over a questionnaire at this point too, for you to fill in with all the nitty-gritty (that’s things like addresses, what group shots you’d like, and information about your other suppliers).
So you know, I’m also offering video as a new addition for 2023 and beyond. My videos are just as fun, happy and chilled out as my pictures, but they move! Various options are available to add video onto your package, so please do get in touch for more info if you’d like to find out more.
On the day itself
Some people find it handy to get an idea of what it’ll be like having me there on the day. There are some variables, but in general it goes a bit like this…
Prep
I usually cover around two hours of prep before the wedding. If you’re getting ready near each other, then this time could cover prep for both of you (we can chat more about this). If you’re further away from each other, you can ask me about having a second shooter (who would usually start one hour before the ceremony), or I’ll cover prep just for one of you. (If you do opt for a second shooter, they’ll always be someone I know who takes photos in a similar style to me and does it brilliantly!)
I’ll blend into the background, snapping photos of what’s happening. There won’t be any fuss, just chilled out photos of what’s going on – the giggles over hair and make-up, straightening ties and buttonholes, the expressions on people’s faces when they see you in your dress for the first time, that sort of thing.
The Ceremony
During the ceremony, us photographers are at the mercy of what the officiant/vicar allows. Please do check what their rules are before the wedding, so we avoid any nasty surprises on the day. I usually make contact with the vicar beforehand to introduce myself and ask about any specific requirements, but it’s also worth you checking this out reasonably early in your planning. (Some ceremony venues might have a list of guidelines they provide, which is super helpful!)
Group Photos
You’ll have told me on the questionnaire what group photos you want at the reception and will have designated a person or two to help out. We’ll whizz through these as quick as we can, so you can get back to having fun and eating good food with your guests!
The Meal
I will pause taking photographs whilst you are eating and have a little break until the plates are cleared. Please don’t worry about feeding me (or a second shooter, if applicable). Supplier meals are usually expensive and I prefer to bring a picnic and plan my own time. The only time it would be really helpful to be fed is if your wedding is in the middle of nowhere in the height of summer – the heat makes a car picnic a little tricky! If you feel you would really like to provide something, a nice cold cola and ice is always appreciated.
Portraits
Going for a ‘portrait’ session might sound scary – but it really isn’t! We will just got for a bit of walk and stop at different places to get some photos of the two of you. You’ll have a chance to chat about the day and debrief about the things that have happened so far and have a moment just to breathe and appreciate the day.
We won’t do much posing at all – just lots of laughing, walking, chatting, playing games and just having a great time on the best day.
The Speeches
I absolutely LOVE the speeches because it is one of the most personal yet funny parts of the day. I’ll be moving about a lot during these to get as much of the action as possible.
Sparklers and Smoke Bombs
It’s worth also mentioning – if you plan to have sparklers or smoke grenades, we are not insured to handle or direct the usage of them in any way. We can absolutely photograph you and your guests using them, just as long as we aren’t in charge.
The Dancing
As you probably know, the dancing is one of my favourote parts of the day! Once your guests start dancing, I will be right on that dancefloor with them capturing all the action. If you’re having a first dance, whether it’s a ‘look down and shuffle’ or a fully choreographed rotuine, I’ll be snapping away throughout.
I will scoot off at the end of your coverage time, but I’ll always say bye first. If you have opted for the 12+ hour package, I’ll stay well into the dancing and only leave once I’m satisfied I have plenty of great action shots.
What happens after the wedding?
As you dance the night away, I’ll tootle off home and back up your wedding photos to a couple of hard drives, as well as putting the original memory cards in a safe place. The photos are kept on the cards until I have edited the final gallery, so they’re super safe.
You’ll get a sneak peek of your photos within seven days via email. It’s totally fine to share this with family and friends – I’m sure they’d love to see some snaps!
I will email you the link, password and download PIN to your online gallery. When you log in, there are instructions as to how to access the photos, but if you need any help just let me know. There’s also 50% off all print orders over £50 for the first two weeks of the gallery being live (I’ll email you the offer code when I send the log in details).
When you’ve seen the photos, I’d love it if you could leave me a review! It really helps my little business grow. I’ll email you a link along with the gallery information.
Please feel free to pass photos on to your suppliers, for them to use on their website or social media. That’s completely fine with me! Just make sure they know that they must credit me wherever the photos are used. If it’s easier and you’d prefer to be out of the admin, you can ask them to contact me directly.
I’ll keep your wedding gallery open for at least 12 months. In that time, make sure you download your images and save them to at least three different places (maybe your own computer, an external hard drive and cloud storage) to make sure they are safe and sound.
I’m so looking forward to being part of your day! You’ll get all this information in my welcome pack which will arrive in the post shortly. If you want to read some more in the meantime, why not look at my blog about storytelling wedding photography.
