The Full Wedding Photography Process

I recommend that you book your wedding photography 10 months to one year in advance of your wedding day. Last minute bookings are occasionally available though, so don’t hesitate to ask!

Yes and no. While planning your wedding day coverage with you, I’ll develop a list of photos I might not otherwise know to look for (for example, details you DIY’d, important people, etc), and I’ll have a general list of high priority images for various parts of your wedding day to improve my chances of getting everything that’s important to you. For things like family portraits, I will use a very specific list of images. I’m trying to strike a balance between check lists and organic spontaneity though, so I want to avoid a bloated list.

Absolutely. Every image I deliver will be processed to look its best. This typically means adjustments to color and tone, and in some cases light retouching.

Depending on the context of the image, I might remove some non-permanent blemishes and might slightly soften skin where it looks unnaturally rough. On portraits, I generally do not perform major cosmetic adjustments.

I will utilize AI non-intrusively throughout the editing process to help improve efficiency and make sure your images are delivered in a timely manner. In some cases I may also use generative AI to touch up images in ways that would be unrealistic otherwise, for example, to remove a trash can from a complex scene or sweat stains from a winkled dress shirt. Most likely you will never notice.  I will never send you a fully AI-generated image. It will always be the real you in the image.

Since every wedding is different, it’s not possible to determine with certainty how many images will be delivered, but there is no limit. In general, a team of two photographers will create around 100-150 images per hour.

Unlike many photographers, I am not just slapping a filter on the images and hitting send, therefore editing can take a little longer. The average turn around time for wedding photos is 4 to 8 weeks. It is sometimes quicker than this, and occasionally a little longer for weddings that pose unique technical challenges. I will always keep you in the loop when facing a delay.

This is a small team. Your photographer will either be William or Felipe, or both, and you will know at the time of booking who is in the lead role. I also work with a small network of associates who help out when needed.

Engagement sessions are included with some bookings as a courtesy. While you’re free to opt out of the engagement session if you like, I do not adjust the package price for that reason. If an engagement session is included with your booking, I recommend that you do it, even if you have already done one. However, if you and I worked on your engagement session and you choose to book a package which includes an engagement session, I can offset the price of your wedding package by the amount you paid for your engagement session.

I collect a 50% deposit at the time of booking, with the remaining payment due 10 days before your wedding date.

I accept check and ACH payments as well as credit and debit card payments. I recommend making digital payments with ACH in order to avoid credit card service charges. ACH payments run through the same secure portal as credit card payments, so I will never have access to your account details.

I have been doing this for a very long time, and it’s uncommon to come across a challenging venue I don’t know how to approach, so it’s rare that a visit to your venue is necessary prior to your wedding day, but it’s not unheard of. If your venue is on non-commercial property, is extremely large, or has some uniquely peculiar technical features, I might opt to pay the location a visit beforehand. If you want me to visit the venue even if I don’t think it’s necessary, this is a service you’ll pay a consulting fee for. Alternatively, if your venue is in my service area and you plan to do an engagement session with me, we can schedule the engagement session at the venue at no additional charge.

Cancellations are rare, but unfortunately they do happen occasionally. Your deposit and any money you already paid, sometimes referred to as a retainer, will be non-refundable. If your cancellation takes place more than 90 days before your original wedding date, the cancellation can happen without any further payments due. If you cancellation takes place less than 90 days in advance, I will do my best to rebook your wedding date, and if I am successful, no further payments will be due. However, if the date cannot be rebooked, you will still owe the remaining balance on your contract.

I don’t have any official blackout dates for engagement sessions, but weekends are typically unavailable. We might get lucky and find one we can work with, but it’s best not to bank on it.

I’ve photographed weddings across the United States and internationally, and love the adventure of discovering a new city. I always keep my passport up to date, so I can go wherever your wedding is taking place. For locations outside the DMV region in the United States, you will be responsible for paying for travel, meals and two nights at your destination. For international weddings, you will be responsible for four nights at your destination.  If you’re interested in bringing me along, reach out and I’ll be happy to discuss what’s involved in the process.

True-to-Life is an editing style that aims to evoke an authentic representation of the colors in your wedding images. Rather than aiming for strict color accuracy, the style enhances the natural tones in a way that feels both realistic and true to the experience of the day. For instance, fall weddings might have slightly exaggerated autumn hues in the trees, and the greens in lawns could be subtly shifted toward yellow to better capture what it felt like to be there. These adjustments are designed to reflect how the day felt in the moment, rather than just how it appears to a camera. Subtlety is key here—the editing is often so delicate that you may find it difficult to tell exactly what has been enhanced. One of the primary benefits of True-to-Life editing is the stylistic longevity it provides to the images by helping to inoculate them against the constant changes in wedding photography trends.