FAQs & Pro Tips.
Magic doesn’t just happen.
We work together to make it.
Your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life—and planning a wedding can be daunting.
You’re sure to have a few questions as you plan… Hand-in-hand with your wedding planner and designers, we’re here to help guide you along the way.
True wedding artistry, with Bellocq.
We do our best to let the day unfold as it is, with little interference or direction. This is where your true authentic story is told.
But we also want those “holy shit!” shots. The ones that make you put your hand over your mouth in awe.
This is where the real magic is.
It doesn’t happen by accident. Thoughtful prep, planning, timelines, location scouting, and styling all come together to create it.
FAQs
What is your pricing?
We’ve learned over the years that every wedding is different and comes with its own set of unique needs. Too many photographers try to fit you into their neat little packages, many times with things you don’t need, and not enough of what you do (unlimited hours of coverage, for instance).
Because of this, while we have packages as guidelines, we quote every wedding, elopement, and portrait session on an individual basis. That said, our full service wedding collections begin at an investment of $8000.
Our micro-wedding and small elopements start at $4000 for half-day coverage, including stylized portrait session.
Contact us and we will gather the information that we need from you so we can go over a specific outline of your investment once we know more about your needs.
How do I book my wedding date?
Once you’ve selected your wedding venue and date, and we’ve determined your collection, we will send our standard photography contract for your review. We ask that you return your signed contract within a week to ensure your date remains available. Once we receive your contract and the 50 percent photography retainer, your wedding date is officially booked! The final balance is due four weeks prior to your wedding date.
Do you offer videography?
Yes! Many of our offerings include full videography with many cinematic style ranges, depending on your aesthetic and creative vision.
What happens if you get sick or have some sort of emergency right before the wedding?
This has fortunately never happened in over 350+ weddings (knock on wood)—but it is always something worth planner for, as are all worst-case-scenarios in wedding planning. Leading up to a wedding, we plan our lives carefully to ensure our health is in top form and that we have ample travel time. But still, we are all human, and bad things can happen to us at any time… should unforeseen circumstances prevent us from attending your wedding, we have multiple colleagues in our network on stand-by who can step in and give you the same quality and service without skipping a beat. Alternatively, we would return your full investment and allow you to make your own arrangements if you so choose.
Okay, but what about “you”… all this other information is cool, but what are YOU like?
Hah.. great question! It’s important you have the right vibe with your photographer; after all, we’re the ones who will be with you the most out of anyone else on your wedding day. 12+ hours with someone you don’t really like is just… not ideal. :)
So, I was born in the 80’s, which I guess now means I’m old. I was a punk rock kid in my teens and have played in bands all my life.
I’m into art and music and film, and exploring abandoned places as much as natural ones.
I love travel, whether it’s locally or somewhere on a map I’d never heard of before booking the flight.
I love a good dive bar. The poorly-lit, the better. I love hearing people’s stories. I love hearing love stories, which is why I love shooting weddings so much.
My couples never cease to amaze me, even after all these years. It never gets old to me.
I’m endlessly grateful for what this job has given me, and endlessly thankful for the couple who trust me to be the one to tell their love story.
What is your approach in capturing the wedding story?
I began my photography career as a photojournalist back in the day; so when I decided to start shooting weddings I approached it purely in this way. Soon into my career I realized that while storytelling through photography is my passion, I needed to push myself further. Dramatic, art-gallery-level portraiture combined with photojournalism brings your wedding to life in ways simple “fly on the wall” journalism cannot.
Newer, inexperienced photographers will often hide behind this way of shooting, failing their couples by not being hands-on when needed, and not pushing their boundaries of creativity.
Shooting a wedding can be chaotic and daunting if you’re new or lacking confidence. This is why having an experienced professional with you all day to calm you and put you at ease is so key.
More than technical skill or any other attribute of a talented photographer, this is what you need in the person or team you’re trusting for one of the biggest days of your life… and a day that doesn’t have “do-overs”.
What equipment do you use?
I shoot primarily on Nikon DSLR’s for still photography, and Sony AR7’s for videography. I have never obsessed over gear like some photographers do, but having multiple back-up cameras, and multiple back-ups for SD cards, etc, ensures that there’s never a worst-case scenario on your wedding day.
We also shoot 35mm and medium-format film for couples who request it.
How many images will we get?
Typically, we edit around 100-150 photographs per hour of coverage. All photos are edited by myself, not off-loaded to assistants or AI editing companies. Your photos are my babies, and I treat them with care and craft.
What are image turnaround times?
We have some of the fastest turnaround times in the industry. Preview galleries within 72 hours, and full collections within three weeks.
When will you arrive to our wedding location?
We always plan to arrive on location at least the morning prior to the wedding or the first event we’re shooting, and often several days prior for international events. This time frame allows for any travel delays, and gives us time to get acclimated to the area, including scouting the wedding and shooting locations. During scouting, we often begin taking location and “scene” shots, which help narrate the complete story of your wedding. Once we arrive we also like to collect important details like a welcome bag, favor or other detail items we will be photographing in addition to the paper suite.
Everything you need to know.
Pro Tips For Your Wedding Day…
Work with a talented wedding planner.
Weddings are once-in-a-lifetime events filled with elegant details, timelines, loved ones, and lots of emotions. A wedding planner can take your vision and enhance it beyond what you can imagine, allowing you to enjoy the stress-free wedding day of your dreams.
We work closely with our couples’ wedding planners to ensure we are afforded the opportunity to capture all the beautiful elements of your wedding day. Photographing your wedding is much more efficient and smooth when we work with a talented planner, as we are able to focus solely on creating captivating imagery while the wedding logistics are safely in their hands.
You really do need an engagement session.
Being an international studio, we do not always have an opportunity to meet in person during the booking process. An engagement session is the perfect chance for us to get to know one another, for you to feel comfortable in front of the camera, and for you to experience being photographed together.
And, honestly, it’s fucking fun. We usual just turn it into one big date. By the end of it, I always hear the same thing, even from my couples who were on the fence or even against doing one… “hell yeah! that was so much fun! I’m so glad we didn’t skip this.”
And then, when the wedding finally comes, you’re both at ease and excited about what we’re going to create for you throughout your big day.
Create a realistic wedding day timeline.
Keeping to a wedding timeline is a key factor for maintaining a relaxing and photographically productive day. Things like delayed hair and makeup can drastically change the day’s schedule and impact your time for portraits prior to the ceremony. (We highly recommend a hair and makeup trial prior to the wedding.) Adding buffer time (up to an hour) around the important elements of your wedding preparation allows for delays. The best case scenario is that you finish on time and have a moment for a glass of champagne before the ceremony. Tip: When alerting the family and bridal party of their times to be ready for portraits, give a time 15 minutes prior to the start of portraits to ensure timeliness.
Your getting-ready location really matters.
The first few hours of wedding photography take place as you get ready. Whether you choose a bridal suite, hotel room, or other location to prepare for the wedding, consider the backdrop for these images. This location is where we photograph the majority of your details and initial portraits. Poorly lit rooms with no natural light can result in less-than-ideal getting-ready photos. We recommend selecting a spacious, open location with ample natural light and similar decor or feel to your wedding so the images flow with the rest of the day.
Details matter
Please prepare all of your wedding details in advance for photographing while you’re getting ready. These details include the full paper/invitation suite in perfect condition with your preferred calligraphy/addressing/stamps, welcome bag, favor, all paper products, dress, shoes, all wedding rings, and any other details from your day that you would like photographed. We love to style still life shots, especially with meaningful elements that you provide. Consider family heirlooms, jewelry, ribbon, fabric and other items that can enhance your images. Please have your wedding and bridal details in the bridal suite where you’re getting ready so we can capture them when we arrive.
You really do need a first look.
While we do respect that some couples value the tradition of not seeing each other until the grand march down the aisle, we highly recommend taking the bulk of your portraits prior to the ceremony. Not only will this allow us more time to create beautiful portraits of you and those who matter to you most, but it will allow you to enjoy more of the post-ceremony festivities. Couples often become impatient and frustrated when they are forced to spend their entire cocktail hour taking portraits, as they would rather enjoy the party with friends and family. We get it! This is why we advise leaving only the absolutely necessary group portraits for immediately after the ceremony.
This is also a perfect time to be with your partner in an intimate way on your wedding day. Most couples don’t realize they don’t really get significant alone time one-on-one with each other. The first look is a great way to be present with each other and enjoy their company without the pressure (and sometimes overstimulation!) of your family and friends buzzing around you.
Unplug your ceremony.
It’s getting to be a harder and harder ask, and many guests simply refuse to honor going phone-free for a little while. But in my opinion, it’s worth it. Keep your guests present and in the moment. Keep their phones and tablets out of your photos as you’re walking down the aisle. Having your officiant make an announcement before the ceremony begins is a great way to get everyone on the same page.
Trust us.
To ensure we are the perfect fit for one another, it’s very important for us to get to know as much as possible about you and your wedding day prior to booking. We love to learn about both of you, your personality, your family, and your background so we get a solid sense of your love story and who you are. After the experience of your engagement session, you will know what to expect on your wedding day. It’s now time to relax and enjoy – be yourselves and leave the rest to us.
We can’t wait to meet you.
