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 $7000.
Our associate, micro-wedding, and small elopements start at $3500.
We offer virtually every photo and video service you can think of.
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, budget, 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.
-J. Bellocq, 2026
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.
