YOU'RE ENGAGED!
You have been dreaming of your wedding day for almost as long as you can remember!
Now you have to find probably the most important wedding vendor on the list, the wedding photographer! For after the wedding is over and the guests have gone home, the only thing to keep those memories alive are the photos!
How to choose just the right wedding photographer for you?
At August T Photography, our tagline of "We specialize in the Extraordinary!" manifests itself in quite a few ways. With packages starting at $1500 we hope you find the following information helpful!
1. We really do strive to develop an ongoing and long term relationship. Oh so many of the brides I have photographed over the years have come back for their baby photos.
2. We really want to get to know what makes your wedding day special, so that we can capture all of the nuances and details that you will surely spend many hours on.
3. We work with our brides as wedding planners of sorts. After photographing hundreds of weddings combined with understanding your desires for just the right photos, we can offer valuable insights. Everything from researching tides and sunset times to reminding you about a high quality hanger for your wedding dress photos (you really don't want that cheesy plastic coat hanger in the shot do you?).
4. Even in the midst of your wedding day, we will remind you about the rings and marriage license (at just the right time). We will also be preparing the best man to grab a few drinks after the ceremony as we prepare for wedding photos of you and your new husband. All sorts of simple "little things" that we hope will make a big difference.
The August T Photography DIFFERENCE!
We have so much GREAT and certainly helpful information for you as a bride-to-be! You can sign-up to have this emailed to you with absolutely no strings attached. In fact, we are going to share tremendous insights on how to choose just the right wedding photographer for you. Yes, even if that is not us! We also have all sorts of checklists for you, the maid of honor, even the best man, along with tips for them on how to write a great speech.
What about price? How much do we charge? One of the quick items we ask for you to consider is doing your best to compare apples to apples. The average wedding costs about $26,000 in the US and the average wedding photographer costs about $2,600. Of course this varies from region to region. We have packages that start at approximately $1500. Yes, almost half of the national average!
We also have discounted rates for weddings in the off-season as well as a FREE offer for qualified destination weddings.
Below are some great Frequently Asked Questions!
Below are some great Frequently Asked Questions!
What is required to book my date?
We require 50% down along with your contract to book the date. The final 50% is due 2 weeks prior to the wedding date.
We just got back from our honeymoon, can we see our photos?
We typically ask for at least 3-4 weeks to have your wedding photos ready. We promise to let you know as soon as they go online!
Do I get a disc of all the high- res edited photos?
We have transitioned to using Google Drive. This provides your digital files with no hassles of discs being corrupted or lost in the mail.
I don’t see any formal photos on your website or blog, do you take any family shots at the wedding?
Yes, we take 10-15 minutes immediately following your ceremony for family formals. They are also not the most artistic photos, but we know that your moms and grandmas love them:)
What should we wear or bring to our engagement or portrait session?
Whatever you do, please don’t wear matching white shirts and stone-washed jeans. Matching is not cool anymore. Wear something awesome. Go buy a new outfit you feel comfortable in and that makes you feel like a bad-ass. One change of clothes is perfect, so a suitcases full of clothes, not needed.
Can I upload my wedding photos to Facebook once I get them?
Yes! We love Facebook. As stated in our contract, you may use your photos for personal use ONLY! If you want to share them on Facebook, we’re cool with that as long as you give us photo credit under every photo.
What kind of cameras do you have?
This may sound funny, but if Bobby Flay or Paula Dean were cooking, would you ask what kind of pots, pans and knives they use? Not trying to hide anything, but we have high end DSLR's, external flashes, reflectors, batteries of all sorts, we even have a sewing kit, band-aids and duct tape in there. No kitchen sink though...
Can I have or see all of the unedited photos you took at our wedding? We used to have a complete release option and give away every single photo from a wedding day, but honestly, this does not properly represent us, our style, etc. If for some reason, we are missing a photo of you and grandma, just let us know and we will find it!
How many wedding photos will I get?
Oh wow, that's a great question! Safely, would say approximately 30-40 photos per hour of photography. It can easily be more... but that is a safe estimate.
Do you offer albums?
Of course! These albums are custom-designed by us and hand crafted by the best album company in the nation.
Why is it so important that I am on time to my session? I am more of a natural light photographer and I prefer to use sunlight when photographing my clients. The "golden hour" as its called, happens with or without us, pretty simple.
Will you help me with ideas for my shoot?
Of course! I love collaborating! I am more than happy to help with ideas, locations, outfit choices and anything else your heart desires. (Well pretty much anything) Just let me know!
Will you shoot our wedding, or an associate photographer?
It will be me, August T! If your wedding package includes a second photographer, it will be someone I trust!
When should we reserve our wedding date?
ASAP! There are only so many Saturdays each year and I book on a first come, first serve basis. If you are not sure what package you want, that is OK. We can take a deposit to at least hold the date. We also ONLY book one wedding per day!
Do you travel?
Oh YEAH! My top 2 passions are travel and photography. Or is it photography and travel? My passport is in hand and bags are packed, so where to?
I saw another photographer with lower prices than yours.
There are quite a few factors involved. First, the average price for a wedding photographer in the US is $2600. In NYC, its probably double that, whereas rural Illinois, might be considerably less. With all things being equal, typically the higher the price the more experience and better quality photography are offered. However, there are no rules. Any photographer can charge anything they want, but usually those with lower prices are newer, just starting, weekend warriors, etc. If you request my Wedding Photography Handbook, I have dedicated a major section on how to choose the best photographer for you, even if it ends up not being me.
Why do you think wedding photography and the wedding photographer’s personality is so important?
After all of the food is gone, the cake is eaten, the dance floor empty, you will have plenty of wonderful memories. It is the photographer who will have captured those memories. As you shop around you will notice very fast that some photographers capture things in a much better way than others. Not always, but typically the more expensive they are, the higher their quality of photography. As for personality, this is something I discuss and a really important factor in my Wedding Photography Handbook. There is 1 person who will spend the most time on a wedding day with a bride. Who do you think that is? The photographer! Ok, if you count the hours after the wedding, the groom had better win out, but think about it. We will be there from before hair and make-up, until the send-off. So, our personalities play a very important role as well.
Do you shoot in RAW?
Yes. RAW allows me to get the best quality and image detail when I am processing the photos.
Do you shoot in B&W?
I love B&W photographs. There is something so timeless about them. Since I shoot digital, this allows me to decide after the fact whether I want to process the image in B&W or Color. However, I generally shoot the image with a color preference in mind based on what I am seeing.
What about the the vintage look?
There are countless ways to edit a photo. Some may appeal to one couple, while not to another. If you see a particular style you like, please let me know, and I will do my best to accommodate.
Do you shoot video?
I want to be GREAT at photography. To focus my attention on the photography, I cannot do both at once myself. However, we will gladly refer you to quality videographers!
Do you deliver every image you shoot? No we do not. We eliminate duplicate images, test shots, missed focused shots, shots with bad expressions and other images that may dilute the overall product delivery. For example, because we shoot with low apertures, sometimes we take a few extra shots to make sure we have the perfect focus. We don’t expect you to have the expertise or the time to zoom into each image to select the one with the sharpest focus, so we spend hours doing that on our end. In another example, candid laughs and emotional tears are some of the best images from the day. Unfortunately, they can also yield some unflattering facial expressions. We might snap a few extras of any of these moments to make sure we have a great shot with the ideal expression for the moment. With our expertise if processing tens of thousands of images each year, we eliminate ones that we feel are duplicates and only deliver the best versions.
Have you shot at my venue before?
We have shot at hundreds of venues so there is a good chance that we have. If we have not however we will be sure to perform a thorough walk through with you prior to your wedding day.
Do you do destination weddings?
While based in South Carolina, USA, we serve clients all around the world. Our destination wedding photography packages are simply our standard packages plus the cost of travel and reasonable accommodations. We also have a FREE offer for qualified destination weddings from November through February.
Do you provide partial day coverage?
Yes, we do. Please see or request our Wedding Photography Handbook, which includes our complete pricing.
Does August T do head shots, individual portraits, family portraits, commercial photography, or other types of photography?
Sure do! Just shoot us an email with your needs and we will reply promptly.
Do you shoot Quinceaneras, Debutantes, Bah Mitzvahs, or Corporate Events?
Yes. For the most part, our rates for wedding coverage apply to all events. We may have to customize packages to best suit the needs of a corporate client vs. a Bah Mitzvah, but would love to hear from you!
Somehow... someway... the question I had is NOT covered in your FAQ's. What now?
Please feel free to call or email! Our contact information is on the bottom of each page on our website.