Welcome back to the RWP Process series!
Today we’re breaking down our answers to the general questions we recommend asking you perspective wedding photographer.
To see the full list of 23 questions we recommend asking, click here!
For these questions, there’s no wrong answer. They’re just helpful questions to get a better idea of the experience a photographer has, can offer and more about their process so you know what to expect. : )
Kicking us off…
How far in advance do you usually book?
At RWP we usually start booking weddings about 18 months out.
While most of our weddings will book about 12 months out, it truly is a range. Every year, we have couples who book 18 months out, 12 months out and even just 6 months out on the rare occasion. If we’re available for your wedding date, we’re game and would love to hear more about your wedding!
While I always recommend sooner rather than later, the truth is, there will be wildly talented photographers available on your wedding day no matter when photography makes it to the top of your list. : )
What is my expected turnaround time to see photos and when will the final gallery be ready?
This is such a great question to ask! While our contracted turnaround time is 6-8 weeks from the wedding date, we always try to beat that. Usually, by a large margin. ; )
See what our Watson Brides are saying…
“Our wedding photos turned out AMAZING, and we got them very fast. We’ve received so many compliments on the photos! I highly recommend Rachael for your engagement and wedding day photography!!”
-Denise & Ben 10/7/23
“The photos all turned out beautifully and she [Rachael] thought on her feet when the weather was not on our side on our day. Our sneak peak and gallery were finished so fast after our wedding, we were barely home from our honeymoon when we got all of our photos back wonderfully edited. We would highly recommend Rachael to any bride in the Chicagoland area!”
-Lindsay & Jake 7/1/23
“We received our wedding photos so quickly and were blown away by how well she captured the day, our love, and memories that will last us a lifetime. We truly could not find a picture we didn’t love.”
-Katlin & Dylan 6/17/23
How many weddings have you shot over the years?
In 2013 as I was wrapping up my degree in Youth Ministry, I got to work on writing large and small group curriculum for the American Bible Society. It was through that project, I met my first Watson Bride, Raine.
Raine found out I was starting my photography business post graduation and asked if I would be interested in shooting her wedding.
At that point, I wasn’t sure what I was going to specialize in, but I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn.
I shot my first wedding on Monday, February 17, 2014. Just 3 months after purchasing my camera and just 4 days after incorporating.
It. Was. A. GAMECHANGER!
After just one wedding, I was hooked. I knew exactly what I wanted to specialize in. : )
I shot 30 weddings my first year and since starting my business, 10 years ago I’ve photographed over 280 weddings.
There is nothing else I would rather be doing. : )
Who will be my wedding photographer and can I talk with them before booking?
This is so important to ask! At RWP, I am the main wedding photographer. While I have a team of incredible second photographers, the majority of weddings that we do, I act as lead and I LOVE getting to talk with my couples before booking!
It’s actually a really important part of the booking process. It’s so important to me to make sure we’re 100% the PERFECT FIT since I’ll be with you more on your wedding day than your future spouse! Plus I just love getting to meet new people. ; )
Since starting RWP in 2013, I’ve brought on our Associate Photographer, Cassie. When couples book Cassie as their lead photographer, it’s the same.
We want our Watson Brides to get to know their wedding photographer! It’s why we connect over the phone pre-booking and why we include a complementary engagement session, so we can get to know you, your story and more about your wedding vision. : )
How many images do you typically guarantee per hour?
We guarantee 75 images/ hour. I would say this is more of a worst-case number. Today, our final wedding galleries with 10 hours of coverage and 2 photographers average 1000-1400 final images.
The most important factor to consider when thinking total images is how much time we have together.
We’re people photographers! The more time we have with people, the more final images. : )
Do I have to buy an album?
When Blake and I got married, I hadn’t started my business yet. I didn’t even own my own camera anymore. I was 22 and we didn’t really know what we were doing. Just that we wanted to get married.
We found a company that was affordable and we signed. Afterward, we realized we would also be required to purchase a wedding album which doubled the cost of our wedding photographer!
Reading the contract would have saved us this surprise, but… now we know better!
All that to say. Couples are never required to purchase an album. While about half our couples do, and we LOVE when our couples do, it’s never required. : )
Interested in learning more about albums? Learn more about this process here! [Link coming Wednesday February 21, 2024!]
I hope this post has been helpful to you! It’s truly been fun thinking through each of these questions and sharing more of the behind the scenes with our current and future Watson Brides.
If you have a question you would like to see answered, just let me know! I always love hearing from you.
Much Love,
Other Posts You May Like…
RWP Process: Technical Questions
February 19, 2024