After over 20 years photographing weddings we know a thing or two about your big day and how to capture it in a way that is authentic to who you are as a couple. From the biggest moment to the smallest detail we work hard to capture it all! As a full-service photography studio we know how important it is to give your wedding our all and give you more than bunch of files that will live on your computer. Here’s what to expect when you book your wedding with Sarah Maren Photography.
The Consultation
Before you sign on the dotted line and hire us as your wedding photographers we love to meet up with you to make sure we are an awesome fit. Our first chat is ideally in person at our studio in Roseville, California but if you’re planning your wedding from out of town we can always chat via Skype or the phone as well. Our consultation is where we get to know each other! I am the person you will be spending the most time with on your wedding day and it’s important to me that I’m someone who will easily fit in with your family and friends. This is also where you can lay your hands on all the pretty heirloom products I offer to start your family history off right. To book SMP as your photographers requires a signed contract and retainer fee.
The Welcome Packet
Once you’ve booked your wedding photography with us you’ll want to keep an eye on your mail box! I’ll be sending you out a welcome packet full of the details of us working together, information for what comes next and some special treats!
The Engagement Session
If you’ve added an Engagement Session onto your wedding photography collection I’ll be in touch to get your session on the calendar! Once we’ve decided on the when’s and where’s of your session, I’ll send a detailed email with all the specifics. I’ll also send you an online engagement session guide that covers everything from best policies on what to wear for your session to vendors we love working with that can help your session be an even bigger success. At the time of your session we usually meet up for some sips and snacks before I start photographing you. This gives us a chance to get more comfortable together so your pictures can be their best! We’ll hang out for an hour or so making pretty pictures! After your session, I’ll head back to studio and work on your photos. You images will be ready to be viewed in 2-4 weeks! HOORAY!
Check out our Engagement Session portfolio for some inspiration!
Pre-Wedding Planning and Timeline
About 8 weeks before your wedding day I will send you a Wedding Day Information Overload questionnaire. This is where you tell me who is who and the when’s and where’s of your wedding day. You let me know who your vendors are so I can reach out to any that I’ve never worked with before or who I’m especially excited to have on your wedding team. You return your questionnaire to me within 3 weeks of your wedding day. From the information on your questionnaire and any input from other vendors I come up with the perfect photo timeline for your wedding day! This is where we determine when we will arrive and leave your weddings and lay out a plan for all the moving parts of your wedding day. If you’re working with a planner, I will work closely with them to make sure you’re timeline is set up so you’ll get great photos and stay right one time. A week or so before the wedding you can come into the studio to go over everything or we can chat on the phone to make sure we are all on the same page. This is where the excitement for your big day starts to get crazy fun!
Your Wedding Day
It’s your big day! WOO HOO!! A typical wedding looks a little something like this: The SMP team will arrive to your wedding (probably early, because we are wild like that) 2-3 hours prior to your ceremony so we can get some fun, relaxed shots of you and your crew getting ready for you big day! This is where we get all the shots of your carefully chosen details, family and friends helping you prepare and a few portraits of you and your crew. If you’re having a first look (and you totally should) that is the next thing on the agenda. You’ll finally get to see each other all decked out and ready to get married! After some shots with the two of you, we’ll grab your bridal party and rock out some fun portraits of all of you together! Then it’s off to the ceremony where we are photo ninjas and you are married. After the ceremony we will make beautiful and speedy family portraits and get some candid photos of guests enjoying the cocktail hour. Then it’s off to your reception where we record you and your guests celebrating your I Do’s! We usually stay through the last major event of the evening and some open dancing. Then we hug you and smooch you and send you off to finish your celebrating and start your new married life! I’ll post a sneak peek to my instagram account within 24 hours so you have a super pretty picture to show off how married you are. While you’re off enjoying your honeymoon, I’ll be back at the studio working on perfecting your images and showing you just how awesome your wedding day was!
The Wedding Photo Reveal
6-8 weeks after your wedding (or maybe a little sooner, depending on the time of year) I’ll send out the call that your photos are ready and set up a time for you and your beloved to come into the studio for your reveal!! This is THE MOST FUN because we get to see each other again AND I get to see you see your wedding! It’s the best! I’ll have some sips and snacks for you, and then I’ll show you your wedding slideshow of select images set to meaningful music to make your heart flutter! Don’t worry – I’ll have tissues should you need them. Then you get to go through your photos on my big screen and see everything big and glorious. If your collection includes and album, I’ll have a first draft of your design ready to go! You can love it and approve it right then and there, or make a few changes with images from your gallery. You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase additional products like wall galleries, gift prints, thank you cards and more. You won’t leave this session empty handed though! You’ll have the links to your online slideshow and gallery to share images with family and friends, and if included with your collection, your print collection, keepsake box and usb. You’ll probably leave with a little surprise or two as well. Because you know I love a surprise.
Album and/or Product Delivery
In approximately 4-8 weeks after you’ve finalized your album design and ordered any other product I will call you to give you the great news: everything is ready for pickup. I will make a date for you to come to the studio to pick up your order and revel in how awesome everything turned out. If you need your items shipped we can totally make that happen for an additional fee.
Happily Ever After
Hooray! You’re now surrounded by art from your stunning wedding and you’re embarking on the rest of your life. Your family will happily enjoy art on your walls, keepsake albums and gift portraits for generations to come! Soon, it will be time for you to call me again for an anniversary session or a new addition to your family and more beautiful photos you’ll cherish always.