Where do you photograph weddings?
I photograph weddings throughout the Central Coast (including San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara and more). For a $300 travel fee, I photograph weddings in the SF Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Basin. Travel beyond these regions is possible, just ask for a custom travel quote.
How far in advance should we book you?
Most couples book 6 to 12 months in advance, especially for peak months (May through October). If your wedding is sooner, reach out anyway because occasional openings do pop up!
What is your photography style?
My work blends documentary storytelling with modern portraiture – natural, emotive and cinematic, more candid and less posed. In addition to the beautiful photos I’ll be getting of you throughout the day, I also mingle with your guests, getting to know them, helping them feel more comfortable around me, and that helps me capture genuine interactions, real expressions and especially, a lot of small or interesting details that are often missed by photographers.
Will you help us with posing?
Absolutely. Though I aim for a more candid day overall, there are definitely times when we’ll be doing posed photos, and I will guide you in a way that will help you feel natural and comfortable instead of stiff and over-posed. My goal is to create relaxed, flattering images that really feel like you.
Can you help us figure out our photography timeline for the day?
Sure! I’m happy to review your wedding day timeline and offer suggestions so we make the most of the schedule and lighting.
How many photos will we receive?
Depending on the length and scale of your wedding, you could receive anywhere from 300 to 900 (or more) edited photos from a full-day of coverage. In general, smaller weddings (small beach ceremonies, backyard-style or civil ceremonies for example) receive fewer images while larger weddings (150 to 300 guests or multi-day weddings) receive more.
What’s included in every wedding package?
All wedding tiers include:
- High-resolution images exported at 100% quality.
- Full standard editing (color correction, lighting adjustments, cropping, etc). Retouching is extra (blemish removal, stray hair removal, replacing closed eyes, etc).
- A beautiful, high quality online gallery for viewing, downloading and sharing your big day. Prints are ordered directly through the gallery. Gallery can be made private on request.
- Additional options can be added a la carte.
How do we reserve our date?
Your date is reserved once I receive a signed contract and 50% pre-payment. The remaining balance is due 7 days before your wedding. Until the first payment is received, your date will stay open for booking, even with a signed contract.
Do we need a second photographer?
For larger weddings (100 guests or more), I definitely recommend a second photographer to ensure full coverage – having a second shooter is especially key during getting-ready moments where the Bride and Groom are in different locations, or during the ceremony so I can stay focused on you while the second shooter captures your guest, or during the reception where there are often several things happening at the same time. If your package doesn’t include a second shooter and you’d like one added, just let me know during booking.
How do you feel about unplugged ceremonies?
I’m a big fan of unplugged ceremonies. Guests being present instead of holding up phones usually results in cleaner photos and a more focused, meaningful ceremony experience. If this is something you care about, I’m happy to support it and coordinate with your officiant or planner to help make it clear to guests.
How long does it take to receive our photos?
Edited wedding galleries are delivered within 3 weeks (21 days) after your wedding. I also like to deliver a small sneak peek gallery within a few days of your wedding (sometimes next day!). It’s important to note that all delivery dates and deadlines are estimates only and not guaranteed. Quality always takes priority over speed.
How long will you host our gallery for?
Wedding gallery hosting is guaranteed for one year from your wedding date. While not guaranteed beyond that, galleries typically remain hosted indefinitely unless there’s a specific reason they need to be removed.
Do you offer stand-alone engagement sessions?
Yes! Engagement sessions are available as standalone sessions or as add-ons to any wedding package. They’re a great way to get to know each other a little more, and give me a chance to help you get comfortable in front of the camera, before your big day.
Can we provide a shot list?
I welcome any must-have requests (like VIP guests traveling from out of the country or sentimental details, for example), but I generally don’t take full shot lists. We’ll definitely chat about any must-have shots, but a list of every shot you’d like isn’t necessary – you can trust my two decades of experience to get you all of the shots you’re hoping for.
Can you work with our videographer/other vendors?
Definitely. I collaborate well with other vendors and I work closely with videographers to coordinate angles and timing so we avoid being in each other’s shots as much as possible. Alternatively, you can add the wedding film package when you book and I’ll coordinate booking a local film team I trust or have worked with.
Do you carry backup equipment?
Yes. I bring professional camera bodies, lenses, flashes and storage cards to every wedding. Your memories are protected with redundant on-site and off-site backups.
Are you insured?
Yes. I carry full business insurance and can provide a COI to your venue if they request it.
Do you offer albums or wall art prints?
Yes. Albums can be ordered before or after the wedding and wall art can be ordered through your gallery at any time. I use professional-grade printing labs for color-accurate, archival-quality products.
What happens if our wedding runs late? Can we pay you day-of for extra coverage?
In most cases, staying late isn’t a problem as long as I don’t have a wedding the next morning, but because my overtime rate is higher than my standard hourly rate, the extra coverage has to be clearly requested by the Bride or Groom (not a planner) and paid for before the extra coverage begins, via Venmo, Zelle or cash.
Can we post the photos online?
Of course! You’re free to share your photos anywhere. Credit is required when sharing publicly, but as long as my logo is clearly visible in the corner, you’re all set. If the logo will be cropped or not visible, then a simple name credit or link to https://namu.love will do.
What if it rains?
Hopefully your venue has a weather contingency plan with a backup location for the ceremony and reception, but for portraits, as long as the rain is just sprinkling, we can still photograph in it. Honestly, if we’ve got access to umbrellas, some cool photos can happen in the rain – you could end up with some very unique wedding photos! Unfortunately, to protect my equipment, I won’t be able to shoot in more serious weather conditions (heavy rain, storming, high winds, etc).
Do you deliver raw or unedited files? Can you give us all the photos?
No. If a photo isn’t in your gallery, it wasn’t delivered for a specific reason – it either wasn’t up to my standard of quality, it contained something inappropriate (wind blowing up a skirt, for example) or it was too blurry to use. Those images are all deleted to save space.
And raw files are never delivered because they’re unfinished versions of images and not meant for public view. Even if you, a family member or friend have experience editing, no raw files are delivered because every delivered image is hand-edited to match my visual style and professional standards.
Do you watermark the images?
Delivered images include a very small, subtle watermark in the lower corner. It’s intentionally unobtrusive and helps protect my work while still keeping the focus on your photos.
What happens if you’re sick or unavailable?
In the unlikely event that I’m unable to photograph your wedding, we’ll try two things, in order. First, I’ll make every reasonable attempt to find a replacement photographer of a similar skill level – either one of my associate photographers or a qualified peer in the local community. If I do find a replacement up to my standards, I’ll pay them the fee you paid me to cover your event *and* I’ll give you $200 in credit towards any future portrait session or event coverage, with no restrictions.
If the first option is unsuccessful, I will refund your fees in full and I’ll also give you a gift certificate for one free full portrait session ($500 value) and one hour of free event coverage ($200 value).
Please note: this FAQ page is an informational guideline and is not a legal document and should not be treated as such. Please consult your contract for specific legal details. I am not responsible for accidental errors or omissions on this page. Should any information on this page contradict or contravene anything in a legal agreement between Namu.Love and a client, the contracted agreement will take precedence.