FAQ

Q: What are your wedding package prices?

A: We provide flexibility and offer both hourly coverage and packages to suit budgets of all sizes. Please contact us to request wedding pricing information. 

Q: How do I reserve you for my wedding?

A: Dates are reserved once we receive your signed contract and retainer. We reserve weddings on a first come first served basis, so if there are multiple inquiries for the day we will let you know in advance.

Q: Do you offer engagement sessions?

A: Yes! We offer standalone engagement sessions. They can also be added to any wedding package. An engagement session is included with ‘The Ten’ wedding package. We always enjoy the opportunity to do an engagement shoot prior to working with clients on their wedding day as it gives us a chance to get to know one another before the big day! Contact us for more information.

Q: Can we schedule our engagement session on a weekend?

A: Because most weddings occur on weekends, we typically prefer to schedule engagement sessions during the week. If you can only do your engagement session on a weekend, dates are subject to availability. 

Q: How far in advance of my wedding should I schedule my engagement session?

A: This is completely up to you, but in most cases, the sooner the better. Typically Save the Dates are sent out 4-6 months before your wedding day. If you plan to order a signature mat for your wedding with an image from your engagement session, we advise you to have your session no less than 2 months before your wedding. This will give us time to process the images, select your favorites and have it produced and shipped to you. 

Q: If we cancel our wedding, will we receive a refund for our retainer?

A: Unfortunately, no. Retainers are used to reserve your date. Once we reserve your date, we guarantee exclusivity for your date. In the event that your wedding is canceled, the retainer is applied towards covering lost wages. Regarding the fluid nature of the ongoing public health crisis, if your wedding is postponed/cancelled for reasons outside of your control, David Bates Photo, at its discretion in consideration of factors involved (including but not limited to scheduling obligations and restrictions, advance notice of cancellation/postponement) may apply up to 50% of the initial secured retainer deposit towards the rescheduled date/time.

Q: If we change our wedding to a different date, will we be able to use our retainer towards the future date?

A: This will depend on our availability for the new date. If we are still available for the new date, then we may transfer 50% of your retainer to secure the new date. If we’re not available for the new date, then the retainer is non-refundable and it will be considered a cancellation.

Q: What type of equipment do you use?

A: We use top of the line professional Nikon camera bodies as well as multiple professional lenses, speed lights and strobes. We have back ups for all of my equipment. If you would like a more in depth list of our equipment, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Q: Do you have insurance?

A: Absolutely! Typically most venues in the area require liability insurance and require being added as a rider to our insurance, so be sure the photographer you choose is insured.

Q: Are you familiar with my venue?

A: If you are getting married in Southern Maine then there is a good chance that we have worked at your venue before. In the event that we have not, never fear! We love photographing at new venues and look forward to any opportunity to shoot in new surroundings.

Q: Do you offer any discounts for weekday or off-season weddings?

A: Unfortunately, we do not. The costs associated with photographing a wedding remain the same regardless of the day or time of year.

Q: What if we exceed our contracted time for wedding day coverage?

A:  If the party is still hopping and you would like us to stay, of course we will! The standard hourly rate will apply for overtime and will be invoiced to you prior to you receiving your wedding photos.

Q: Do you provide the digital negatives after the shoot?

A: Yes. You will receive the edited and curated high resolution images to print and download from your online gallery. As a reminder, the images are copyrighted and represent the artistic vision of the photographer who created them. Editing and cropping the images you receive is prohibited. We appreciate your understanding!

Q: How many Images will I get from my wedding?

A: We typically capture about 100 images per hour of wedding coverage. Keep in mind that these numbers may increase or decrease depending on a number of factors including: the number of guests, details, family and bridal party size and the number of desired portraits.

Q: Can I have the RAW image files from my wedding?

A: Over years of experience,weI have learned that clients much prefer the ease of working with JPG files over RAW files. For this reason, we only deliver a finished product to our clients. We retain the RAW and DNG files as a form of backup.

Q: Do I get the copyright to my wedding images?

A: No. We will retain the copyright to your images, BUT you do get full printing and personal permissions to your photos. This means that you can print your photos, share them on social media and send them to family and friends to do the same. The only things you can not do is edit, sell or your images for profit or publish your images without our written consent.

Q: How will I get my photos after the wedding?

A: We deliver all of your edited high resolution images via an online gallery that allows you to download and make copies of your images on any media you prefer. We always suggest making backups of your images and asking friends and family to do the same. If you prefer, we are happy to provide you with a USB of your images for an additional fee.

Q: How long will it be until I get my photos?

A: Per our contract, we will deliver your online wedding gallery within 6 weeks at the latest. We edit all of our weddings in the order in which we photograph them. If you wish to expedite your order you may request this for an additional fee.

Q: Do you edit all of the images delivered?

A: Yes. All of the images we deliver will be edited using our signature style of post production. This includes color correction, exposure adjustment, elective B&W processing, contrast and vibrancy. Wedding books within packages will have select images retouched at no additional charge.

Q: What is the difference between editing and retouching, and why is there an additional cost for retouching? 

A: Editing an image includes steps such as cropping, adjusting white balance, exposure, contrast color vibrancy and saturation as well as image sharpening. Retouching an image includes steps such as removal of blemishes, bags under eyes, fly away hairs, teeth whitening, eye brightening, head swaps, removing people in the background, changing the size or shape of body parts and other custom work. We offer customized retouching services of $15 per image for wedding clients. 

Q: Can you send me a few photos to choose from for a Thank You Card?

A: We offer expedited processing for a few images or a full wedding for an additional fee. If this is something you are interested in please let us know!

Q: I am so happy with my photos that I would like to add an album. Can I do this?

A: Definitely! Please let us know if you are interested in an album and we can send you the pricing and information for you to review.

Q: Where should I print my photos?

A: Photos printed via your online wedding gallery are printed at our professional lab partners for an additional charge. If you would prefer to print the photos yourself, we recommend Mpix.com. We are not affiliated with this lab but they are known to do quality work for a reasonable price. 

Q: Do I have to credit you on social media? 

A: While you do not HAVE to credit us on social media, most of our clients find us through word of mouth and referrals. As a result, it is always greatly appreciated if you indicate that @David.Bates.Photo FB and @davidbatesphoto IG  took your beautiful photos!

Q: What if I lose my images?

A: Your online wedding gallery will be active for 1 year from the date of your image delivery. After that, we  archive your images to the cloud to make space for new weddings. If you misplace or lose your images, a $50 fee will be assessed for us to reinstate your images to an online gallery. We encourage our clients to make multiple copies of their images after downloading them and to then keep them in separate locations.