when are my payments due?

This really will depend on when you booked and what what was in your contract at the time. Some of you may have paid in full already, some of you may be paying in three equal instalments which would be upon booking, midway between that date and your wedding day or six months before your wedding day, and the third and final payment being due 8 weeks before your wedding. Or you will have paid your £500 deposit, with the remaining amount being due 8 weeks before your wedding day. You will receive automatic invoices at least two weeks before your payments are due.
If you have booked a second photographer or associate photographer, this payment is not due until two weeks prior to your wedding day.

Do we need supply you with a meal on our wedding day?

Yes. Weddings are long hours for us, and we are on our feet all day, with no time to stop and eat until you eat. It's not a good idea to leave the venue at this point just in case we miss anything, also there's often nowhere nearby to get food and if we take food to work with us, particularly on hot days, as you can imagine the food left in our car all day becomes a soggy mess. Unless the meal is "fine dining" (ie. tiny bits of food due to their being lots of courses) then we only require the one main course (hot meal and a non-alcoholic beverage). I say, we, as in if you've hired my associate or second photographer then both of us will require a meal. Check with your venue though as some offer supplier meals at a lower price. 

WHAT FORMS DO YOU NEED FROM US AND WHEN?

I'll keep this simple and list them:

Signed Contract - when you book - this along with your deposit secured your date.
Client info form - as soon as possible after booking please.
Wedding info questionnaire - 3 weeks before your wedding day (the link will be emailed to you around 6 weeks before your wedding) 
Formal Group Photo list - 3 weeks before your wedding day (the link will be emailed to you around 6 weeks before your wedding) 
Supplier form - 1 week before your wedding day (the link will be emailed to you around 4 weeks before your wedding) 

These questionnaires are emailed out to your automatically as detailed above, although if you would like to complete these earlier please do let me know and I can send them out. I advise not completing them too early though in case of too many changes.

WHAT CAN I CONSIDER, TO GET THE BEST PHOTOS?

LIGHTING! This is definitely top of the list, even over location, good light really is a game changer when it comes to creating beautiful images. Consider this choosing where you are getting ready (this applies to both of you if you've hired a second photographer to capture morning prep for both). A lot of natural light or even pockets of natural window light can make the world of difference. As well as colours, dark mahogany wood, tungsten or candlelight, yellow or red walls, and even tapestries will create a lot of warmth in your photos which isn't always too flattering. I can work with anything BUT I'm advising so you can get the best possible and most flattering photos.

LOCATION! and I'm not talking about your venue, you will have already chosen this.  This applies to a lot of other aspects again relating to light - from where you sit to have your make-up applied and hair style (highly recommend an area close to a window) to where you stand during your ceremony. For example, if you are having a ceremony in a beautiful wooden or stone barn, try taking a photo from all angles (even just on your phone), facing the window, back to the window, where you would be saying your vows, consider where I would be photographing from, do you have natural light on your face? do you have loads of fairy light in front of your face and all natural light behind you? - obviously this wouldn't be as flattering. I may advise that I photograph up the aisle for better light and more flattering photos, or some barns it works nicely still by changing the set up of your ceremony.
Marquee in a garden? Please consider where group photos and portraits will be if there's a downpour all day.

TRUST IN THE PRO's - sometimes I may suggest a specific backdrop for your group photos, please do let me know if you have a preference, although sometimes what I'm suggesting may be due to the fact that the prettiest backdrop could mean everyone squinting or people in light and shadows which would not be a good look! This is usually down to the weather on the day at that time.

*read lots more about how to get the best from your photos in my e-magazine on page .......

WHEN DO WE GET TO SEE our PHOTOS?

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER AND AN ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHER?

I have a four Associate Photographers, Tim is my main, and I also have Kelly, Jess and Helen. They are all to the same high standard as me and photograph in the same style as me. The reason these have become my associate photographers is due to the fact that we have a close and fantastic working relationship from photographing a large amount of weddings and events together. This means that they always know exactly what I'm after and there's no need for me to check if they've capture something, as I can rest assured knowing they already have, and I can relax and focus on only my main role.

A second photographer is still of a high standard like me, and I would not hire a photographer that is not, I am very particular with this, after all, I'm the one who has to edit their photos afterwards, so you can rest assured, they will always be a fantastic second shooter. As second shooters may not have photographed weddings with me regularly and therefor I may need to check they have captured certain things and, well, basically I may need to work a little harder. That said, together, we will still deliver a stunning set of photos.

*all photographers I hire are professional full-time photographers that have at least 20 weddings under their belt as a main photographer, a strong documentary style and work on the same (or better) standard of camera as me. I tend to send the other photographer home after speeches, unless I know there is a planned dance routine where they may be lots of twirls or lifts and if I can see there will be a lovely sunset. Other than for these reasons there really is no need to have two photographers after speeches as we have flashes on and it can be a bit of a nuisance having 4 cameras with flashes firing at your guests. 

WHAT HAPPENS IF IT RAINS?

We go and dance in it! Okay, so the weather is something completely out of my control but I assure you I will capture beautiful photos regardless. The couples who let this get to them and get upset about them end up not enjoying their day, the ones who embrace it always end up having the most brilliant of weddings and an awesome atmosphere. Work with me and come outside in the less rainy moments, pack some wellies or go barefoot, bring umbrellas and accept living in this unpredictable country. You might get a little dirty, but your wedding day isn’t about the weather, it’s about you two united as a couple, that’s what I’m there to photograph - to give a true representation of your day come rain or shine.

This really is personal preference and down to the amount of guests you'd like, whether you'd like both parties morning preparations covered and if you'd like another photographer capturing full length photos up the aisle if I'm at the front capturing closer and frontal shots, also to have the second capturing what your guests are up to during the family formals (group shots). However, this can be added 2-3 months before your wedding day once you have a better idea of your budget. You can read a lot more about Second or associate photographers in the FAQ's and in my "Meet My Seconds" section at bottom of this page, where you can also view a gallery of their work. 

If you would like to see a couple of full galleries showing weddings with or without a second/ associate photographer, please do let me know and I can email you some links across.

SHOULD WE ADD MORE HOURS?

I believe in telling a story and although your package may include 7 or 9 or even 11 hours, you may find to tell your full story you may need to book some additional hours of coverage. Unless otherwise requested, I start photographing bridal prep from approximately 2-3 hours before your ceremony (definitely 3 if there is travel time from your bridal prep location to your ceremony location) and I stay until just after your first dance. If you are planning fireworks or having your exit captured on camera, extra hours can be added to your package at £150 per hour. 9 hour for example would cover 11am to 8pm and would be ideal if you have a 1pm ceremony at the same location as where you are getting ready and a first dance at 7:30pm. 

If you would really like all the evening action covered, you won't need to pay £150 per hour, you could keep me on until as late as 11pm for an extra £350

DO we need a pre-wedding shoot?

Of course not. Engagement shoots are great fun and a really good way for us all to get to know each other. Some couples like to book one to break the ice and have a practice run, others prefer to go with the more natural process of being photographed at their wedding (when they are on a wedding high and possibly more relaxed with a glass of bubbles!). Either way your wedding day images will be gorgeous. I would say the main advantage to a pre-wedding shoot is that you can look at the photos after and advise me of poses or angles that you prefer in the photos and this gives you and me a better idea of what poses you'll be happier with in your final wedding photos. 

WE'D LIKE TO ADD AN ALBUM?

Great! There are a few options :
Once you receive your online gallery of wedding photos you will notice there is a store, you can actually design and order your own on there and it is really simple to use.
Alternatively, you can view my Queensberry Album Brochure back on the homepage or in the menu under Downloads, these are bespoke albums individually designed by me to suit you and your day, there's the choice of the Studio Book or the Duo album which are handmade in New Zealand. You can add these to your package at any time or purchase one at a later date up to 3 years after your wedding day.

I truly believe photos should be seen in print so an album is such a wonderful way to take a trip down memory lane. My clients often buy albums from me for their one year wedding anniversary, or even 3 year! Just bear in mind current prices are only guaranteed for one year after your wedding day, therefor you may see and price increase after this date.

WHO DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SUPPLIERS?

Ooooh this is a funny one to answer as obviously all individuals, couples and supplier will have their own opinion on this and suppliers of course will likely think they are the most important... so "other than me" hehe and your chosen venue of course, in my personal opinion and this is based only on my experience at hundreds of weddings (and despite me absolutely loving a plethora of gorgeous flowers), I do think that if you're on a budget then you should be putting what makes happier guests and the best atmosphere for you and your guests to have the best and most memorable day! With that in consideration, then I would say the entertainment, ie. a brilliant band, and amazing food is what will be remembered! Guests always walk away talking about how good or crap the food was, or that there wasn't enough food, or drink..... and what an awesome fun night it was.

DO WE OWN COPYRIGHT ON OUR WEDDING PHOTOS? 

No. I've most likely discussed this with you already but I do feel it's important that this is reiterated here as you are not photographers and will most likely assume you own copyright to your wedding photos. Photography in the eyes of the law is a piece of art, we as photographers, are artists, and therefor having been the person to press the shutter, the photographer always owns the copyright, unless they have agreed to sell and sign over the copyright, which is incredibly rare. A second photographer signs over copyright to the main photographer and therefore would give me permission to edit these images.  Although I retain the copyright, you do however, have the right to refuse me use of your images for public display on my website, social media and promotional materials, you also have the license to print for personal use, post online, give to your family and friends, anything really. The only thing you cannot do is alter my images or use them for commercial gain.
*as a small business I of course appreciate my clients support, and the photos I take are what gains me future work. As your wedding approaches you will receive a form asking for permissions for various use of your images, this is entirely your choice and I will respect and honour your decision.

Upon request VIP arrangements (confidentiality agreements) will be put in place to protect any public or press interest. Any photos used for public display by Adôrlee for self-promotion, will need to be agreed in writing first. Please do let me know if you are / a guest, is a public figure or in a position of authority and you would like this put in place. 

YOU ARE INSURED, DO WE NEED IT TOO? 

Yes. I am insured with Aaduki Multimedia Insurance, which includes cover for equipment, public liability and most importantly; professional indemnity to ensure you and I are both fully covered.

Yes, I highly recommend you pay for your own wedding insurance. Something I never even bothered purchasing, but for the sake of £50 or £150, it could save you thousands of pounds, as I am sure many are now, unfortunately, learning with the current COVID-19 situation.

WHAT IS YOUR EDITING PROCESS? 

After your wedding, I select a few images as a sneak peek to send through to you to share with your family and friends.
I cull down the images, selecting the images I will be editing based on my professional and experienced opinion. The ones which are not used are basically duplicates of the ones in your final set, eyes closed, someone has walked in front of the camera, unflattering ones or images where the flash has not fired or the lens mis-focussed. 

From your final selection, these images are taken into Adobe Lightroom and each and every one edited, individually by moi! Once I have applied my editing style to your photos, corrected any exposure or white balance issues and cropped, I then export your images as Jpegs and take them into photoshop to check for any retouching that may be required - fortunately I am not only a photographer, but also a professional retoucher, often hired by other photographers. I will as standard tuck in any back fat overhang, remove the unwanted spot on the end of your nose that decided to invite itself to your wedding, and reduce/ soften/ lighten any skin blemishes and dark circles/ wrinkles around the eyes.
I then create black and white versions of every photos, individually editing these also to make sure they are perfect. The final steps are then ordering all of the correctly so they tell your story and so your not looking at lots of detailed shots in a row, creating a slideshow of a selection of your photos to nice music. Creating a personalised website for you and creating your online gallery and uploading your images.

As you can see this is not a one day job, it's extensive work that goes into delivery you the most beautiful set of images from your day for you to treasure, and in high season, these are prioritised in terms of your wedding date, therefore the 6-8 weeks turnaround time, and asking for clients to be patient and not to chase, as I want your photos to be perfect, just as you do, therefor I will not rush the editing process.
*Intensive digital retouching is available as an extra.

WILL YOU DO A VENUE VISIT?

If I have never worked at your venue before and it is local, then I can do a venue visit, and if you are also local then I like to schedule this in with a pre-wedding meet to discuss any final details. For weddings further afield or overseas, I shall visit the venue either the day before (upon arrival) or on the morning of before I start shooting. if you are nervous that I haven’t worked at your venue before please do get in touch and I can send you some full galleries of weddings from my first times at venues so you can rest assured that you need not worry. A good and experienced photographer will produce just as awesome photos a first time at a venue. If meeting me beforehand then ask to see my sample Queensberry album - this showcases the first wedding I ever photographed at a Southend Barns.

CAN I SHARE MY WEDDING IDEAS WITH YOU?

Absolutely. My email address is clients@adorlee.co.uk
Please do add this contact to your phone and email account so I don't go straight to your spam folder.
My mobile number is 07764 595370 and I am also on whatsapp. I am quite used to receiving photos, links and messages for ideas or what my excited bride has just purchased, so please feel free to share away. All I ask is to consider the time you are messaging, my phone isn't always on silent and my lovely man doesn't always appreciate it beeping with wedding dress ideas at midnight! haha or at 6am.
As mentioned on the Inspiration page, you can also find me on Pinterest under @adorleeweddings and I love it when brides or grooms invite to join their private board to give me an insight to their day and style. 

WHAT SHOULD WE BE INFORMING YOU ABOUT?

Gosh, this list could be endless. Obviously, I don't need to know the flavour of the second tier of your wedding cake, neither do I need to know that the person making your cake won an award, I will be photographing your cake, irrelevant.  If you have decided to do a sparkler arch, wish to write with sparklers or are having fireworks and I'm booked in with the correct coverage to capture this, please do let me know. If you are having a planned directed first dance with a lean to lift at the end, please advise me of this as I may need to ensure I'm on the correct side of the dancefloor to capture that lift or lean (I am often moving around the edge of the dancefloor following your direction). If there are divorced/ separated/ re-married parents or important guests and the situation is not an amicable one which would mean them being kept at opposite ends of group photos please do let me know so that I can direct accordingly. If a relative has passed please do let me know so I don't put me foot in it! If you have any surprises planned for the day or in case your parents have planned a secret surprise, then please advise me and advise your parents that "if" they have, to please let me know so I can be ready to capture this.

Any gifts, details or jewellery that was handmade or has a meaning to it, please tell me so I can be sure to capture these memories for you.

Finally, and I'm sure there are most likely more that I simply have not thought of right now, please let me know if there is any one who is heavily pregnant, unwell, in a wheelchair, elderly that may not be able to walk across to the group photo location of choice, or if you have an usher, for example, who have have asperges / autism... who may be very shy or react badly if I were to tap them on the shoulder.