What is the best way to get in touch with you?
You can give me a call at 954.247.1121 or click here for my contact form. I try to return calls and emails within 2 business days. Please note that unless I have a client with an emergency, I typically do not answer work email or return voicemails on the weekend, and if I am shooting that weekend or out of town it may take a day for me to receive your message. I appreciate your understanding! :) If you do not hear back from me within 2 days, please do not hesitate to shoot me another email or text me at the above number. I get a lot of emails each day and sometimes the Internet eats them!!
How many wedding commissions do you accept each year?
I typically accept no more than 12-15 weddings per year because I want to provide the best quality and attention that I possibly can to my clients, while also enjoying my time with my family. :) Although I was a photographer long before I answered to “Mama,” being able to choose how much work I accept for myself each year is a big reason why I continue to enjoy owning my own business and being able to do something that I love! :)
I don’t usually accept wedding commissions during July or August (I use those months to catch up from spring season and focus on the coming year) and I take VERY limited commissions (not more than 2 per month) during November or December due to the portrait business being very active at this time – not to mention the busy holiday season with family!
How much should I expect to spend? What’s included?
Wedding coverage starts at $3,150 for a full day’s package (up to 9 hours of our time). This collection includes two photographers and an online gallery & slideshow, plus your high-resolution files, a wall print, and an artistically edited selection of Signature Images – the best images from your day. For a little more, you can upgrade to a larger print, receive a DVD copy of your wedding slideshow, and also receive an album credit! I also include a free engagement session so that I can get to know you better before your wedding day.
Most clients generally choose to invest additionally by selecting a guest book from their engagement pictures, canvas gallery wraps, prints, a wedding album, or other products. Collections include two photographers, a disc of images, an online gallery & slideshow, an album credit, and over 75 hours of artistic post processing.
Do I really need to do an Engagement Session?
I think it’s a great idea for many reasons, so I offer all booked wedding clients with a Full Day/Complete collection a session as part of their package. I feel that the engagement session is so important to getting to know the couple for their big day, that I include it for free in those wedding collections.
The best part of the engagement session is so that I can get to know my couples better and see how they react together in front of the camera. This can be very important on the wedding day and doing an engagement session can make a big difference in how I photograph someone on the big day. It also lets the two of you see my shooting style, which actually will allow us to move through our wedding-day portrait session much more quickly, enabling us to get the best shots possible. This is important because more often than not, the bride and groom end up with a limited amount of time on their wedding day for portraits, so having that comfort level can truly help with this process.
Since it’s a free session, you’re not obligated to buy anything at all from it. It’s just a fun couple of hours for us to spend together and get to know each other and have a good time. If you want to buy the photos, we can discuss any prints you might like, or even putting together a guest book for you, which is the most popular way to display your engagement pictures to your wedding guests.
Should we see each other before the wedding? What are the benefits?
As someone who experienced this herself, I can tell you personally how awesome it was to see my husband before my wedding ceremony! It didn’t diminish any of the powerful emotions that I felt walking down the aisle, and I felt so happy that I was able to hug my husband in private and tell him how I felt as soon as I saw him- without a zillion eyes watching us – or having to wait until after the ceremony!
The “tradition” of not seeing each other prior to the ceremony was born from an old practice of hiding the bride before the wedding – just in case the groom found her unappealing, he’d be unable to stop the proceedings! Eeeek! We all know just how much the two of you are in love, so now that we know the reason behind this tradition, it no longer is necessary! Instead, let’s do a “first look” – a special private moment with just the two of you and your photographers, capturing the happiness you feel on your wedding day at seeing each other all dolled up and ready to start your new life together, as one.
In addition to some private, un-rushed portrait time, a First Look allows you to get portraits done before you cry happy tears all over that gorgeous makeup job, not to mention, it allows us to take portraits during the daytime if you have a night time wedding, or even at a different location. Since I prefer to use natural light for my portrait work (it’s just more… natural), your portraits will have a much more consistent look to them with the rest of my work if we arrange to shoot during the daytime.
Do you accept shot lists? I want to make sure you get photos of the toast, first dance, etc…
No, I don’t. I personally feel that any professional photographer should already know to get special key shots such as the best man’s toast, the couple’s first dance, and other important events. If you feel that your photographer won’t know to get these shots, that’s not a good sign! Additionally, I feel that shot lists interrupt the day and prevent me and my team from obtaining the emotional, candid shots that happen in split-second moments. If the photographer spends time working off a list, it may actually cause the best moments to be missed.
As far as family formals go, I recommend that you create a list of the immediate family members and the bridal party who will be involved for this session. Family formals can take place either before or after the ceremony, and I highly recommend designating a trusted friend or family member who knows your relatives and can help you organize them on the day of your wedding (aka “the people-herder” as previous brides will tell you!). The smoother and quicker your family formals go, the more time we can spend getting the special bride & groom portraits, which is not something that you want to miss out on!
How do you edit your images? When do we see the photos?
Since you’re hiring a professional photographer, you shouldn’t need to know how to use Photoshop in order to view, print, or enjoy your images. Otherwise, what is the point?
So, the answer is… all images are edited & corrected using Photoshop, so you, the client, won’t have to do ANY work once you receive your disc of final images. This means every image you receive is ready to print – for your mom, grandma, or in your own self-created album or scrapbook (I’m happy to recommend companies to use if you want to do a press-printed book of your own!).
I will also further artistically edit a selection of my very favorite images, giving them my signature “Karen Lisa Look” – these are the processed images that you see on my website and blog, and any images that are included in your album will also receive my Signature Look. You will receive all the final edited images including your selection of Signature Images from your wedding on your disc. It typically takes 8-10 weeks to finish editing your images, but may take less depending on how busy of a season we’re having. :)
To understand the way images are edited, please check out this new series I’m doing on my blog called Before & After, where I showcase one image per post in its “straight out of camera” – “color corrected” – and “signature image” phases, so you can gain an understanding of the editing process. The blog post also goes into greater detail about what these stages are about and how the image is processed for each sage. I’ll be doing these “Before and After” posts at least once a month so check back if you’d like to see more!
Does your price include travel?
My pricing includes travel within 2 hours driving time of ZIP Code 33321. I do, however, photograph weddings all over the state of Florida as well as the United States. Travel fees are customized depending on the location and only include exact travel/hotel/rental fees. Please inquire for a custom quote.
Do you have insurance?
Yes, I do. I have business insurance with the Hartford through USAA. I’m happy to add your venue as an additional insured to my policy if needed. Just let me know!
I’m ready to reserve my wedding date! How do I proceed?
The first step is to get in touch! Click here to contact me and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. In order to book a wedding, I require a signed contract and payment of the retainer ($1,500) which goes towards your final balance.
