Our Approach as Wedding Photographers

Our photographers prepare for every wedding differently, because our goal is to meet the unique needs of your wedding. We do everything we can to understand what you want - ahead of time - so your day flows smoothly and you have wonderful photographs you'll cherish for a lifetime.

We have three main goals for every wedding:

• Create beautiful posed photos, especially of you, your spouse, and your wedding party.
• Capture candid, natural un-posed (and genuine) moments.
• Be professional, courteous, and considerate at all times.

Reserve Your Wedding Date

Many of our couples reserve their date years in advance. Because wedding plans and arrangements can change, our photographers stay flexible. Once you reserve your date, it's yours. If, for example, you need to shift your start time or change your reception venue, don't worry - our photographers will be there.

We require a 50% deposit to officially reserve your date; the balance of your package price is due approximately two weeks before your wedding. (Check out our Wedding Package breakdown to get a sense of the range of packages we offer.) To see if we're available on your date, contact us by clicking here.

Share Your Vision with Us

Once you've reserved your wedding date, we'll discuss your ideas for how you'd like your wedding photographs to look and how you'd like our photographers to work with you. Some couples prefer a more traditional photographic style, while others prefer a candid, photojournalistic feel to their wedding photographs. Each BlackBird Images photographer is comfortable working in a variety of styles, and uses different techniques as a matter of course.

We'll also determine how you'd like our photographers to work with you on your wedding day. Some denominations - and individual churches - restrict the movement of wedding photographers and the use of flash photography during and after the ceremony. We'll determine what restrictions your wedding venue may have and will work within those guidelines. We'll also talk about your personal preferences so our photographers work in the way that makes you the most comfortable.

To help ensure we capture any "must-have" moments, we ask couples to fill out our Wedding Photographer Checklist . It serves as our guide for our photographers throughout your wedding day, and helps us do everything possible to capture the moments you're most interested in.

If you don't check a particular shot on the list, don't worry - when moments happen we still do our best to capture them. (That's another reason why almost all of our packages include two photographers.) The Checklist simply allows us to be as prepared as possible when we arrive on your wedding day. To see a copy of our checklist, click here.

We Work for You

Our primary goal is to create beautiful wedding photographs you'll cherish for a lifetime. While we have our own ideas and opinions about photographic styles, what's most important is that your wedding photographs reflect your individual sense of style.

And, if for example you see two relatives speaking and you want to capture the moment, simply point a photographer in the right direction. We'll never be irritated by any direction you give us. It's your wedding, not ours - we work for you.

View Your Wedding Gallery

Your wedding gallery will typically be available for viewing within two weeks of your wedding. (Follow this link to see a sample Wedding Gallery . ) We'll e-mail instructions for viewing your proofs; you can forward that e-mail to anyone you wish so they can also see your proofs.

We follow the "more is more" philosophy: If we feel you may be interested in seeing a particular photo, we'll include it in your wedding gallery. The typical gallery contains between 200 and 450 images depending on the number of photographer hours included in your package.

We'll also e-mail an order form you can use to choose the photos you want in your package. If you want additional photos you're welcome to order them individually.

And, if your family and friends wish to order photos they can do so directly through us - that way you won't have to serve as the "wedding photo ordering coordinator."

Receive Your Wedding Package

Your wedding gallery is available for at least six months after your wedding. (Six months is generally plenty of time to choose your photos; if you need more time let us know and we can leave your gallery up longer.) Once you complete your order, your photographs and albums are typically ready for pickup or shipment within one to two weeks.

If you need a few photographs quickly and wish to choose the rest of your photos later we'll be happy to help you, but keep in mind additional shipping charges may apply for multiple shipments.