Frequently Asked Questions

Our Answers to many of your wedding photography questions

This page might not have lots of spiffy pictures, but it has lots of great information!  In order to help this page open as quickly and easily as possible on your mobile device, we have intentional included only pertinent information.

How many weddings have you shot?

How many weddings have you shot?

As a wedding photographer team, we began our career in Austin, TX before moving to the Dallas area.  We have been professional, full-time wedding photographers for over ten years.  During that time, we have had the honor of providing over 400 couples with amazing wedding photography collections.  Not only have we been photographers for ten years, we have photographed exclusively weddings for the last ten years.  Just like any other profession, we believe that you can only be really, really great when you specialize.  You wouldn't visit a heart doctor if you had foot problems.  Your neighbor might be a great family attorney, but you wouldn't trust her with your business taxes.  Photography is no different.  Why trust someone who dabbles in lots of different genres?  Our passion is weddings...so our focus is weddings.  The result is amazing photographs and unparalleled confidence and customer service.

What does full day coverage mean?

What does full day coverage mean?

Unlike most photographers, we do not work on time limits.  Our goal is to do the very best job we can of telling the story of your amazing wedding day.  In our opinion, that simply can't be done in 4 or 6 hours.  And charging for additional time means that you have to start making decisions about what parts of your day are important...and just how important they are.  That puts more stress on your planning and we want to help relieve stress, not add to it.  We communicate with you before the wedding to learn what is important to you and we work together to come up with a timeline that ensures that we are able to capture all of those moments for you.

Typically, we spend about 8 hours shooting at a wedding.  However, we understand that some weddings are a bit longer and we're completely okay with working with you to cover your day.  There are some limits on that, of course.  We work really hard while we're at your wedding and there's only so long we shoot without needing some significant break time.  If you need over 10 hours in a day, there is an extra charge.

What is your photography style?

What is your photography style?

We occupy a unique space in the Dallas wedding photographer landscape.  Our work combines a photojournalistic approach with a wealth of knowledge about posing, lighting, and composition.  We want to capture natural moments as they happen and we use our expertise to help more of those natural moments occur.  The result is a relaxed photography experience where you feel 100% comfortable in front of the camera and look more beautiful and handsome than you ever have.

To effectively capture your wedding day, we can't be married to just one style of photography.  Sometimes photojournalism is the way to go.  Sometimes couples need some help with posing.  In order to quickly and efficiently work through family picture, we often times need more organization and more of a portrait photographer mentality.  Our creative, artistic shots often require an understanding of advanced camera and lighting techniques.  All of this makes it hard to define a "style" per se that we adhere to.  We pride ourselves on not just being people who push a button on a camera, but actually being artists who create unique and beautiful images.  In short, here's what I can say: 

Regardless of the process used to create them, our images are always natural, elegant, vibrant, timeless, and clean.



Do you have experience with customs and traditions from Arabic/Indian/asian/Jewish weddings?

Do you have experience with customs and traditions from Arabic/Indian/asian/Jewish weddings?

If you need a Dallas wedding photographer for your ethnic wedding, look no farther!  We LOVE weddings that really embrace different cultures and religions.  We have experience shooting all kinds of cultural and ethnic weddings.  You might even call us nerds.  If we're going to shoot a wedding from a culture that we don't know much about, we actually spend lots of time reading about the wedding traditions involved so that we can be prepared.

We have photographed Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Persian, Jewish, African, Mexican, and Syrian weddings.

Cultural weddings are a blast and we would love to be part of yours.

What kind of edits do you do on your pictures?

What kind of edits do you do on your pictures?

Our editing process is central to everything we do and is one of the primary things that separates us from other Dallas wedding photographers.  This isn't Instagram.  We don't use filters or presets.  We spend considerably more time after your wedding working on your pictures than we do actually taking your pictures.

Our goal is to deliver a collection of perfectly manicured images that you can enjoy for the rest of your life.  Each image you receive was individually edited and inspected by us to ensure that it is as good as it can be.  What are we specifically looking for?  Here are just a few things:

     •  Your collection will have a consistent tone and feel from beginning to end.
     •  Colors should be cohesive from image to image.
     •  Blemishes are retouched.
     •  Distractions are removed from images.
     •  Lighting (exposure) is adjusted to ensure that images look natural and beautiful.

No other photographer in Dallas puts the amount of effort and time into wedding collections that we do. That's just one more reason why we are the highest rated wedding photographers in the United States on Wedding Wire and The Knot!

Will all of my photos be edited?

Will all of my photos be edited?

YES!!!!  Our couples typically receive approximately 60 images for each hour of time that we are at their wedding.  Each and every image will be edited.  Among wedding photographers in Dallas, we are perhaps the only team who individually edits each and every image you receive.

We're so excited to get pictures.  How long does it take for you to work your magic?

We're so excited to get pictures.  How long does it take for you to work your magic?

Because of the amount of work that we put into each wedding, our couples usually receive their completed collections about (8) weeks after their wedding.


Do we receive digital copies of our images?

Do we receive digital copies of our images?

All of our collections include a USB drive with full-resolution, non-watermarked copies of your images.  Many photographers only give reduced resolution images or images with watermarks.  If you want full-resolution images from them, there is often an additional charge.

These are your images and we want you to enjoy them to the fullest.  Post them.  Print them.  Share them with friends and family.  Spread the love!


Do we have to meet with you in person to book with you?

Do we have to meet with you in person to book with you?

It is not required that we meet in person to book your wedding.  We have lots of couples who do not live in the Dallas area.  Thankful, technology provides us with several excellent options.  Video chatting allows us all to stay in our pajamas and still "meet" each other and chat about your big day.

With that being said, if you are in the Dallas area, we would love to meet with you in person.  One of the things we love most about being photographers is the relationships that we develop with out couples.  That relationship begins when you come to our home, sit on our couch, and laugh with us.



What's required to book you for our wedding?

What's required to book you for our wedding?

Two things are required to book us for your wedding.

First, we need a completed contract.  We take the 'business' part of our photography business seriously.  We want to ensure that there are no mistakes with the serious stuff so we can spend more time focusing on the fun stuff.

Second, we require a 20% deposit.  The remaining balance is due any time before your wedding.  You can make payments or just pay the deposit and give us the balance on the day of the wedding.  We really aren't concerned with how you pay everything as long as it is all taken care of by the wedding day.

What are your rates?

What are your rates?

We struggle to understand some trends in photography and one that we struggle with the most has to do with pricing.  For some reason, many photographers have decided that it is a good idea to hide prices from couples who are searching for a wedding photographer.  The thinking goes like this: if the photographer doesn't immediately show pricing, he/she has the opportunity to develop more value in the client's mind before ever discussing price.  Then, when the photographer finally shares their price, the client might get sticker shock, but the photographer can say, "Yes, but you've already agreed that you like everything I offer. So, price shouldn't matter. It's what you want."

We will be the first to admit that our collection prices are not for everyone.  If you are looking for a bargain in a wedding photographer, you will probably be happier with another wedding professional.  If you are looking for an experience and photography collection that you will love and cherish for the rest of your life, we just might be the people for you.

Since the day we began taking pictures, we decided that we wanted to be as honest and transparent about pricing as possible.  Because of that, we have always made it a point to openly publish all of our collections and pricing on our website.

Our collections begin at $7950. CLICK HERE to see our complete collection and price guide.

Why is wedding photography so expensive?

Why is wedding photography so expensive?

Buckle up.  Our answer to this questions might be a bit long...and a bit rough.  The short answer is "It's complicated."  Here's the long answer:

Several years ago, we were at a wedding and the groom introduced us to a friend of his who was a beginning wedding photographer.  We spoke for several minutes and somehow (I don't remember all the details of the conversation) the topic turned to pricing.  We have no problem discussing our pricing.  It's not a secret.  We openly publish our prices on our website.  We told the young man our prices and he told us his.  We were, to be honest, shocked!  We had about 200 weddings under our belts and were really starting to feel like we were able to confidently provide our couple with consistent results.  This young man had shot three weddings at the time...and his starting price was $700 MORE than ours (our collection prices were considerably lower at the time)! 

We just couldn't resist the obvious question.  "Why are your prices so high if you've only shot three weddings"

"You've got to charge a lot if you want couples to take you seriously," came the immediate response.  

I immediately told him, "That's funny, we charge less and we've never had a problem with our couples taking us seriously."  However, my confident response hid my true feelings.  I'm not sure I've ever been more discouraged, confused, ashamed all at the same time.  What a horrible justification for charging couples a lot of money.  In my opinion, this guy was preying on the ignorance of young couples by inflating his prices based on the couple's perception of his abilities, not based on his actual abilities.  

I know, I know.  Some might say that perception is reality or that couples knew what they were getting because they saw his pictures before booking.  And there might be some validity in those arguments.  But, one of the biggest things we have learned in all of our years of doing this is that the wedding photographer/couple relationship is not just a business deal.  It's also built on trust.  The couple is trusting the photographer to steer them straight and to help them make the most of the money they are investing into their wedding.  Photographers like this young man, in our opinion, were taking advantage of that trust for their own benefit.  

So, why do we share this story?  In order to fully answer this question, we feel like we need to cover as many aspects of wedding photography pricing as possible.  It is a fact that some wedding photographers with little to no experience charge the same as seasoned wedding photographer who provide years of experience and quality images.  Why do they do this?  Because they can?  Because others do it?  It's hard to articulate reasons for something that we disagree with.  From a strictly capitalist viewpoint, if the market will support a certain price, the seller would be a fool to charge anything less.  For us, capitalism is not the only factor in what we think is right and fair to our couples...or to any newly engaged couple looking for a photographer.  We want to treat people right and be honest about our services.

Ignoring those that charge more "just because I can", why then are experienced, professional wedding photographers so expensive?  There are several things that we would encourage you to consider.

First, camera equipment is REALLY expensive!  For example, at every wedding Tony carries around about $9000 worth of camera equipment in his hand all day and Elena works with around $6000 worth of equipment.  That's just what we have on us for immediate use.  That doesn't count all the extra stuff in our camera bag (backup cameras, more lenses, memory cards, batteries, etc.) or any of our lights (close to $10,000).  From a very practical standpoint, professional photographers use lots of top of the line gear and it's expensive to maintain that.

Second, professional wedding photographers (should) work really hard on your wedding day.  It might not seem like it, but being a photographer is physically demanding work.  We typically spend 8 to 10 hours with a couple on their big day and the majority of that is spent on our feet moving from place to place.  Oh...and that $9000 camera weights a TON!  Just imagine carrying around three bricks at eye level all day.

Third, the wedding day is only the beginning of the time commitment for your wedding.  Photographers spend time selecting pictures, editing pictures, and designing albums.  For example, we spend approximately 100 hours PER WEDDING in pre-wedding prep, shooting, and editing.  100 hours!!!  Granted, not all photographers spend that much time.  But, then not all photographers have our reputation either.  :-)

Finally, there are lots of intangibles that a professional photographer brings to your day.  These are skills or experience or creativity or personality that not everyone can offer.  In fact, not even every wedding photographer can offer these things!  Not all wedding photographers are created equal.  Professionals can adapt to any environment and provide their couples with amazing images...all within strict time constraints with limited equipment.  To be very honest, if you want an amazing wedding photography experience, you should accept the fact that those skills and abilities cost more.  

Are you available for our destination wedding?

Um...yeah! While we are a Dallas wedding photographer team, we love to travel!  We would love to talk with you about your destination wedding.

Have you shot a wedding at my venue?

If you're getting married in the Austin area, there's a very good chance that we've shot at your venue.  As a team, we have photographed over 400 weddings and almost all of them have been in Central Texas.  We've shot weddings at Hotel Granduca, The Terrace Club, Ma Maison, Vista West Ranch, Addison Grove, The Driskill, The Ivory Oak, Ranch Austin, Chateau Bellevue, Texas Federation of Women's Clubs Mansion, W Austin Hotel, The Allan House, Gardens of Cranesbury View, Pecan Springs Ranch, Canyonwood Ridge, Vintage Villas, Casa Blanca on Brushy Creek, and more.

However, if we haven't shot a wedding at your venue, don't worry.  While it might make our day a bit easier if we've shot at your venue before, going somewhere new is actually a good thing!  It gets our creative juices flowing and we often get some of our best images.  Our eye is trained to be on the lookout for awesome spots for pictures.  So, no need to worry.  We've got this!

What type of equipment do you use?

The most expensive equipment in the world can't compensate for a lack of understanding of the basics of photography: lighting, composition, and an artistic eye.  Some of our favorite pictures were taken with a cheap point and shoot camera and our cell phone by simply applying our expertise.  But, having professional equipment expands our possibilities and allows us to provide our clients with the most breathtaking wedding art possible.

If you just want to know whether or not we use professional equipment, the answer is a definite YES!  If you're into gadgets and are curious about the specifics, here's a peek inside our camera bag:

     •  Canon 1Dx Mark ii
     •  Canon 5D Mark IV
     •  Canon 70-200 mm f2.8 IS II USM
     •  Canon 24-70 mm f2.8L II USM
     •  Canon 100 mm f2.8L Macro IS USM
     •  Canon 50 mm f1.2L USM
     •  Canon 85 mm f1.2L II USM
     •  Canon TS-E 24 mm f3.5L II

We also carry a selection of flash and constant lighting (LED) to ensure that we can properly light any situation.


Do you photograph family and wedding party formals?

Definitely!  While some photographers specialize in only the photojournalistic aspects of the wedding day, we feel very strongly about the fact that formal family and wedding party pictures are a very important part of your wedding day.  These are the people that love you, support you, pray for you, and wish you the very best in life.  We definitely want to take just a few moments to memorialize how important these people have been in your life.

We'll be honest, family pictures are not the sexiest part of the day.  I don't know of any bride that says, "I hired my photographer because he/she takes the best family photos."  But, if you hire a photographer for your wedding who isn't comfortable with formal shots, you will regret it later.

And, while you might not get super excited about a formal picture where everyone is looking at the camera and smiling, your mom will!  These pictures are so important for parents and grandparents.  And, one of these days when you become a parent, we guarantee that they will become more and more important to you.

Having said that, we also understand that you only have so much time on your day and we don't want to bog down your wedding day celebration with a bunch of family pictures.  We always recommend that you make a list of formal pictures that you would like on the wedding day (we have an example list we can share with you to help you get started).  We will print that list out and bring it with us on the big day.  This list does two things for us: (1) it helps the process go much faster and (2) it ensures that we don't forget anyone.

Unless you have an abnormally long family list (we've had four pages of family pictures before...whew!), we can get through this part of the day in less than 30 minutes.

Do you Photograph details?

Oh, do we ever!  In our opinion, this is one of the most important parts of the day.  Your dress, shoes, garter, bouquet, jewelry...all those things are important.  Plus, there are lots of details that you spent months (maybe years) planning that you simply won't see on your wedding day because you're just busy.  We do our best to capture all of those little things that you worked so hard on so that you have memories of them in your photo collection.

What is a first look?  Should we do one?

A first look is simply a time before the ceremony when the bride and groom see each other for the first time.  About half of our couples choose to do a first look and they are always glad that they did.  This private moment is a completely different experience from the moment when the bride is walking down the aisle towards her groom.  One isn't really a replacement for the other.  We have found that our couple really enjoy and appreciate having a few moments prior to the ceremony when it is just the two of them.

There are lots of reasons why doing a first look might be a great idea:

1.)  If you are getting married in late fall, winter, or early spring, the sun sets earlier and we have less time for natural light pictures after the ceremony. In order for us to reproduce the kinds of images that we have in our portfolio, it is vital that we have some time while the sun is still up for pictures of the couple.

2.)  Seeing each other for the first time during the ceremony is very romantic, but there are some restrictions that this decision puts on the bride and groom. The biggest restriction we see is that brides and grooms are unable to really take in the moment and share their feelings with each other. Why? Because they're in the middle of a wedding ceremony! The groom can't tell the bride how amazing she looks in her dress. The bride can't tell the groom how handsome he is. You can't laugh together. You can't cry together. A first look really solves many of those issues.

3.)  Are you nervous in front of people? Are you nervous about being emotional in front of people? Doing a first look is definitely something you should consider. Don't choose to hide your emotion. Be emotional! But, you can do it in private and then retain your composure in front of your friends and family.

4.)  Brides, you just spent a lot of money on hair and makeup and it will look absolutely no better than right after it is done. If you decide to do all pictures after the ceremony, it might be hot or windy or maybe you cried a little. All of these things affect your hair and makeup.

5.)More time with your friends and family! This might be the biggest benefit of all. Your friends and family have travelled from all over the world to be at your wedding. When you do a first look, we can get the majority of your pictures taken care of before your guests arrive leaving you with more time to spend with your special people.

Can we give you a list of pictures that we want on our big day?

Not only can you, we think you should!  We will do our very best to capture everything that we feel plays an important role in your day.  But, we can't possibly understand your complete family dynamic or know which friends are closest to you or guest which guests travelled the farthest to spend the day with you.  Providing us with a list of images ensures that we get pictures of all those special people.

Additionally, feel free to grab either one of us on your wedding day and request pictures!  You're not stepping on our creative toes if you ask us to take a picture at your wedding. That's what we're there to do!

What can we do to get our wedding published?

We regularly submit weddings we shoot to magazine and wedding blogs for publication.  It is always so much fun to see your wedding published and we would love to help you make that happen.  If having your wedding published is of special interest to you, please let us know that in advance.  That gives us the ability to review the specific publication's guidelines and come up with a game plan with you to improve the probability of getting your wedding published.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do if publication interests you is to focus on details!  Magazines and blogs LOVE personalized details...lots of personalized details...that they can share with their readers.  Remember when you were planning your wedding and you would look through blogs and magazines to get ideas for your decor?  Well, now your wedding will be the wedding people look at to plan their decor.  It is vital that you give us plenty of time in the day to take pictures of your gown, the invitations, the cake, the floral arrangements, etc...all with no guests in the shots (another advantage of us not working on time limits).

With just a bit of thought before your wedding, we can take some simple steps that will greatly increase the probability of your wedding being the inspiration for future brides!

Do you provide albums with your collections?

Yes!  Your wedding images are made to be displayed on something more than an iPhone screen!  We are proud to offer albums for sale with any collection as a family heirloom to memorialize the beginning of your family.  Each album is custom designed and handmade in Italy.  Sound fancy?  It is...and you'll love it!

What's the big deal about albums and why do i need to spend more money on one?

First, wedding albums (to us) are like the plate of food you receive when you order something at a nice restaurant.  You don't want that steak you ordered to come out raw or the potatoes unpeeled.  You expect the food to be cooked and the presentation to be on par with the food you ordered.  Even at McDonald's (and we're certainly not the McDonald's of wedding photography) the food is packaged in a way that is expected to make it more appealing to the consumer.  When you buy tickets to a concert, you expect to see a polished performance, a show that you will remember for years.  You didn't spend all that money for the sound check.  Why should your wedding pictures be any different?  If all you get from your wedding day is a USB drive with some digital pictures, your collection is incomplete.  A great wedding album tells the story of your most important for generations.

Second, there is absolutely no obligation to spend any more money on an album with our collections.  While many of our couples do add an heirloom album to their collection, it is never required. You have complete control over the size of your album and how much you spend.  

So, why do many of our couple pay more for albums?  Having access to all of your images is nice.  Being able to access them digitally is nice.  But, digital images are not a family heirloom.  You don't hand down digital images to be displayed at your children's wedding or your grandchildren's wedding.  Couples that purchase albums understand that they are paying a lot for wedding photography with the intention that it be beautifully displayed.  Our designs focus on highlighting key moments of your special day in a beautiful and unique way.  That means that we don't put 17 images on each page of your album.  That's not a wedding album.  That's a scrapbook.

We get it.  Weddings are expensive.  You spent thousands of dollars on your dress, the flowers, the food, music, hair, makeup, cake, beer donkeys...the list goes on and on.  If you're willing to spend so much money on these temporary things, why would you not want to ensure that your day is forever memorialized in a beautiful, custom designed wedding album?  We're certain that the album you receive from us will be one of your favorite family keepsakes.

What is the typical investment for a wedding album?

Final album prices depend on the number of spreads in the album and the album size.  Our couples typically spend between $3000 and $6000 on their album.  Prices can be higher for larger albums.

When is wedding season in Texas?

Do you have any reviews that we can read?

As a Dallas wedding photographer, people are constantly asking us if we're busy or if we shot any weddings recently.  The answer for us is always "YES!"  Without fail, the very next thing people always say is, "Well, I guess it is wedding season."  In a way, I guess I agreee.  Wedding season for us is pretty much year round.  But, there are some things to think about when planning your wedding in Texas.  Texas is a big, big state.  So big that the answer to this question might actually vary depending on where you're located.  In Central Texas the most popular times for weddings is March to May and September to November.  During these months, the weather is typically mild and pleasant.

The winter months in Texas are also quite popular for weddings.  While things aren't as green outside as they are in spring and summer, the temperatures are often mild and spending an afternoon outside at a wedding ceremony is really nice.

June, July, and August are just hot.  Really hot.  If you must get married in these months, our advice is to find a venue with an inside ceremony and reception option.  Inviting 200 people to your wedding, asking them to wear nice clothes, and then putting them outside in 105 degree heat tends to draw some criticism from guests. :-)

As wedding photographers in Austin and Dallas, we have been very blessed to have worked with lots of couples who were willing to says lots of really great things about their experience with us!  We would certainly recommend that you take some time to read about their experience because we're certain that your experience will be just as good. 

CLICK HERE to visit our Wedding Wire review page.  

We have over 200 5-star reviews.  In fact, we are the highest rated wedding photographers in the United States on either Wedding Wire or The Knot!  We work really hard at every wedding to make sure our couples feel like they hired one of the best wedding photographers in Austin.  We are able to be a top Austin wedding photographer because we do everything in house.  Every e-mail.  Every phone call.  Every picture.  Every edit.  Every album design.  It all comes from the two of us.  Nothing is out-sourced.  Nothing done by assistants.  It's personal service from the first e-mail to the day you receive your pictures.