Our Services
We are an experienced husband and wife team of wedding photographers dedicated to giving our clients a wedding photography experience that is driven by powerful unscripted story-telling moments, portraits that speak to who you are as a couple and a day that is stress free and focused on joy. In additional to wedding day photography our services also include pre-wedding engagement and bridal portraits, color and black and white film photography and video.
Wedding Photography
How would you describe your approach and style?
For us wedding photography is defined by two distinct but separate skills -
Moment driven photography -
During most of the day we believe the best wedding photographs aren't manufactured. They happen when you're fully present with the people you love. Our role is to document those moments as they unfold and create portraits inspired by the light, location, and personality of your day—not a checklist copied from a wedding blog. At the heart of your story we want the images to bring back the feeling of what is was like to be in the moment which means we won’t treat your day like a 9 or 10 hour photo session we have to leave space for the beautiful real moments to happen.
Portraiture -
The second skill every wedding photographer has to have - the ability to create beautiful portraits. This requires three things - knowing how to direct, how to light and how to find beautiful backgrounds.
First after more than 15 years photographing weddings we come prepared to work in any environment which means we aren’t reliant on just available light. Bringing extra lighting means that we can create gorgeous images at any time of day and in almost any location. High-noon, night time, indoors or out we can make beautiful images.
When it comes to directing I would just say this most of the time less is more and the aim is for it to feel real and effortless. If you come away from your wedding feeling like the portraits were stress free and fun then we’ve won.
What is it like to work with us?
Wedding day experience
We will be there to guide you when needed so that you’re in the best light and with the right people but we won’t micro-manage your day. We experts on wedding day schedules and picking locations but we still want honest moments and emotions to unfold. We’ll also keep you on schedule to lower your stress and make the day feel effortless.
We work hard to be quick and efficient with regard to your family photos. We have years of experience in helping you develop your list of family photos and on the day we’ll make sure those get done correctly but as quickly as possible. Usually we average about 20 minutes to get through most family photos.
Communication process
You have our email and phone numbers so you can always get ahold of us if needed. We try to always respond to email within 24 hours and we’re always happy to help with whatever comes up.
About 2 weeks before your wedding we love to have a planning call to go over final details, timeline, photo lists and any other concerns you have. On the day we will have your list printed out to make sure we’re not going to miss anyone.
We typically deliver your wedding photos around 4 weeks after the wedding but we also provide everyone with a sneak peek within 48 hours so you will have photos to share right way if you like.
Timeline assistance
If you’re not working with a wedding planner we’re happy to give you advice on a timeline. Honestly I think photography plays a huge role in how you structure your day so we’re always happy to jump into a conversation if you want some advice. We’ll never require you to do anything, like a first look, if you don’t want to but we will give you the pros/cons to any decision with regard to photography.
Husband-and-wife advantages
We can be in two place at once. For example after the ceremony Stephanie is usually heads straight to the reception to cover the room details and the cocktail hour. Those photos of your guests are something we think are often overlooked as a way to capture more people from your wedding. This can also help if you’re getting ready in different locations as we can break up and both be with you.
We can be in two places at once (version2) During the big moment of your wedding day there are reactions and moments all happening simultaneously and because there are two of us we’re able to give you more of that story. Even if we’re only a couple of feet away from each other we’ve developed a system over the years that helps us always be watching different parts of the same moment.
What are the deliverables and what is your price range?
Our price range typically ranges from about $5,000 to $10,000 depending on optional services like rehearsal dinner photography, engagement portraits and products like albums and prints. That being said the prices can be customized lower or higher for things like elopements or small intimate weddings as needed. The one standard we have in all of our packages is that everyone gets a copy of their high resolution retouched images on a private website where they can download and share the photos with friends and family.
Common questions -
We're awkward in photos. Can you help?
The answer is yes, we’re honestly experts in helping normal people who don’t spend a lot of time in front of a camera. It’s true that some people are naturally great at it but most people need some help and you can trust us to be there and to make it not-awkward. If you are nervous or if you want some “training” an engagement session is a great way to learn more about our process and get some feeling for how we direct - useful but not necessary (we do however love engagement portraits)
Do you pose couples?
Yes we do during the time that is meant for portraits we are going to pose you albeit in a fun, fluid and casual way. During other parts of the day I might ask you to, for example, put your dress on in a certain part of the room and angled for the best light but I won’t ask you to hold hands or look at someone in a way that looks candid. Instead I believe in the power of those moments happening naturally.
How many images will we receive?
Usually around 75-100 images per hour that we’re on site with you. So for an 8 hour day it averages around 700 photos which we break down into categories like, pre-ceremony, ceremony, group portraits and reception. It’s around 200 photos per section so you can find what you need quickly and easily.
Do you travel?
Yes, anywhere around DFW is no charge and for out of town weddings we’re really only looking to recover actual expenses. Reach out anytime and we can discuss this with you and come up with the best plan for your wedding.
Do you carry backup equipment?
Yes, a lot of it. We’ve been doing this long enough that we’ve had accidents and failures happen so for that reason we’re over-prepared for whatever could happen. The one thing that I think is most important is that our cameras capture two copies of your photos simultaneously all day. One copy goes home with me and the other with Stephanie so that the moment we leave your wedding there are already two copies your photos in two different locations. In the end there will be four copies of your images in our backup system plus the copy you download.
Have you photographed at our venue?
If you’re getting married in DFW, then yes most likely. But even if the answer is no after 900 weddings we’ve definitely seen something similar so we have no fear of what venue you choose. If there are however any specific concerns we’re happy to go over them anytime.
Engagement & Bridal Portraits
Engagement sessions and bridal portraits can be added to any package or purchased separately.
We’re happy to help you pick a location(s) to match your aesthetic and if you have ideas we’re always excited to try new things. If you want the rundown on some of the most iconic locations in DFW for engagements you can read about them here.
Every session is typically delivered about one week after the shoot and everyone gets a copy of their high resolution retouched images on a private website for download.
Sessions typically take about 1.5-2 hours and for engagements we often like to have a venue change if you want a few different looks.
If you want a style guide on what to wear just ask and we’ll send you our favorite tips and tricks for how to get the right look.
Video (Add On)
For a number of years now the trend in the wedding photo/video community has been to move toward a hybrid approach where every photographer is also doing video. For a lot of reasons its really important now as your choosing your team that you understand exactly how they’ll approach the day if you want them to handle both photo and video.
For us photography always comes first. We never want to design a system or product that compromises what we do as still photographers but we did see a gap in the market where there was a video product we can make that could help some couples. What we offer a is short 5-10 minute highlight film and ceremony video at a more affordable price than a full independent team. It’s a film that is not as comprehensive as what second team would be able to capture but that is precisely why we have it as an option.
How do we do it - we don’t film the entire day instead it’s more like a shot list of events including the most important moments. Each of these events is captured with multiple video cameras and professional audio recorders which are prefocused on the action but not actively being held by us. Because we have multiple angles of every event we’re able to create a dynamic film without increasing the number of people needed. This approach creates a product that still has a high degree of quality but can be handled by just two people.
Please note that if you do want a full team we’re also happy to recommend some great ones who will also do a fantastic job and with which we collaborate well.
If you want to see some samples just ask and also note this product is only available to clients who also book us for photography. In the end you have more choice which I think is great and allows you to allocate budget wherever you like.
Film Photography
I mainly shoot film because I enjoy it and I’ll typically shoot a few rolls at weddings just because it’s fun to have both and see how film renders light and color differently than digital.
If you love film and want a lot of it - I’m game. I’ve photographed weddings entirely on film so I’m ready with whatever vision you have and I’m happy to talk about the pros and cons if you need.
I also love instant film and you’ll often catch me shooting square format images with a professional instant camera at your wedding. There is something so amazing about a truly analog process that makes those prints so charming.
FAQs
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Two photographer coverage with Joseph and Stephanie begins at $4000 for a normal/full wedding day . Our most popular packages are around $6000 which includes many of the most popular optional additions. We also offer single photographer options beginning at $3200.
I promise no hard sell, if you just send us an email or jump on the phone for a quick conversation we can quickly any easily give you a custom quote so please don’t hesitate to ask. No high pressure moves, just our most accurate information.
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Absolutely, we would love to schedule a meeting with you anytime. We're happy to meet in person or over Zoom/FaceTime/Phone on weekday afternoons/evenings to work around your schedule.
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If you want to move forward with us we would send you a contract (electronic) and you would send that along with your first payment and we'd be all set!
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We will always be prompt in our response to any questions you have, many times we'll get back to you in the same day and almost always within 24 hours. We hate having unanswered emails so you might hear back even late at night but know that we think getting back to you is a priority. You'll also of course have our numbers for phone/text should you need us right away.
In the pre-wedding part of our service we'd love to help in picking locations/clothing/time of day to give you the best images possible. There is no time we're not with you in the planning of your engagements, bridals or wedding day. We know through the experience of more than 500 weddings how to make each experience with us easy and beautiful so you both can relax and enjoy yourselves.
On the wedding day we're there to not only guide you through the key moments but also to capture the important relationships in your lives. Wedding days are fast paced events and we want you to know that we're looking out not only for the beauty of your images but that we're working to give you a collection that isn't missing any key people just because they didn't know they were needed.
We are adaptable and we know how to make the best of any challenges that might arise. There are a lot of variables to any shoot or wedding day: weather, time of day, location etc. - anything can/will happen but we want you to know we can make beautiful images in almost any conditions. We've been there/done that and we're prepared with the tools and knowledge to still deliver images you'll love.
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You'll see a sneak peek of your wedding images about 2-3 days after and the final delivery around 4-5 weeks after the event. We'll deliver everything on a private website and you can invite anyone to either view or download the images as you wish. Portrait sessions are typically delivered one week after the shoot and are immediately available to you for printing/sharing.
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Typically we schedule engagements 6-9 months before the wedding but we're happy to work around the seasons or your busy schedules as needed.
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The album design process can begin anytime before your one year anniversary (most people begin around a month after). Once you've given us the green light to design from a list of our favorite images OR you submit a list to us we'll go to work creating a design. That design will go online so you can give feedback and we'll make any changes you request. Once that feedback process is complete the book will go to the printer and it should be in your hands within a few weeks. Typically the entire process takes around 8-12 weeks depending on how much time you need to give your feedback.
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Yes, we deliver the retouched high resolution files so you can print and share as you see fit. This includes every image we deliver to you including the wedding and any portrait sessions.