so, i hear you’re looking for a wedding photographer…

a resource to help guide you through the wedding photography process, answer questions, and ease anxiety. choosing a wedding photographer is a big decision!

don’t worry if this doesn’t answer all the questions you have, we will hop on a call or grab a coffee to chat more in depth once you inquire.

where do we start?

first things first, take a minute to check in with each other and answer these questions together:

- what is your non-negotiable when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer?

is it style & edit? personality & vibe? documentary candid or classically posed? is it making sure to stay within a certain price range, without sacrificing quality? The photographer’s overall experience? if the photographer shoots film as well as digital, or has photographed at your venue before?

No matter their approach, you spend a lot of time with your wedding photographer on the big day. i highly suggest choosing someone that feels more like a friend, rather than a vendor you will never see again. wedding photographers play one of the biggest roles on your day, and our product is the only tangible thing you will have from your wedding to look back on forever. Finding a photographer who allows you to you genuinely be yourselves will make for the best photos, and allow you to be the most present during your day.

as your wedding photographer, my job is to visually tell the story of your day, but i am also your right hand (wo)man and there for absolutely anything you need. I wear many hats during your day - hype girl, nerve coaxer, dress fluffer, hair smoother, veil putter-inner, family mediator, bump in the road smoother. my entire approach to wedding photography is centered around encouraging you to be fully immersed in your day, alongside your partner and most special people, while giving you confidence that all of the best parts of your day - big and small - will be captured in time forever. your only job is to be so stupidly present in your day that always goes by way too fast. being in front of a camera can be scary and vulnerable, and not something most people often do. having an engagement session included in all of my wedding photography packages allows us to hang out, get to know each other better, and give you the chance to feel what it’s like to be in front of my lens before the big day. that way, when I arrive the morning of your wedding, you’re like, “oh, there’s my pal Kate. I feel comfy to be my self around her, because I know she will capture me in the most authentic and flattering way.” I am a candid, documentary photographer by nature, but rest assured I will help guide you into poses that feel like you and live out your Pinterest board hero shot dreams. your final wedding gallery will be a lively, colorful retelling of your day, filled with candid detail shots, photojournalistic storytelling, timeless portraits, documentary captures, and genuine emotions.

- what is your biggest concern when it comes to wedding photography, or choosing a wedding photographer?

is it finding someone who aligns with your views and values? that won’t interrupt the natural flow of your day? who really RESONATES with your quirks, and can handle your family chaos? is it budget? or how the photographer navigates challenges? photo delivery turnaround times, or how they will help with timelines? is it the product of the final images, or how much experience they have in the field?

all of these concerns, and more, are questions your wedding photographer should be able to answer with ease. I highly recommend making a list of questions and concerns to ask your potential wedding photographer on your initial call. after you inquire with them, they should offer to set up a time to chat over the phone or hop on a video call. if they don’t offer to connect through any form other than e-mail, be wary of communication patterns. It is important for your photographer to show you that they are a strong communicator from the get go, as this is a necessary trait in an experienced wedding photographer when we are communicating with you, your family, and your other vendors. additionally, make sure to request full wedding galleries from wedding photographers you are interviewing. instagram, Pinterest, and website portfolios are a showcase of the best selected shots by said photographer. Its essential that you see how they capture an entire wedding day; various lighting scenarios, unexpected elements, moments of true documentary photojournalism versus the posed perfection. ask yourself, do they clearly thrive in one aspect, and fall short in another? do they struggle to adapt to harsh lighting situations? do they neglect photos of your guests and family when not prompted? are the photos they are showcasing really their work? I also suggest giving wedding photographers you are interviewing potential situations you may be concerned about, and seeing how they would navigate them in real time. for example, if the couple wasn’t centered under the arbor during the ceremony, would your photographer subtly get their attention and tell them to move, or would they adapt accordingly to not pull their couple out of the moment? what, as a couple, would you prefer they do? how would your wedding photographer handle a potentially tumultuous family dynamic, or saving your photos from an sd card failure? an experienced wedding photographer will be confident in their answers and exposure to most any scenario you throw their way. ask your potential photographer their experience, and how many weddings they have photographed. ask them if they have a diverse profile of ethnicities, body types, religions, sexualities. ask them how they will help with wedding day timelines and shot lists. ask them if they offer sneak peeks, and how long it will take to get your photos back. remember, you are interviewing them and making a large investment. trust your gut, but also cross your t’s and dot your I’s to ensure you find someone that fits into your day perfectly, and eases all of your concerns.

- what do we want our photos to look like?

bright and airy? timeless and classic? moody and dark? true to color with a hint of film nostalgia?

spend some time together browsing instagram and pinterest, and looking up wedding photo inspo. find what speaks to you visually and aesthetically, and save the photos and vibes you love. search photographers in your area by using keywords like “(your city) wedding photographer,” “(your city) film wedding photographer,” “(your city) documentary wedding photographer,” etc. see if your wedding planner has any photographer recommendations and who they love to work with. see if your venue, or venues in your area that you love, have worked with photographers that have a similar vibe to what you’re saving. some planners and venues even have preferred vendors lists with photographers they have worked with and loved, but still interview them to make sure you get along well. you can also find wedding photographers local to you through the knot, Zola, google, and other wedding websites or search engines - but be wary that a lot of sponsored or first page results are often paid for. not always a negative thing, just something to keep an eye out for. if you have friends, family, or people you follow on instagram or Facebook whose wedding photos you loved, ask them for recommendations. if you find a photographer in your area that you love, see what other local wedding photographers they follow, or if you inquire and they aren’t available for your date, ask them to provide you with a list of referrals to wedding photographers they know, love, and trust.

we love ya, will you photograph our wedding?

think and talk together about what the most important parts of your day are to have photo coverage of. do you not want a single beat missed from hair and makeup to getting down and dirty on the dance floor? do you want the morning to yourself, and know your people aren’t ones to flock to the dance floor? something right in the middle? have an idea, but rest assured, you can always change your mind and add more time down the road.

I offer 6, 8, and 10 hour wedding packages with varying add ons, like film and polaroids. I also have the option to create a package from scratch, or add things on a la carte if none of my set packages feel perfect. browse through the various wedding packages I offer and see which one feels just right for your day. we will spend more time talking through them on our initial call after you submit an inquiry, and I will answer any questions or concerns you have.

settle in, get comfy, and fill out an inquiry form here. once submitted, I will get back to you with my availability on your date asap. if I am unavailable or already booked, I will send over recommendations of photographers I love with a similar style to mine. if I am available, we will move forward with scheduling a call to chat more.

check your inbox!

after you have submitted your inquiry, you can expect to hear back from me within 2-5 business days. if for some reason you don’t, feel free to submit another inquiry form, or email me directly at kateenglishphotography@gmail.com.

If I am available for your date, we will schedule a call to connect further and so I can answer any questions or concerns you both have. after the call I will share the contract template with you, and give you time to look it over and ask any additional questions you may have. I will also give you a link to my portfolio so you can peek through some full wedding galleries. these initial calls are filled with a lot of information, and couples are often in the process of talking with many different vendors, so I typically give you about a week to think things over, look at the contract template and galleries, and talk together about your pros and cons list of potential photographers.

if you decide that I am the best photographer for your wedding day, I will follow up with the final contract for you both to sign, as well as the deposit for the down payment. your date is not secured until the first payment is completed. once the first payment is made, we can schedule your engagement photo session for whenever you’d like - some couples like to do them right away, others like to wait for a certain season or time and place. I will of course help with any locations, outfit inspiration, and anything else you need!

from securing to smooching

once your deposit is paid and your engagement photos have been delivered, there’s a bit of a lull… but not to worry! all of my couples have both my e-mail and cell phone number to call me, beep me, and reach me whenever they need. whether it is a wedding photo question, wedding planning question, or not even a wedding question at all, I am here for you.

I mean it when I say, your wedding day will be here before you know it. about one month out from the big day, we will hop on another call to create your timeline. although this timeline is technically centered around photos, lots of your vendors will go off of what we put together. I also never make a timeline too photo focused - the absolute last thing in the world I would ever want is for you to look back on your wedding day and think, “damn. all we did all day was pose for photos.” that’s just not my wedding photography ethos. I want to set aside a little time for editorial posed perfection photos in chunks throughout the day, but I mostly want to let your day breathe and unfold the way it’s intended. there will always be time to run away for photos, and we don’t need to block off hours to get the shots of your dreams. as miss Sabrina carpenter once said, “I can do a lot with 15 minutes…”

in addition to a timeline, I will help guide you in making a family photo shot list. this will include all of the combinations of family photos you would like, with everyone’s name, so we can make those photos go efficiently as possible and get you and your family to cocktail hour quicker. this is also the perfect place to include any special details I should be aware of, and any other photo requests you have. I always love when you send your wedding photo inspo and share your pinterest boards with me, too! we will go over photo likes and dislikes, what shots you want to prioritize, and what photos you might not care for. I am a very easy going, go with the flow photographer, and I am always open to new ideas, feedback, inspiration, and everything in between. I am here for you, and I want you to have the wedding photos of your dreams - they are family heirlooms, after all.

my approach to wedding photography is about 70% truly documentary, 30% posed perfection. There are times during every one’s day where each are essential - family photos are nearly always classically posed, where cocktail hour thrives on documentary candids, the tears around the room need the eye of a photojournalist, and your portraits together are a love drenched editorial mix of all of the above. i am not one to take the sentiment away from a moment by asking you to move to better lighting, or tidy a room to picturesque perfection. the clutter tells a story, and preserves the memory of, “oh my god, I remember I was obsessed with that makeup palette!” or your sibling not remembering when you got married, “oh! a Sierra Mist can! so they must have gotten married before 2023…” or showing your kids your photos, “ahhh yes, covid face masks. what a time” or your grandkids saying, “wow, look at what cars looked like when you still had to drive them yourself.”

after your day comes to a smashing close, you will have to ride the high of memories for a while, but I promise it is worth the wait. depending which package you chose, you will RECEIVE a gallery of 40-60 sneak peek photos that recap your wedding day on your 1 week anniversary. After that, if 35mm film was included in your package, you will RECEIVE the digital film scans. Then, after 8-12 weeks (of agony, i know) your final gallery will be delivered. You will receive a link and a PIN number that can be shared with all of your family & friends so everyone can download them and order prints from the print shop connected to your gallery. Although your cloud storage lasts forever, always back up your photos in at least 2 safe places, or even better, have me create an album for you so you can look back on your day forever and ever!

have more questions for me? reach out to me here, and check out my Faq page!