Wedding Information

Thank you for your interest, I hope you find all the information you need in the following pages, should you have any questions, please telephone. I would be pleased to discuss your day with you and offer any help or advice to make your wedding day go as smoothly as possible. Wedding prices are based on various levels of service and have been designed to cover the needs of most couples. I appreciate however that people are individuals and may have their own personal expectations and preferences.

I take pride in being flexible whenever possible and therefore would be pleased to offer a coverage to suit you and your wedding. So, if you don't see one that you think will quite fit, please just ask. I believe in personal service, when you call you won't listen to an automated reception or be transferred to half-a-dozen different people, I do however have a 24-hour answer phone for your convenience and will return your message promptly. I should stress that this information is designed to give you an overview, I would prefer to meet in person, show you my work and share your aspirations for your wedding.

When you book your professional photographer, what are you actually buying?

Photographs, Albums, framed Prints? Yes, but what you are really buying are years of valuable professional experience, the ability to perform under tight deadlines, to be in the right place at the right time and to quickly build a good rapport with total strangers from all walks of life in a variety of environments.

Real People Real Weddings

Having been a professional photographer for 17 years, I have heard many tales of woe from couples who have attended other weddings and waited around for ages while the photographer took endless formal pictures before taking the bride and groom away for an extended photoshoot!

Thankfully, times have changed and some photographers have made the change to suit modern trends. I will take as few or as many arranged group pictures as you wish and we will have discussed before the day the best time and place to take them. Apart from the arranged photographs I take a large selection of natural shots of you and your guests enjoying a day that you'll remember forever. You get to keep a record of every image and so don't have to worry about which to choose. All of the pictures can also be on-line so that relatives and friends worldwide can view the wedding with you.

How I Photograph your Wedding Day

I adopt a professional approach to all aspects of your wedding. I liaise with you before the day to gain all the information I need. I check and carry spares for equipment, dress smartly, and allow lots of travelling time.

My aim is to both record and be creative with the photographs of your day. I normally arrive with the Bride approximately 2 Hours before the ceremony, photographs here include formal and informal shots of the Bride with parents, bridesmaids and pageboys, both individually and as groups. I would then leave to capture the Groom, best man and ushers and guest arrivals at the wedding location.

Photography through the ceremony is taken at the discretion of the minister, some allow pictures some do not. After the service photography fits in with your expectations and your schedule. All I ask is some time with the Bride and Groom alone, to create some special pictures. The minimum level coverage includes photography up to the start of your wedding breakfast, after this how long I spend with you on the day will depend upon the coverage selected.

What Do I Use?

The benefits of High Quality digital cameras now easily outperform traditional film. Each picture can be supplied in colour or black and white. There is no limit upon the number of shots taken and imperfections can be retouched and removed. It also gives huge benefits when viewing your photographs. Pictures are first supplied both on DVD (or CD) and paper proofs. I create an audio visual presentation on DVD to allow you to view all the photographs at full size on your television, in the comfort of your own home using a standard DVD player, you control a presentation set to music and can choose to run a slide show or freeze frame individual pictures as you wish.

Paper proofs are also supplied with the DVD (or CD) as an alternative viewing method which is useful when ordering your finished album pictures. You get to keep both the DVD (or CD) and proof pages.

After the Wedding

I create your finished photographs from the original high resolution digital files. For the technologically interested these start life as 62 megabyte raw files. Each individual image is adjusted and retouched as required and can be printed to create a single image, or combined with others to create a magazine style page for your finished album. An example of the magazine style can be seen in Gallery Two. All you have to do is to choose the photographs that you would like enlarged as single images, (i.e. One large picture to fill a page) and those that you would like as smaller pictures combined together on a magazine style page.

So how many photographs, do you get? If you opt for a Level 2 coverage, a standard album has 36 sides but this can be increased if required, it's a very flexible system, you can add extra sides if required and within each magazine page you can include any number of photographs together, the picture size of 10" x 8" however usually works best with between 4 to 6 images.

The choice is therefore yours, if you decided that you would like your entire album of 36 sides to be magazine style you could have up to 216 pictures included. (36 pages of six), or if you prefer your album could comprise of 36 single large photographs. Most couples opt for a balance of single pictures and magazine pages.

All services include a standard album, a high quality hand made book in a variety of colours, which is supplied fully finished with your selection of pictures. Please see the 'Albums' for examples. Albums cover designs are many and varied, including contemporary materials such as brushed aluminium and acrylic along with more traditional finishes.

Parents, Relations and Friends

Copies of individual photographs can be ordered in various sizes, parents can order their own album complete with their choice of pictures, framed enlargements for the wall or have their own copy of the DVD presentation. All orders are normally processed together and take between 3-4 weeks to produce, urgent orders for special presents can be met.

Prices

Please read the FAQ (frequently asked questions) section, which will give you a better understanding of the value in hiring the right photographer and the various decisions you should consider. I believe I offer exceptional value for money, but my personal philosophy is that it is worth paying a little more to get a lot extra, especially as you are buying pictures which will be valued both by you and your children for generations to come. View the price list.

Availability and Booking

Please telephone for availability and be aware that some dates are booked up to 18 months in advance. I would be pleased to meet with you and discuss your plans, offer advice gained from practical experience and tick another box off your wedding list of things to do!

Jeff Hopkins.