Frequently Asked Questions
We may not be able to tell you the secrets to the perfect marriage*, but we do have over 10 years of experience answering questions about weddings.
(*We think it may have something to do with unconditional love, trust, loyalty, and cute fur babies.)
Where are you guys located?
Before the Big Day
You can find us living it up with our six cute-as-heck pups (and 3 cats who think they're dogs) in a beautiful small town just 20 minutes south of the Mall of America.
Do you travel? Where do you travel to?
You bet your adventure-lovin’ butts we do; we go wherever the love takes us! We travel all over Minnesota and the country to snap our clients’ special days.
Looking to take things international? Count us in! If you’re planning to get hitched somewhere that requires us to pack a passport, get in touch so we can talk tactics. (Oh, and let’s swap travel stories – we’ve got a heap of ‘em!)
What are the travel costs involved? Do we need to pay for your flights and accommodation?
Because we la-la-LOVE traveling with our clients so much, we've designed bespoke packages just for elopements and destination weddings (within the contiguous United States), which include travel and accommodation costs. All you've gotta do is book us in and tell us where to meet you.
How do we choose the right service for us?
We know that planning a wedding is stressful AF. (We know; we’ve been there.) That’s why we’ve kept things simple by offering one base package for each style of wedding with all inclusions clearly listed because we know that you‘ve already got enough complicated stuff to deal with (like choosing your wedding colors)
How much do your services/packages cost?
Whether you’re planning a classic or destination wedding, we’ve got you covered. You can check out our packages for yourself right here.
Do we get to meet you guys before our wedding?
Sure do! In fact, we kinda’ insist upon it. As part of our initial onboarding process, we'll tee up a time to chat so you can make sure that we're as awesome as our couples say we are. (Spoiler Alert: We are - check out their reviews here)
We can meet on Skype or FaceTime (whichever you prefer), have a chat on the phone, or organize a (responsible, socially-distanced) meeting in person. Then, a few weeks out from the wedding, we’ll be in touch again to discuss final logistics and the game plan for The Big Day once, so you know exactly how it will all play out.
How far in advance do we need to make our booking to guarantee our date?
We’re not going to sugar-coat it: we typically book out 12-18+ months in advance. That’s why we recommend that you lock us in as soon as you have a date nailed down. Haven’t picked a date yet but know that you want to work with us? That’s cool too! Get in touch with us as soon as that ring hits your finger so we can choose a date together around our mutual availability.
What payment options do you offer?
We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and good ol’ cash.
Do you offer discounts? (Just askin’)
We don’t offer discounts to new clients; however, we do gift a complimentary engagement portrait session to all couples who book their wedding photography with us, which is our way of showing you that we think you’re pretty rad! This also gives us a chance to get to know each other and work together before your big day, so we go into it feeling like we’re old friends (because who doesn’t want to spend their wedding day getting snapped by people they already dig?).
(Psst! Got a special milestone after your wedding that you want us to capture? Scroll down to the ‘After Your Day’ section to see what we offer our returning clients.)
We want to work with you! How do we book in, and when is payment due?
We require a non-refundable 50% booking retainer to secure your date, with the remaining balance due two weeks before your wedding. Easy-peasy!
What do we need to do to prepare for our time together?
After you’ve locked in your date with us, we’ll send you a little questionnaire to fill in where you can tell us all about yourselves and your love story. We’ll then use this information to tailor your engagement session and your wedding day portraits to your unique couple style, so you can be sure that our time together will be relaxed, fun, and exactly what you want (while staying true to who you are).
We’ll also send you a copy of our handy-as-heck ‘Holy Click!’ Wedding Photography Guide; a 20+ page eBook packed with everything you need to know about working with us on your big day. With planning advice, preferred vendors, and so much more, it’s almost as important to your day as picking your wedding party. (It’s a big claim, but hot dang, we stand by it.)
What’s your position on props and staged photos?
Look, we’ll be real with you: we believe that props and cheesy poses belong in the photo booth at the reception, not in your professional photos. (#SorryNotSorry). Our philosophy is all about keeping it real and focusing on capturing you as authentically as possible in the moment. Take it from us: the connection you guys share as a couple is the best prop you could ask for. And don’t worry if you’re not sure what to do in front of the camera; we’ll gently direct you to keep things flattering the entire time, so you can just focus on having fun.
Can we see some of your work before we book?
Abso-freakin’-lutely! We post previews from all our sessions/weddings on the Studio Twelve:52 Facebook page, Instagram account, and our blog. Not enough?ll Still want more? Check out our listing on The Knot, where you will find more of our work and read letters of love from our past clients (#HumbleBrag)
We’re sure you’re rad and everything, but ultimately, what makes you guys so special? Why should we pick you as our photographers?
Good question. Look, we could go on and on about how many weddings we've shot over the past 14+ years, how many glowing reviews we've received from clients, blah, blah, blah… But honestly, it's our passion for what we do and the bond we build with our couples. To us, you’re more than incredible clients – you’re family. We go above and beyond, wildly over-delivering to ensure that every moment of your special day is captured as honestly, naturally, and beautifully as possible - because heck, you guys deserve nothing less.
(Wanna know more about us? Read this.)
Erm, we’re a little awkward and don’t ‘do’ photos very well. Can you help us with this?
on the day
Welcome to the club, friend! You’ll be relieved to know that just about every couple says this, and trust us; we’ve got your back. This is why we jam with you both in the lead-up to the wedding so we can come up with a game plan that's so awesome you won't even stress about being photographed.
We take a balanced approach to wedding photography: 50% of our time is spent nailing those all important fine art portrait shots, with the other 50% spent capturing candid moments. With 12 years’ experience in this gig, we know how to get the best out of your day, and we're there to guide you the whole way. We've got it all covered, from managing the timing, planning, group dynamics, and portrait posing through to snapping the special little moments in between.
How are things going to go down on the day?
We have a fool-proof wedding day strategy that means you won’t have to stress about anything other than which cupcake flavor or signature cocktail to try first! We’ll come with a shoot plan from start to finish, which includes a combination run-list for family photos (pre-approved by you, of course), with some scheduled ‘alone time’ for just the two of you. (Trust us; you’re going to need it.) From snapping that first kiss to capturing your last dance - and all the fun stuff in between - we’ve got it covered. We’ll even happily step in and save you from Great Aunt Beverly when she tries to steal you away for another photo on her iPad. (It’s totally a thing.)
What if we decide we wanna keep partying with you and need extra time?
You sound like our kind of (party) people! We block off the entire day for our couples, so if you find that the dancefloor is going wild and want us to capture more of those epic moves, we offer additional hours (billed at an hourly rate) upon request.
How soon can we expect to receive our photos?
After Your Day
Engagement/portrait session photos: 4-6 weeks
Wedding photos: 12-14 weeks after your day
How will our photos be delivered?
All final files are delivered exclusively via a shareable online digital gallery (password-protected) with VIP download privileges, so you can share, pick, print, and save your pics directly to your device or hard drive - and your family and friends can too!
How many photos will we receive?
Depending on which package/wedding style you opt for, you can expect to receive 1000+ fully edited images. Check out our package inclusions (with photo numbers) here.
What is a ‘print release’?
When you make your booking, we’ll send you a fancy-lookin’ contract to sign and a Print License Agreement, which gives you the right to download, print, and share all your images to your heart’s content! We only ask that you give credit to us for snapping your pics when you put them out on socials or anywhere else online.
Do you offer albums and prints?
We sure do. You can order prints, wall art – even cards! – direct from your online gallery. Better yet, our trusted local printer's specialized equipment syncs to our editing style, so all the vibrant colors will be showcased as accurately and vividly as possible.
Are all our photos edited?
You betcha’. We supply all images in high resolution with advanced editing. (Which, simply put, means we use our profesh Photoshop skills to make your pics look freakin’ awesome).
What’s your editing style?
Our approach is unique compared to other photographers in our part of the world. We edit in a true to-life style, but with a little bit more of a vibrant edge. Think crisp, clean lines, bold color, and a modern yet timeless feel.
So, if you’re looking for a muted (light and airy) or moody (warm and flat) tone for your photos, then we probably aren’t the right photographers for you, sorry. But, if you're after a bold, distinct, and real AF vibe, then we're your people. Hit. Us. Up.
What if we want additional retouching done after our gallery is delivered?
We offer ten complimentary advanced retouches (e.g., tattoo removal, sky swap, removal of a person or addition, etc.) for each package/gallery of images. Any additional retouches will be charged a fee per image.
How long are our images accessible for?
Your online gallery is accessible for 6 months, giving you plenty of time to share, print, and back your images up. Lost your files? Computer crashed? Don’t stress! All you have to do is get in touch with us to reactivate* your online gallery (if it has already expired). We’ll pop them back up there for another six months, giving you plenty of time to print, store, back up, or do whatever you need.
(We also keep back up files of every session and wedding we’ve ever shot in both archived hard drives and cloud-based storage. We’re kinda fancy and tech-savvy like that.)
*A small reactivation fee will be charged. (Sorry.)
Holy moly, we LOVED working with you guys! Can you do other shoots for us after the wedding?
Awww, bless! We love it when clients come back to shoot with us again. For existing Studio12:52 couples, we also offer bonus services (at special VIP rates) such as:
• Portraits for all of life's special milestones: new house, family, maternity, newborn (or new puppy).
•Twelve:52 Pets: solo pet portraits, family + pet portraits, and legacy sessions for terminally ill or senior pets
Just send us an email and tell us what you’re looking to celebrate next – we want in!
What if it rains the day we’re having our engagement portrait done?
Cancellations & Refunds
Dang rain! If an engagement portrait session is rained out (and you’re not the kind of couple who is down with dancing in the rain), we can happily move your booking to a new date or time. We just ask that you be flexible with options as we'll still have other bookings to honor.
What happens if we have to change our wedding date?
If you have to make drastic changes to your wedding date because of circumstances outside of your control, we ask that you contact us first with multiple date options. That way, we can find a mutually suitable date and help transfer everything over without losing your non-refundable retainer. However, if you choose a new date and we aren’t available, our non-refundable retainer remains. (So please, get in touch with us ASAP!)
Not sure how to juggle the change? We feel ya. Reach out to us first so we can use our secret vendor wrangling ninja skills to walk you through the process and help you maintain ALL of your favorite wedding vendors.
Our wedding isn’t going ahead anymore. What’s your cancellation policy?
All cancellations incur a penalty in the form of your non-refundable 50% retainer. As we book dates up to two years in advance for our clients, this means that a cancellation (as heartbreaking as it is) is a considerable loss of income for us. We’re sorry, but we want to be honest and up-front about that.
What are your Terms & Conditions?
The legal-shmegal stuff
Do you have a privacy policy?
We sure do; in fact, we take our clients’ privacy preferences pretty dang seriously around here. While we post previews of shoots publicly on our Facebook page, we also respect your right to keep that shizzle on the down-low, so please just communicate this with us. You can check out our official policy for yourself here.
How much do you really love weddings?
Secret Bonus FAQ
no pretending.
Take a peek at what we do best.
BYO tissues.
(and a lotta’ love)
CAUTION: TRUE LOVE AHEAD
Just real life.
as
seen
in.
T K
Your name
Phone Number
YOUR BEST EMAIL ADDRESs
TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELVEs + YOUR vision (WE LOVE THIS PART!)
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We know you're probably keen as heck to start chatting all things photography - believe us, we're super pumped too! - but being wedding photographers also means we’re away from our desks while we document epic love stories (and questionable dancefloor moves) Fridays, Saturdays + Sundays.
So, while you won't find us spending the weekends in our inbox, you can expect a reply to hit yours within 24-48 hours.
Thank you for your message!
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