I have put together some information for you to look over when considering me as your wedding photographer.
I have covered Christian, Jewish, Renaissance, pagan, and non-denominational wedding ceremonies. I have photographed weddings in churches, stone castles, community halls, and outdoors in parks, on beaches, and by streams, in all conditions from rain to full sun and in all types of light. I am LBGTQ-friendly, and have covered same-sex marriages. I am a preferred wedding photographer for the Carolina Renaissance Festival (contact me for special Renaissance Festival pricing).
I have over 30 years of photography experience. I’ve been photographing weddings professionally since 2010. I’ve covered weddings in Georgia, South Carolina, all over North Carolina, and in California and Maryland.
To start your process, I need to know your desired wedding date, ceremony and reception location(s) (city), the wedding party size, approximate number of guests, and approximate start times of the ceremony and reception. I can then work you up a package price.
Wedding pricing starts at $3200. There are additional travel fees if your ceremony is more than a 2-hr one-way drive from my base in Charlotte. The travel fee varies depending on ultimate location as some destinations require additional charges for mileage, airline travel, and/or a hotel stay. The total package fee you will be quoted includes your non-refundable booking fee of $750and also provides for coverage by myself and a 2nd photographer who will assist me. This allows us to cover the ceremony from alternate angles and to also simultaneously photograph the bridesmaid and groomsmen preparations before the ceremony starts.
My coverage includes your total wedding day. There are no hourly fees, Coverage includes: pre-ceremony preparations and dressing, your ceremony, formal and family photos, reception coverage (entrance, dances, toasts, cake cutting, speeches, bouquet/garter toss, etc.), and your exit. My package pricing is all-inclusive of any ceremony type and includes standard ceremonies, elopements, "small" or "large" weddings.
Whenever feasible, I will visit your wedding venue in advance of the wedding date and also attend your wedding rehearsal so I can get a feel for the ceremony layout and flow.
You will typically end up with between 800 to 1000 edited digital photos from the total wedding day depending on the length of the festivities, number of guests, and whether the wedding and reception are in the same or different places. The photo count is a guideline. Some weddings yield more photos and some yield fewer but we always get all the important shots! My contract will include a sample list of traditional photos that are included in every package.
Both my 2nd shooter and I use professional-grade cameras and lenses. We shoot with a minimum of two camera bodies each during the ceremony. Depending on the venue, a stationary camera may also be mounted and fired remotely with a wireless trigger to capture an additional angle. I utilize studio lighting (if feasible) for the formal photos and a mix of lighting during the reception.
During the ceremony, I shoot in available light and do not use flash indoors unless it’s unavoidable. I work within the guidelines of the venue, but you and I will have a pre-event consultation to go over all the particulars. Formal family and group photos are generally taken immediately following the ceremony but can be taken at any time, depending on your wishes. I typically ask for 30-45 minutes to be dedicated to formal pictures.
Finished/Edited high resolution JPEG photos of your wedding day are delivered on CD, Data DVD, or USB flash drive. Some highlights photos may be duplicated and the copy turned to B&W or processed more artistically. The finished photos will be delivered to you approximately 30 business days after your wedding. You will have full printing rights to the photos.
I can put together print packages for you if you are interested. I don’t include prints in my base price in order to keep the cost down. Albums ordered through me begin around $200 each and prints begin at $25 each. But you are always welcome to obtain your own printing services using the high-resolution photos you receive. We can discuss building a la carte package options if you wish. Most of my couples opt to print their own photos. I use professional printing labs, and those labs use archival-grade papers and inks.
Your wedding gallery will be put into a password-protected online gallery on my website, where you, and anyone you give access to your album can view and optionally download photos for their personal use.
If you were interested, separate engagement, bridal portraiture, or bridal boudoir, done on a different day at a location of your choosing, is available for $200 additional charge (plus any applicable travel, entry or use charges for a particular venue) per session when booked as an add-on to an executed wedding contract. The additional fee is collected on the day of the additional shoot. Should you wish to book me for only bridal portraits, boudoir, or engagement photos but not contract me for your wedding photography, those individual photo sessions are $450 each (plus any travel, venue or entry fees) with payment required in advance to secure the date(s). My boudoir work can be found at http://www.rontencatiphotography.com/boudoir .
For bridal portraiture or boudoir, I can shoot outdoors at any location of your choosing or provide alternate locations such as suite hotels or upscale condos (additional fee may apply).
I require a signed contract to book and hold your wedding date on my calendar. The contract will also be your quote and will reflect the total base fee plus any travel charges. There is a non-refundable booking fee ($750 - part of your total package price) due with the signed contract within 30 days of receipt of the contract. The balance of the package is due no later than 30 days prior to your wedding date. No date commitment exists without a signed contractand paid booking fee. A $100 fee is assessed on all checks returned by the bank for insufficient funds. A returned check causes all future payments to be required by cash or credit card only. All prices are subject to change without notice, so you are encouraged to book and lock-in your package prices as early as you can! All monies paid, except for the Booking Fee, are refundable in the event the wedding or contract is cancelled prior to the wedding date. Quotes that are not executed and returned with a Booking Fee within 30 days of issuance become null and void.
I am happy to provide additional information or client references upon request.