What Makes a Luxury Wedding Photography Experience?

As a couple planning their wedding, you’ve probably seen the word “luxury” on a few vendor sites while you’re browsing! Although I label myself as a luxury Chicago wedding photographer, I do not believe in throwing that word around lightly. If you’re investing in a luxury wedding vendor for your big day, the experience (and deliverables!) you should reflect that to a tee. In this guide, I’ll be explaining what truly makes a luxury wedding photography experience by outlining my signature process!

Receiving an elevated investment guide

Firstly, once you inquire with me, you’ll be receiving an elevated investment guide that includes pricing, packages, and some frequently asked questions. My goal is for you to be as informed as possible about all of the collections and services I offer so you can make the right decision in line with your priorities! In this guide, I also include the services that are the most booked by couples, which might help you in the decision-making process. You’ll also learn a little bit more about me and what type of couples I have a passion for serving!

Having an initial consultation call 

Once you have in-depth knowledge of everything I offer, it’s time for us to get to know each other a bit more. Luxury wedding photography isn’t an investment I expect you to take lightly! You deserve to have all of your questions answered and to make sure our personalities mesh well before making any final decisions. I recommend writing down a list of questions you have for me so that by the end of our call, you have everything you need to know. 

Once you book with me…

It’s time to pop the champagne! We’re celebrating you finding the perfect wedding photographer, but it also goes much deeper than that. When you book with me, not only are you supporting my small business, but you’re supporting my family as well. That’s something I am eternally grateful for! My family and my business (and my couples!) mean absolutely everything to me. The fact that I am able to have a career rooted in documenting passionate love stories is truly a dream come true! 

Your own client portal for invoicing and contracts

Now that things are official, it’s time to get our affairs in order! I will send you a custom client portal where you can reference back to our contract and any paid + outstanding invoices. There will be payment reminders (because I know how easy it is to forget!), different payment options (credit card, debit card, and bank transfers), and anything else you might need to get in touch with me! 

Check-ins leading up to your wedding day

You didn’t think I’d leave you hanging in the months leading up to your wedding day, did you? I love keeping in touch with my couples to hear any important updates about your big day! We’ll have check-in calls 6 months, 3 months, and 1 month out so that I’m always in the loop and can make adjustments if needed. If you’re hiring a wedding planner, I will also be in communication with them to ensure everyone is on the exact same page. 

Chicago photo location guide 

If you’re getting married in Chicago, then I’ll be sending you a photo location guide for both your engagement session and wedding portraits! Because I’ve lived in the city for so long, I’m well-versed in all of the best places depending on what your desired look is. This location guide will allow you to see what your photos could look like in some of Chicago’s most sought-after locations! 

A personalized questionnaire for you and your partner

Getting to know my couples on a deeper level is integral to my process as your wedding photographer. This questionnaire will allow me to have all the information I need so I can capture your day as it happens! Since I am responsible for documenting the most important day of your life, that’s not a responsibility I take very lightly. In the questionnaire, I’ll be asking for a timeline of events so I know exactly what is happening and when so that there’s no confusion or added stress to you on your day. We simply get to live the best day ever together! This is also the best place to put all of your wedding photo requests in one place for me to review and implement into our timeline. 

A timeline & helpful details call 1-2 weeks out 

Speaking of timelines, we have one more call together about 1-2 weeks out to discuss your final photo timeline and any other helpful details. This is when we’re able to brainstorm ways to make your wedding day truly special! First, we’ll make sure all of us are on the same page, and you are reassured of what’s happening at any given time of your day. We’ll start discussing ways we can make the moments feel like you and align with your love story. For example, do you want to take a celebratory shot of Jameson with your partner right after your first look? Or do a champagne pop with all of your bridesmaids when you’re done getting ready? Building in these moments will allow us to get those beautiful candid moments most couples want to see in their wedding gallery. And, although they are candid, they also require intentionality! 

Behind-the-scenes content

Now, it’s officially wedding day! I’ll be taking tons of iPhone behind-the-scenes photo and video content for you to share on social media. When I post this content, of course, you, your partner, and all of your vendors will be tagged! While you’re busy having the best day ever, I’ll make sure you have loads of content to view the very next day.

Sneak peeks, your full wedding gallery, and download options 

Some photographers send 5-10 sneak peek photos right after your wedding day, while I prefer to send a full wedding preview gallery! This gallery contains 30 or more photos and is delivered within a week of your wedding date. I love this method because you’re able to see major moments throughout your day in a mini gallery that can also be shared with friends and family. You can also send your ‘Thank you!’ cards to your guests and include your favorite photo or two from this gallery!

You’re probably wondering “Cailynn, when do we receive our full wedding gallery?” I deliver all of my galleries within 90 days of your wedding date. Once you receive this online gallery, it won’t expire for an entire year. You’ll have plenty of time to share it with friends and family, design a wedding album, and print your favorite photos. There are options to digitally download your photos in both web-size (for social media sharing) and high-resolution (for printing) formats within my gallery system!

The option to order a physical wedding album

I make it as easy and simple as possible for my couples to design an heirloom album with all of their favorite wedding photos. You can choose these favorites directly in your online gallery and easily design your custom album for printing. I am also always personally available to assist you in building your perfect album if needed! 

Ready to have a luxury wedding photography experience?

I’m so thrilled to invite you to join the party! To book me as your wedding photographer, you can visit my contact page and fill out my inquiry form to the best of your ability. From there, I’ll get back to you and we’ll start the process I’ve outlined in this guide! Keep an eye out for an email and a happy dance soon!