Frequently Asked
Questions
How do we book you?
Check out The Process
How far in advance should i book?
In order to give my clients the best possible experience, I only book 20-25 weddings a year. Bookings are first come first served. Most of my clients book anywhere from a 1-1.5 years in advance as unlike other services where a vendor can drop off your goods or send an associate – you’ll be hiring me!
do you charge for travel?
For bookings outside of my regular service areas of Portland, Oregon| Seattle, Washington | San Francisco, California – standard travel charges will be applied; keep in mind cities more than 50 miles outside of these general areas may require milage.
Travel fees can include: milage, airfare, hotel, car rental, parking, tolls, and other fees accrued in travel. Travel fees, if required will be built into your collection and are non-refundable and due 3 months in advance of your wedding.
I love traveling, ask for a collection discount if you are heading to a pretty cool destination that I might like to visit.
how does it work that you offer multiple service areas?
I live in Portland, Oregon and so servicing Seattle is not an issue. I also have family in the Seattle area so LUCKY you, I don’t charge while I’m in the city.
I am originally from the Bay Area so for those weddings, I do not charge additional for travel because I usually stay with friends and family as well, while I’m there. [I am eating up a cost of an plane ticket & car rental but I love coming back to visit so it works out for now]
Keep in mind cities more than 50 miles outside of Portland, Seattle & San Francisco general areas may require milage.
will you shoot from a shotlist?
If there are any special guests attending your big day, or if certain parts of the ceremony have significant meaning to you, this kind of information is definitely helpful for me to know ahead of time. However, I ask my couples to trust me with the overall art direction of their images. I’ve found that working off a set shot list creates a rigid and overly posed environment, which unfortunately, doesn’t lead to the best photographers. Family portraits are typically the only time I do work off a shot list to make sure we get the combinations you and family would like.
Once you receive my wedding experience guide after booking, you’ll note I have an entire list of all the kinds of shots I will already anticipate for you!
what if i don’t want the complimentary engagement or bridal session?
Some collections include an engagement or bridal sessions and these are complimentary to that collection because of the add-ons and you either use it or lose it. There is no monetary value tied to them, they are non-transferable, and cannot be used for any other type of session (only exception is family portraits if my couple already has a family of their own).
If you are from out of the Pacific Northwest area but having your wedding here, I will work with you to figure out a date and time that will be convenient for you and I to create your images once you’re in the area (recommended to have session day before or after the wedding).
If you are from California, I normally schedule my sessions around other weddings or travel dates to the area. I also do not mind traveling on different dates other than wedding dates for your engagement session as long as travel fees are paid for in addition.
How involved are you in the timeline planning process?
Many of my couples find me early in their planning and I have been able to assist them with a lot of insight. Because my couples trust my artistic vision as I am aware of lighting situations and when it might be best to capture the magic, I have worked with them as well as their wedding planners to to create their dream wedding timeline. I can be as involved or not involved at all. I will however like to discuss with you and help you create your initial timeline that you can work with to plan the rest of your wedding day festivities.
what kind of camera gear do you use?
This is my gear list (not that you’ll know much about it but you can do a little research to get a piece of mind):
1 Body: Canon R6
2 Bodies: Canon 5d Mark IV
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
Canon 580EX II
6 Units: Godox V850 II
2 Units: Xpro-C TTL
MagMod Flash Modifer System: 2 MagBounce, 1 MagSphere
should we do a first look?
This is completely up to you as some people hold traditions dear to their hearts as others are ok to see each other and share this private moment to break the ice before they walk down the aisle. Depending on your personalities, it can go either way.
In a photographer’s ideal timeline, we may suggest having a first look so that you’ll have the opportunity to take more photos together as sometimes you might feel rushed after the ceremony because you want to get to partying with your friends and family. BUT if you broke your timeline down in a manner where you’ll have plenty of time between for photos, a first look isn’t necessary either.
There’s no right answer for this but I’d love to explore what may work best for you unique situation if you just shoot me an email! SJP Couples, check out my wedding guide for more benefits!
Do we get all our photos?
Images will be edited at Joie’s discretion, and delivered images may not include all photos shot during the wedding or session. Joie reserves the creative right to release only those images deemed professional in quality and within the Simple Joie Photography artistic standards.
what kind of digital files do you include?
All sessions come with high resolution print quality digitals, with no watermark, and print release. Your digitals will be delivered to by way of the online gallery as a download. Make sure you download them in a timely manner as your galleries will expire. Your high res digital is typically a 3000px by 2000px JPG that is 300dpi.
This image will reproduce clearly when printed at a standard 8×12 size and lower. If you are planning to print anything bigger than that, we recommend you purchasing your enlargements through our pro-labs through your online gallery.
how many photos do you usually give us?
There is no limit to the amount of photos that I will capture at your wedding. Because every wedding is different, the amount of photos delivered will also vary but you can expect to receive anywhere from 600-1000 images for weddings, and 60-200 images for smaller sessions.
It’s common to expect about 80-100 image per hour of coverage.
when will we receive our photos
Because the wedding season fluctuates and determines how busy I will be, you can expect to receive your images anywhere between 1-3 months after your wedding. If you absolutely need a few images to create thank you cards or to share on social media, just let me know and I will send you a few previews.
what kinds of discounts can you give?
Honestly, I don’t know if I can give any additional discounts because I’ve priced myself according to what I need to survive and keep my company a float in this ever changing market. In addition to my personal expenses, there are also costs to running a business like editing softwares, subscriptions to marketing apps, business licenses and business insurance, and so much more!
This is my full-time job and how I make a living. I simply cannot afford to give discounts, but will do my best to add value where I can for those who have a budget and really want me as their photographer. I’m more than happy to go above and beyond for those who truly want to be a Simple Joie couple! If your wedding is unique in that it will not work with my standard packages, I’d love to see if I can create a custom package just for you!
When I mention asking for a collection discount for cool destination, it’s that most of these couples are prepared to pay all travel fees and I might be able to make a mini vacation out of it. Therefore a small discount on the the collection is ok– still confused, let’s chat!
why do you require a non-refundable retainer for booking?
The initial deposit is non-refundable in that it is used to hold your booking and I will not reserve create another reservation on the same date as yours.
do you charge for extra time?
Wedding day package hours have been created to accommodate the needs of each wedding – hours included are standard to typical timelines. Additional time is available for $400 per hour and will be billed accordingly.
will you be able to photoshop in important people?
Is this a serious questions? Just kidding. I do not like to do this because it is not aesthetically pleasing and I’m not a photoshop expert. Your photos will get some light edits and color correcting done to them however I don’t really do that. In some really important instances where that is a must, I would try my best to photoshop for you, just don’t expect it to look normal.
do you have insurance?
Most venues will require your photographer to have insurance just because they need to make sure that we will be able to cover any costs for damages if we damage anything while we’re creating any imagery. I have have event insurance that coverage that covers up to $100,000 as well as general liability insurance that also covers damage to my gear and any other business needs. You should feel confident to know that you’ll be in good hands as am I.
what if we have to cancel?
In the instance that you must cancel your wedding day coverage, the non-refundable booking fee will serve as an inconvenience fee for holding your wedding date and not book another event for that date and having lost revenue from another booking. Any other payments outside of the booking fee that are made will be returned less the processing fees accordingly.
What if We have to postpone?
This has never been more common since 2020 during the biggest industry shutdown because gatherings were not allowed. I will work with all my couples to do my best to work their future date. In the instance that the future date you are looking at is already booked, I will send an associate to cover your wedding date but all transactions still are processed through me (ie. editing images, delivery, etc.)
Although most of our couples are opting for smaller weddings in order to move forward with their proposed postpone date, there may be other reasons to re-postpone. One postponement is complimentary, the second one will charged a $200 postponement fee to make up for lost of revenue for holding that second date, and so on.
what couples are saying about joie
It brings me so much joy to look over the photos and recall all the happy details from our wedding day
My husband and I got married in September, and we absolutely loved Joie’s work on the wedding day! I knew that Joie would be a great for our wedding when we sent our first few emails and had the introductory video call. She was very responsive in communications, was attentive to wedding day details, and was overall a very cheerful and friendly person.
We felt so comfortable chatting with her that we knew we’d be fine in front of her camera lens. We received the HD final versions of our wedding day photos in early November, and I want to emphasize how amazing the photos turned out! From the getting-ready photos to the ceremony…from the family group photos to the after-dinner dancing,
Joie was able to capture the happiness and love on the big day. The pictures looked very natural and she was able to capture the very candid moments. It brings me so much joy to look over the photos and recall all the happy details from our wedding day.
lori & george
