Robin & Sarah Logo
Enquire
CLIENTS

Frequently Asked Questions

How would you describe your style?
Natural, relaxed and stylish, with a love of strong compositions, beautiful light, colour and life.  The vast majority of our pictures are ‘real moments’, photographed with empathy and context.  We also love to get you away from the crowd for a short while to create some gorgeous couple pictures that reflect your personalities and show off your venue.

Do you always work together on weddings?
Although we used to always work together, most of the weddings are now photographed by Robin alone.  Sarah is still available for some dates during the year, but she is no longer able to cover the numbers she once did.  If she’s not available for your date then an experienced and trusted colleague will be brought in.

How far do you travel for weddings?
We’re happy to travel. About 60-90 minutes or so from our home near Bromsgrove is fine. For weddings further away we might need to charge a little more or even have an overnight stay for long treks, but we’ll discuss and agree all this before you book.

I never feel comfortable in front of the camera and don’t like having my picture taken – what can you do?
Many of the couples who come to us ask this question. Most people feel a bit awkward at first but we’ll put you at ease in no time. If you’re concerned about your ‘couple session’ we would always recommend our optional pre-wedding shoot. This gives us chance to get to know each other a little and will make you feel a little more comfy in front of the lens.

Who actually takes the pictures?
Always Robin and either Sarah if available or a trusted and experienced colleague in her place. We don’t farm-out weddings to other photographers.

Do you offer any video services?
We focus on still photography as that’s what appealed to us when we got married.  Although there’s some overlap with technique, good video is a highly specialised skill and we wouldn’t want to do a half-baked job.  If you’d like video we have a short list of great videographers that we can recommend who we’ve worked with in the past.

What about Content Creators?
Speaking with complete honesty and transparency, if you’re hiring a Content Creator to take snippits of video for social media then we may not be the right choice for you.  Our photography isn’t performative and TikTok moments really aren’t our thing.   That said, there are CC’s out there who work in a way that more like us so we’re not completely closed to the idea.

Do you ever work for anyone else?
Generally no, although we help other wedding photography companies when one of their staff has been ill or unavailable.

We love the look of your work – what next?
Send us an enquiry and we’ll check our availability for your date.  We’ll then give your access to our Welcome Page which contains full pricing info.

Will our wedding be on your website or blog?
We show at least some work from the vast majority of the weddings we work on and generally speaking, our couples are OK with that. The simple fact is that if we couldn’t show the work we create then you wouldn’t have found us – and we wouldn’t have a business. That said, we’re obviously sensible about what we show and only use pictures in specific ways – maybe a blog post or on our portfolio pages or on our social media accounts, but not necessarily all of them.  If you have concerns about privacy do talk to us as we’re not in the business of causing problems for people.

Are you insured and are you a ‘proper’ business?
Yes, absolutely.  You can probably tell from our website that we’ve been doing this a long time too.  The business is registered with HMRC and and we pay tax and NI like everyone should.  In terms of insurance we carry Public Liability, Public Indemnity and also Employers Liability as there’s sometimes more than one of us working.   We don’t need PAT tests as we never plug in any piece of equipment when on-site We’re happy to send the appropriate documents to your wedding venue if required.

Do your prices include VAT and travel?
We’re a teeny-tiny business so we fall under the legal threshold for VAT, therefore no VAT is payable by you on any of our products or services. Travel costs are included in the quote we provide.

Can we meet before we decide to book?
Absolutely. We prefer to meet people before they book, if possible.  Most meetings are now done online with Zoom.  We can chat for as long as you like, No hard-sell or pressure.

Can you hold our date for us?
We get hundreds of enquiries each year so a date can only be booked with a signed contract and booking payment.

How much is the deposit and when is the rest of the money due?
The Booking & Reservation fee for full-day bookings is £400 (less for part-day) and is to be paid at the same time your contract is signed. An interim payment is due six months before the wedding date. The balance is due four weeks before the wedding day.  Additional costs for album upgrades and additional products can wait until after the wedding.

How do we book you?
Simply send us a quick email to let us know you’d like to go ahead and we’ll send you a link to our booking form.  Once you’ve completed the form we’ll set up your contract online for you to review and sign.  Send us the Booking & Reservation Fee by BACS transfer and you’re done.

Will there be a contract to sign?
Yes, it will be signed by both of you. Our contract covers all the important points including the payment schedule, what you will receive and our standard terms and conditions so you know exactly what to expect. It’s mostly common-sense stuff.

What happens if you are ill?
The chances of both us being so ill that we cannot work are pretty slim, but over the years we’ve developed a great network with like-minded photographers, all of which are at a similar level to us. This means we have a pool of people to contact in the event of an absolute emergency.

What is your cancellation policy?
Once you book us, we reserve your date and turn away all other enquiries for it.  Therefore, if you cancel our services payments made up to that point are non-refundable unless we are able to re-book your date.  This does not affect your statutory 14-day ‘cooling off’ period.

What happens if my wedding is affected by another pandemic?
If your wedding can’t happen because of government restrictions in the future, then we’ll work with you to move your booking to a new date that works for you and for us.  You won’t lose any payments or have to pay any more if your new date is within twelve calendar months.  If you have to postpone beyond that, then there may possibly be a small ‘catchup’ to bring your booking in line with our prices at the time.

Are you insured?
Of course. We carry full public liability and indemnity insurance.

Are you a proper business?
Absolutely and we have been since 2007.

Can you cover both of us if we’re getting ready in different locations?
If there’s two of us then we always prefer to cover the morning preps for both sides if it’s logistically possible.

How many group shots will there be?
Group photos are important but we ask that the numbers are kept sensible to ensure there is enough time for us to capture other things too. Basically, the more formal photos there are, the less ‘natural’ photos. We recommend no more than 10 formal group photos. This is usually enough to include the most important people but without unnecessary combinations.

How many pictures will you take on the day?
We take lots! However the final set is usually 600+ images for 10-hour coverage, but it can vary.

Is it OK if some of the guests take pictures too?
Guests love to take their own photos and for most of the time we’d never dream of stopping them. The only exception is when we take the bride and groom off alone.

How long will it be before our pictures are ready?
Our contract states 8 weeks but this is to cover us for holiday and illness.  Our usual delivery of your full set of edited pictures is normally within 4 weeks. It may sometimes take longer depending on our workload but we’ll keep you informed anyway.

Can we have a ‘sneak peek’ of pictures?
Yes, this is something we’ll ask you shortly before the wedding day.  Robin can prepare a limited number of edited pictures within a few days of the wedding for you to share if you wish.  This doesn’t suit everyone but it’s there as an option.

We have friends and family coming from all over the place – will they be able to see the pictures?
Yes – we will create an online gallery of the pictures so people see them from anywhere in the world. People will also be able to order prints and have them sent to their homes without bothering you. The gallery will be password protected and will usually be accessible for at least six months after the wedding.

We may want to order reprints in the future – how long do you keep the pictures for?
Your pictures will be archived permanently, so future reprints are no problem. If you’d like your private gallery reinstated this can be done for a small fee.

Do we get the high-resolution image files and can we print and share them?
Of course! As standard, we supply the fully-edited high-resolution digital image files from your wedding day and pre-wedding shoot via a private download.   You will receive the files  original resolution files suitable for printing but smaller ‘web sized’ copies can be downloaded also.

Tell me about our private client gallery
All of our couples are given a private online gallery which features all of the final images from your wedding (and pre-wedding shoot, if you have one) plus the presentation slideshow.  You’re welcome to browse through the files as often as you like and you can share the password with anyone ( we will not give the password out).  Anyone who is given access to the gallery can also download individual copies of the image files, but they are limited to web-sized files.  If you’d like all of your guests to be able to download the high-resolution images than this can be purchased as an add-on.  The gallery will remain online for six months but this can be extended on request.

What size are the image files on our download?
Our current cameras produce images at 24 megapixels so even after artistic cropping the files have enough resolution to print as large as you like.

Are the image files watermarked?
The files we provide on your download are completely free of watermarks.  Small copies downloaded from your private online gallery will have a small logo watermark in the corner.

How far ahead can we book for our small wedding?
It depends on how far ahead you are booking for and any other work we have in for the same part of the year.  Get in touch and we’ll see what’s possible.

How long should we book you for?
Our small wedding options begin with two hours which would cover arrivals at the venue, the ceremony, hugs & confetti plus time with the two of you alone.  If you’d like to include anything beyond then we have options for more than two hours.

We feel two hours is more than we need – can we book for less time?
All of our booking options can be customised so feel free to make an enquiry and we’ll see what’s possible.

How do payments work?
The Booking & Reservation Fee is £200 and is paid when you sign your contract.  There is an interim payment of £200 six months prior to the date (packages of £800 or more only).  The Balance payment is due 4 weeks before the wedding.  Payment is via BACS transfer.

What is your cancellation policy?
Once you book us, we reserve your date and turn away all other work for that day.  Therefore, if you cancel our services, payments made up to that point are non-refundable unless we are able to re-book your date.  This does not affect your statutory 14-day ‘cooling off’ period.

What happens if my wedding is affected by the pandemic?
If your small wedding is legally prevented from happening then we’ll work with you to move your booking to a new date that works for you and for us.  You won’t lose any payments or have to pay any more if your new date is within six calendar months.  If you have to postpone beyond that, then there may possibly be a small ‘catchup’ to bring your booking in line with our prices at the time.

Do we need a pre-wedding shoot?
Every couple is different – some know they want a pre-wedding shoot from the start, others are sure they don’t need one at all.  Many people add on a pre-wedding shoot after making their initial booking.  What we would say is that everyone who has a pre-wedding shoot  enjoys it and gets benefit from the experience which helps them be more confident about their ‘couple’ photos on the big day.

How do we book a pre-wedding shoot?
You can add a pre-wedding shoot onto your booking package, or you can request one at a later date.

When and where does the pre-wedding shoot take place?
We typically do pre-wedding shoots 3-10 weeks prior to the wedding date but this can be flexible.  Most of our shoots are done close to where we live – we use a lovely hilltop spot which is usually quiet and has easy access but we’re open to suggestion if you’d like to use somewhere else that has relevance to you.

How much do you charge?
Pre-wedding shoots are £200 with Robin. If you choose a location further away from our standard location we may have to charge a bit more.  If there’s any admission charges you’ll need to pay for yourselves and us.

We’re interested in making a Guest Book using pictures from our pre-wedding shoot – is this possible?
Yes, we offer a beautiful guest book as an option.  If this is something you’d like then let us know as early as possible as we’ll need to make sure the shoot is done with enough time for us to design and receive the Guest Book before your wedding.

How do we buy a wedding album?
Albums can be included in your booking package or purchased as a standalone item after the the wedding for a slightly higher cost.

We’re not sure if we want an album yet – can I add one later?
Yes.  As long you let us know before your balance payment is due (4 weeks prior to the wedding) we can simply upgrade your booking package to include an album.  You’re also welcome to order an album after the wedding but the price will be a bit higher.

Do we have any say over how the album will look?
Of course.  We see it as part of our service to guide you through the whole album process from start to finish. We will present an initial design based on what we think looks great. You are then welcome to ask for amendments and you’ll ‘sign off’ on the design once you’re happy. Most people generally only want a small number of alterations.

How many pictures can I have in my album?
We do not limit the number of pictures in albums but instead charge by the page. Our album options all begin with a generous number of pages. Just bear in mind that the more pictures you have, the more crowded the album will look and cramming them in is never a good idea. Ever.

How long will it be before we receive our album?
Difficult to say because much of the time taken is waiting for you to come back with alteration requests and we never want you to rush this process.  We’ll usually provide the initial album designs within two months of sending you your image files but it may take longer if we’re particularly busy.  Once you come back with alterations we’ll turn them around as quickly as possible.  Once the album is actually ordered with our supplier we usually have it back within a month.

How long are album prices valid for?
Because the album process can take a while we have to limit how long we can keep pricing static.  Album prices remain unchanged for six months after we provide the initial design layouts.  After six months we’re unable to protect you from any cost increases from our supplier, should there be any.  If you don’t come back within a year then there’ll be an additional £50 added to your album cost and the same for each subsequent year after that.