FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

GENERAL

 

What is your photography style?

 

The name says it all. "Estilo" means "Style" in Spanish. We cover weddings in a stylish, photojournalistic and classic manner although we wouldn't limit our work to a certain genre. Unobtrusive reportage is definitely one of our strong points but we do believe that there is a time and place for "directed" or casually posed shots - e.g. when it comes to photos of the couple together, the bride  all dressed-up in her gown before the ceremony and with family and group photos. This means that we won't stop you during your first dance to "look here and smile for a snap", but we would like an hour or so with just the two of you for a relaxed session in beautiful surrounds. We also love all the details - from the Choos to the ring engravings, we will leave nothing out - but please remember to point out any specifics we might miss! . When it comes to the reception, our images are almost 100% photojournalistic: we will capture every participant on the dance floor, emotions during the speeches, shooters and singing. We do not disrupt the reception to coordinate "table shots" - if you do require formal table shots at the reception, we suggest that you coordinate with  the MC to make announcements as it is often impossible to gather guests to a central point for these kind of photos.

 

Where are you based and will you travel?

 

Our team are all based in the Gauteng area (South Africa), but we have photographed weddings all over Africa as well as Mauritius., Europe and the Caribbean and nothing pleases us more to see and shoot in amazing new places! We have lots of experience regarding visa requirements and business travel. To simplify travel arrangements, we will be happy to tailor a package for your destination wedding that includes all travel and accommodation costs.

 

Who are the photographers that will be shooting my wedding / function?

 

We are a team of 4 photographers and 2 videographers. Amanda and Goshia are the ESTILO business owners but are not available to shoot every wedding. We do, however, believe that our style and quality of images and footage will speak for itself - a combination of creativity from our talented team members that is showcased here on our blog and social media pages. All images are edited with our ESTILO signature effects to convey that classic and specific style our clients know and love.

 

**If you would like to request specific team members to shoot your wedding, please contact us for a quote.

 

How can we book / Can you hold a date for us?

 

Your event date will be officially booked once we receive your signed agreement form and payment of 50% deposit. We unfortunately cannot “hold” dates for any other reason. The other half of the package fee is due one month prior to the event.

 

How many photos do you take at a wedding / Do I receive all the photos that were taken?

 

The amount of photos we take at a wedding depends on a few things (hours of coverage / size of the wedding) but you do get all the images that were taken in high resolution. They are all printable and can be copied digitally for your own personal use, in whichever way you please.

 

How long have you been in business? How many weddings have you photographed?

 

ESTILO has been in existence since 2015 and we have photographed over 500 weddings in total. Our team are all photographers and videographers in their own right and own their own portrait, corporate film and design businesses. We all take photography and film very seriously!

 

My wedding is cancelled. Can I have my retainer back?

 

No, the retainer and any other monies paid is non-refundable for any reason. This retainer ensures that we hold a date for you and that we turn down other business for that date.

 

Do you need to sit at a table and have dinner at the reception?

 

Yes please! We don't need to sit at a table with guests, but would appreciate dinner (and take better pictures if we are well fed!)

 

PRE-EVENT INFO

 

Do you do venue-scouting sessions if you haven’t shot at our venue before?

 

Very rarely and at a fee (depending on location and reason). Keep in mind that the best spots to take couple and group photos are very dependent on the weather/lighting conditions and not so much on the  venue and “picturesque” spots. We are experts when it comes to finding the right light on the day according to the weather and position of the sun. If you do have your heart set on a particular spot for photos, you can just let us know on the day and we will do everything in our power to shoot in that spot!

 

Do you do engagement / boudoir sessions?

 

Yes. Please note that most engagement and boudoir sessions need to be done on a week day and (rarely) a Sunday as we are busy on most Saturdays. If you would like to do the session at a particular venue, you will be responsible for getting permission / paying the location fee. Included in our 2nd and 3rd Packages is a complimentary engagement session. It is not refundable or interchangeable if you are unable to do the session. The complimentary e-session can only be done at a choice of two venues (please contact us for details). If you require another location, a travel fee will be added.

 

Can we have pre-meetings to discuss our wedding day schedule and other details?

 

As much as we love to have coffee and a chat, and apart from one introductory meeting, we also have families, photo editing and shoots in between weekend weddings. We will be happy to answer any questions you might have via email or even a Skype meeting. Alternatively we can also discuss any concerns at your engagement shoot (a great way to connect with the photographer that will be shooting your wedding). If time does not permit a meeting - don’t fret -it’s not uncommon for us to meet our brides and grooms at their wedding for the first time...especially because most of our bookings are by word of mouth or via a preferred suppliers list at a venue.

  

ON THE DAY

 What time do you arrive? 

 

We don’t dictate or create a wedding schedule according to our needs, although we generally arrive about 2-3 hours prior to the ceremony to cover details and dressing of the bride and groom. We would also highly appreciate it if you schedule 30-60 minutes for a couple photo session (usually the hour before sunset). We offer 8-9 hrs coverage in our different packages and you can ultimately decide at what time you would like us to arrive. If you require us to shoot overtime we are more than happy to do that at a fee (please see our agreement form / price list).

 

Is time spent on driving between locations / eating dinner / waiting for a late bride / groom counted into the hours of coverage?

 

Yes. We don’t subtract driving-, dinner-, or waiting time from the hours we spend on actual shooting.

 

Do you shoot family portraits on the day?

 

Yes, we do dedicate 15-20 minutes on family / group shots on a wedding day. You are welcome to compile a list of group shots so that we don’t leave anyone out, on condition that you appoint a family / bridal party member on the day to help usher and find those friends or family that need  to be in the pictures. Keep in mind that if this list gets too long, your wedding becomes a family photo shoot and is very tiresome for everyone involved. We suggest not having more than 12 - 14 groups.

 

Do you shoot table shots at the reception?

 

No. We do, however, take candid shots of your guests during cocktail hour, speeches and dancing.

 

Can we send you shots from magazines / photo checklists?

 

Yes, but please keep in mind that we can’t reproduce shots or work from a counterproductive list of “must-haves” eg. “Father of Bride crying when first laying eyes on her”. Each wedding day is different  and you will you have your own set of beautiful and unique images.

 

POST-EVENT

 

How long does it take to get our images / video / products?

 

Photos are ready for download via Dropbox / WeTransfer 6-8 weeks after the event date. Videos take 12 weeks to complete, depending on the season and length of your wedding ceremony (the time estimate does not include shipping, and any couriering costs will be for your own account). Albums take 2-3 weeks to design after submission of your album selection is received and 20 business days to print, after approval of the album layouts. **Please note that we close for two weeks over Christmas and New Year during which time we  don’t edit or design. If your wedding is in December, please allow for an extra fortnight of editing time.

 

How many pictures do we receive? Do we receive the original images / video footage?

 

The amount of images you receive depends on a few things - eg. the hours of coverage at your wedding, amount of guests, type of event etc. We do deliver all images shot in their original, high resolution quality and it is usually 1500+ images, but often double that amount. As for the film, we don’t deliver raw video footage due to file sizes. You will receive a video clip with your choice of song edited to the highlights of the day, as well as a “Full Version” which is the entire ceremony, plus all of the speeches at the reception.

 

How does the album design process work?

 

If you chose a package that already included an album, you have six months from the date of photo delivery to choose images for your album. The standard album option is a 30x30cm album with photo cover and can hold up to 80 photos. You can choose photos from both the Edited and Original images (we can edit any Originals at an extra cost, or use them as is). If you would like more than 80 photos in your album, we can suggest an album upgrade for you depending on the amount / types of images you would like to add. Once we receive your selection folder (preferably via Dropbox or USB delivered to our studio), your album will be added to the design queue and takes about 3-4 weeks to be designed. Your layouts are then emailed to you for approval, after which the album is sent to the lab for printing (20 business days).

 

Can we still get an album after the wedding, even though it wasn’t included in our package?

 

Yes of course! You are welcome to choose an album and parent albums at any time after your wedding from our a la carte album price list. We can also send you some images of what our albums look like if you haven’t seen them already. They are beautiful hard cover albums with photo or leather covers and perfect-bound, photo quality pages that are mounted on thick board. A true keepsake and extremely durable!

 

Do you post all sessions on your social media pages / blog?

 

No - time permitting, we do post a preview of most of our engagement, wedding and portrait sessions but this is not always possible. If you do not want your video or photos on social media, please let us know in advance.

  

Thank you for taking time to find the answer here! If there is anything we left out, please get in touch via our "CONTACT" page or send us an email: estiloweddings@gmail.com