Welcome

We’re so glad that you’re part of the team!

Please reach out to the wedding coordinator at any time with suggestions or questions!

Book & Assign

Wedding Guide – Clients receive this during the booking process. Wedding coordinator will handle all of the marketing, sales, invoices, contracts, and payments.

How it works – When a new client is booked, it will be shown in Sign Up Genius. These are usually posted, unless the wedding is quite a ways out. Jobs are usually left open for a week until it is awarded. Multiple contractors will be able to ‘sign up’ for a single job. Once the allotted time is up, wedding coordinator will award the project to the selected photographer and/or videographer. You will then be added to the Releventful event, be sure to check your email before then. From there, you will be responsible for reaching out to the client in introducing yourself as well as going over wedding details.

As multiple contractors are able to ‘sign up’ for the same project, it is up to the wedding coordinator to select which one is most suitable. This is based on a variety of factors including the contractor’s responsiveness, timeliness, professionalism, good/bad reviews from clients, etc.

Contact Client – within 48 hours (skip the weekend) of being assigned to a project, send a message in Releventful to set up your first call (either through phone or zoom, however the client prefers) with the client. If the wedding is coming up soon please reach out sooner.

NOTE – Sometimes, after you are assigned a wedding, you find you are no longer available to cover that job. You are responsible for working with us to find coverage to replace you. Most team members are always looking to pick up jobs so they will respond right away. If you’ve tried and still have not been able to find coverage, reach out to wedding coordinator and she can help you. You are ultimately responsible, but we will assist you in the event that this happens.

Communication is key

WE USE RELEVENTFUL AS OUR TOOL TO COMMUNICATE BETWEEN THE CLIENT, PHOTOGRAPHER, VIDEOGRAPHER, AND WEDDING COORDINATOR.

Client

Once the client has booked our services, communication primarily happens in their personal Releventful event. Here they should be able to connect with their team member(s), and receive support from you and the wedding coordinator.

Photo/Video

When jobs are awarded, you as a team member will then be added to the client specific event in Releventful. The client contact information is contained in the project so you can use that to reach out to schedule phone or video calls, engagement sessions or whatever other communication is necessary.

Event Manager

The wedding coordinator will be sending Bride Tips, reminders and other helpful information within Releventful to the clients. They also send out a comprehensive questionnaire when the client books which will be very helpful to you in the planning process. You will also receive texts or emails from the wedding coordinator just to confirm that everything is on track for upcoming projects.

Hyper communication is key

WITH PPP, HYPER COMMUNICATION WITH THE CLIENT IS REQUIRED. WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE A CLIENT WONDER WHY THEY HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU.

Reach out to the bride as soon as you are awarded the wedding!

Reach out to the wedding coordinator with any questions, availability status, etc. Don’t wait, be proactive!

Our Style

The PPP edit is based around both a trendy and timeless look. We want our photos to be current and competitively styled, but also have lifelong lasting value for our clients.

Any time an edit becomes too trendy, it becomes likely our clients will be unhappy with their photos either immediately or over time.

While our contract states we will shoot and edit the day as we see fit, we still have to be consistent. The work our clients see on our website and Instagram is what they are comparing their delivered product with. While lighting, preference, location, and clients vary greatly, we still need to make an effort to deliver what we advertise.

See below for information on how many photos or videos are included in our packages.

For examples of our style please check out our gallery page:

Packages:

Elegant Beginnings

•5 hours of photography and videography

• 500+ fully-edited photos

• 4+ minute highlight video

• 60-second social media teaser

Better Together

•7 hours of photography and videography

• 600+ fully-edited photos

• 5+ minute highlight video

• 60-second social media teaser

Extra Sessions

Engagement Shoot

1.5 hours. Choose your outfit and location, have fun while capturing your precious one-on-one moments.

Bridal Shoot

1.5 hours. Portrait session that focuses solely for you and takes place before the wedding. Have your hair and make-up done while photographed on your wedding dress.

Bridal Shower

1.5 hours. Capture those mingling, games, and gift-giving with your girlfriend 2-6 months before your wedding date.

Elopement

Get 2 hours of amazing photos and videos on your small, intimate, meaningful, and authentic wedding.

Day-after Shoot

Wear your wedding dress again and be creative in taking awesome pictures without the stress of such a big event

Drone Coverage

Photoshoot/Video from the above using a drone and we’ll help you make sure your venue allows drone.

Making Calls

You will make 2 calls for each wedding through phone or zoom, however the client prefers. The first happens within about 2 weeks of booking and the second 2 weeks before the wedding.

Review our “Comprehensive Wedding Questionnaire” that the client submits in Releventful before your call and take the time to update this during/after your call. If the client hasn’t filled in the survey you can pull it up in Releventful and go through it together.

Topics for call:

Introduce yourself.
Ask about their love story.
Schedule the engagement session (if there is one). Add this information into the notes section in Releventful.
Go over the questionnaire and wedding-day timeline.
If coverage time exceeds 5 hours, the client is required to give you a 1 hour break and can be substituted by a meal provided by the photographer/videographer themselves, or by the wedding catering. If not applicable, however exercise etiquette and don’t eat until invited to. Also, keep that meal break in mind when planning the timeline with your client. If they book 8 hours of coverage you will most likely be there for 9 hours total to include that 1 hour meal break. It is best to work this out with your client on your pre-wedding phone calls so you get the break you need and they get all the important moments covered.
Find out what is most important to them. What kind of style do they want: formal/staged, informal/candid, or mix of both?
Ask them how they would prefer you to move during the ceremony. Some couples want you to keep your distance, and others say “come in closer!”
Go over the shot list with them. What do they for sure want photos and videos of?
What audio do they want recorded?

The wedding details list how many songs they need to choose for their video. They typically need 1 or 2 with words and 1 or 2 without words (recorded audio will be played over the instrumental ones). These are the sites they can choose from for their songs:

fyrfly: This is where they will find most of the mainstream songs. If there is a pink “P” next to the song, there will be an additional $35 charge to purchase the license.
musicbed: If you see a crossed out dollar sign by a particular song, there will be an additional $59 charge to purchase the license.
soundstripe
artlist

Ask if there are any sensitive family situations you should be aware of.

TAKE NOTES IN RELEVENTFUL, THEN SEND A FOLLOW UP EMAIL to the client within Releventful going over the things you discussed on the call to make sure you are both on the same page.

2 weeks before the wedding, schedule another call with the client.

Confirm the location, time, and details.
Prepare family photo list with client (Photographer).
When complete, update the to-do in Releventful to show that the second phone call has been made.
TAKE NOTES IN Releventful, THEN SEND A FOLLOW UP EMAIL to the client within Releventful.

Engagement Session

Photographer will schedule this directly with the client.
Change Releventful to-do to first phone call.
Update the Notes in Releventful
One hour session:
Upload 80+ photos to our DropBox account
(see Upload) (another hyperlink, url to be provided)
Turnaround time: We guarantee they will have their engagement images back in 30 days but we are generally much quicker than that.
We’ve created an “Engagement Tips” page for our clients. The page specific to the clients area will be emailed to them through Releventful so you can see those tips as well. ** If you have any other favorite engagement shoot locations let us know and we’ll add them to the list.

We also created an “Engagement Posing Tips” page for you as photographers that we hope you’ll find helpful. Once you complete the shoot, upload them to our DropBox Account.

Shooting the Wedding

Wedding Details – review, print out, take a screenshot.
Second shooters may only be scheduled for part of the coverage time. Be sure to review this. Primary shooter to inform second shooter when to be there and what they should cover.
Review our Wedding Mastery Training Videos.
Dress professionally! (business casual is the minimum)
Arrive at least 30 minutes before the coverage time begins.
If coverage time exceeds 5 hours, the client is required to give you a 1 hour break and can be substituted by a meal provided by the photographer/videographer themselves, or by the wedding catering. If not applicable, however exercise etiquette and don’t eat until invited to. Also, keep that meal break in mind when planning the timeline with your client. If they book 8 hours of coverage you will most likely be there for 9 hours total to include that 1 hour meal break. It is best to work this out with your client on your pre-wedding phone calls so you get the break you need and they get all the important moments covered.
Equipment Check
Primary shooters are required to have a backup body.
Clean regularly to avoid sensor & lens dust buildup/scratches.
Have plenty of batteries and empty SD cards (periodically switch out cards to safeguard against possible corruption).
Have fun! Be a positive and calming force for them on what can be a stressful day.
Take charge when needed (family photos, portraits of bride/groom)
Blend in when needed (ceremony, reception)
Remember that especially with COVID, do NOT touch anyone without permission.
Ask how close they would like you during the ceremony. Some couples prefer you keep your distance, and others want close-ups.
Smile, and ask for a smile! Help things move along without being pushy. Help the couple show you how happy they are!
Be creative and don’t take the same shot too many times.
Work cohesively with the other team members (if there is both photo & video). Don’t fight for a spot or get in each other’s way. Don’t stress the couple or the other team member out.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Shoot in RAW. This is required.
Shoot in MANUAL MODE.
Keep your Aperture/F-stop low (1.4-2.8) to produce a sharp subject and an out-of-focus background (portraits – F2 is ideal).
Keep your ISO as low as possible to limit grainy and low quality images (portraits – shouldn’t be above 600).
Keep your shutter speed mid-high to maintain sharp subjects (stay above 1/250).
Remember rules of composition: leading lines, rule of thirds, fill the frame, don’t cut off limbs, use frames, create depth.

Please take some time to go through our wedding photo galleries to get a clear view of our style and what we are looking for throughout the course of a wedding. We also have an engagement photo gallery that is a great place to get posing ideas.

VIDEOGRAPHERS

Use standard color profile. This works best with our presets for editing.
Do not continuously record everything. Pick only the best moments.
Make sure white balance isn’t too warm or too cold (always adjust this after the exposure is set).
Change up your angles and the movements of your shots.
Make sure that your focus is on your subject.
Remember to use your stabilizer and external recording equipment.
Footage that needs to be slow motion can be shot in 60fps. In cases like Getting Ready, you can shoot it in 60fps and 24fps so that we will have variations on the footage (dynamic footages). For the vows, ceremony (or anything with a talking head), please shoot it at 24fps as a standard. For couple’s moments, these are best shot at 60fps to capture a more cinematic slow-motion. We are making a dynamic video, so footage must have variations. Also, shooting slow motion makes it less shaky and more stable. And shooting in 24fps really helps in low light conditions.

Please take some time to go through our wedding video galleries to get a clear view of our style and what we are looking for throughout the course of a wedding.

Shot List

Getting Ready

make-up

detail shot of rings

jewelry

dress on hanger

family members helping

matching robes

groom buttoning

sleeves/jacket

Ceremony

walking down the aisle

groom’s reaction

preacher

single of bride

single of groom

b/g looking at each other

groomsmen

bridesmaids

audience

first kiss

ring exchange

going down aisle together

details of decorations

Reception

venue

detail shots of food

& decorations

people eating

b/g talking to guests

parents

cake cutting (wide

and close-up)

feeding each other

slow dancing

party dancing

bouquet toss

send-off

First Look or After Ceremony

single of groom

single of bride

reaction of groom

flower/ring close-up

walking/leading

twirling

throw the dress

dip/kiss

Family Photos

big group

individual families

bridesmaids

groomsmen

all bridal party

Upload

Backup ALL your media on your own drives right after a wedding shoot, preferably that same evening if possible to avoid corrupt SD cards.

Images and footage should be in 3 different places.

Please keep them on your hard drive until the wedding coordinator gives you the okay to delete them (generally a week after delivery – just in case the client wanted a specific photo or they remember you recording a specific moment.)

Cull your images/footage – As you are doing the upload, please go in and cull the photos. The number of expected photos should be listed on your personal spreadsheet. Since we pay the editing team per image we’d like to eliminate any throw away or duplicate shots. We aren’t opposed to over delivering to our clients if there are just so many amazing shots that need to be included. If you are bringing along your own 2nd shooter, you are responsible to cull and upload or work with them to do that.

Upload to DropBox account – Within 48 hours, upload your culled images or clips.

Export your images at the highest possible quality setting.

Photos need to be in RAW format.

You will see an upload link on your Booked Projects spreadsheet which is where you will upload your photos / video clips.

You will receive a link via email where you can view your folder to ensure that your upload has completed.

Smaller batches: Depending on your internet connection, it may work best to upload in smaller batches.

Submit your invoice: Invoices are processed every monday. Submit all media and invoices by 9 A.M. Monday, with payment arriving the same day. If not, allow one week after submitting your invoice to see your payment.

Once this is done, you’re all set! The editor will edit the photos/highlight video and create a Pic-time album/YouTube link. Once the edit is complete the wedding coordinator will send you a link to approve before final delivery to the client.

Photo Requirements

Engagement session: 80+ photos

Wedding day (4 hours): 300+ photos

Wedding day (6 hours): 450+ photos

Wedding day (8 hours): 600+ photos

Wedding day (8 hours) w/ 2nd Shooter: 750+ photos

Video Requirements

Wedding Day (4 hours): 150-200 good clips

Wedding Day (6 hours): 200-250 good clips

Wedding Day (8 hours): 250-300 good clips

Wedding Day (8 hours) w/ 2nd Shooter : 400-550 good clips

NO PHOTOS OR VIDEOS MAY BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE CLIENT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

RAW photos are NOT included in any of our packages. However, if a client is requesting raw photos, please let your wedding coordinator know and she will coordinate that delivery.

RAW video is included in our packages for our clients at no charge. The wedding coordinator will send the client the link to the RAW video folder when delivering the other wedding media.

Team members must backup all RAWS for at least 30 days after delivery.

Edit & Deliver

Edit – Wedding coordinator will send it to the editing team, and they will edit all images and videos.

Q&A Check – Wedding coordinator and the photographer/ videographer will both do a Q&A check and give final approval on images and videos.

Deliver – Wedding coordinator will send the links to the photos (Pic-time) and videos (YouTube) to the client through Releventful.

Turnaround time – We strive to give our clients their media between 30 business days and 60 business days of their wedding. We generally tell them to plan for about 6 weeks, however during peak wedding season sometimes it can take longer.

Invoicing

PPP uses PayPal as our preferred method for paying you for the contract work you do for us. Reach out to the wedding coordinator with any questions about this. We will send you a direct deposit form before your first wedding. We do need a current W9 form so we can send you tax information at the end of the year.

You should include the following on your invoice:

Your invoice amount (amount should be written in Sign Up Genius)
Extra Hours

If the client purchased extra hours beforehand, it’s already included in the total bill. If you are asked to extend on the day of the wedding/engagement, and are able to accommodate, you will be compensated $75/hr directly by the client. Notify PPP of this change within 48 hours at [email protected]
Send us your completed invoice. Feel free to use our invoice (link above) or send us one of your own if you prefer.
Once completed, the easiest way to send it is to take a screenshot of the invoice or save it as a PDF.
Email the invoice as well as a screenshot of your completed uploads to [email protected]
Including the screenshot of your upload in DropBox, showing that you have uploaded the footage.

Equipment requirements

Photo

BODY – Full Frame DSLR or Mirrorless

LENS – Fast Prime 50 1.8-1.2, 35 1.8-1.4, a wide enough angle for big family shots 24mm, 35mm.

OTHER – The nature of this position often requires a flash/hard light, or extremely good low light capabilities.

Audio

AUDIO – External Audio Recorder, such as the Tascam DR-05, required.

NOTE: Audio is not included in our regular packages. If your client requests audio of the ceremony, vows, and speeches or clips of the audio edited into their highlight video and it wasn’t specified in the original project specs, let the wedding coordinator know and she will coordinate that with the client.

Video

BODY – Full Frame DSLR or Mirrorless

LENS – Fast Prime 50 1.8-1.2, 35 1.8-1.4, a wide enough angle for big family shots 24mm, 35mm.

OTHER – The nature of this position often requires a flash/hard light, or extremely good low light capabilities.

Drone

Drone will be specified in the original project bid. If you have Drone equipment you are welcome to bid on those video jobs.

Drone equipment needs to have decent stabilization on the gimbal so footage isn’t shaky. Minimum shooting quality is 1080p, 24fps.

*Please note that it is YOUR responsibility as a 1099 contractor to make sure you have the legal licenses and permits required to shoot drone footage for PPP. Also, there are some areas that are considered no-fly zones. Even with a license, drones will not be able to take off in no-fly zones. Please review your event locations for any restrictions when you are awarded the job. Drone footage will also depend on weather conditions. Drones should not be flown in inclement weather as it can damage the equipment and disrupt the footage.