Our packages for weddings range from $1000-3500 and all packages include unlimited images, edits, a website, and all images on disc with a print release. The lower price range is for Utah Regional events. Regular rates begin at $1500. Please include your location, and where you plan to marry in your email, as well as approximately how much coverage you are looking for (all day, just the ceremony, etc.). We do have special introductory pricing for Utah and Colorado brides, so please don't hesitate to speak up if you are getting married in either of these areas. We also offer discounts for clients who are able to pay in full up front.
Getting in Touch
Typically you email me with your date, wedding location and venue (so I can run the mileage), the city you live in (so I can suggest a meeting place!), and your NAME (I can't tell you how many emails I get from people without names anywhere. So my emails all start off with, "Hi there..." lol). I will check out my schedule, and if I am available I will write you up a quote for your total cost. This comes in your very FIRST email from me, so if things just don't work for you, you can move on right away to someone else. If I am booked or unavailable for the date, I always include referrals to other local photographers, but I am happy to do that for anyone. If you don't think our styles mesh, or it's out of your budget, or whatever, I am always happy to give you the low down on my favorites out there. :) Same for other vendors too- just ask!
You can reach me, Emily, at: heizer_ea@yahoo.com
Or my office manager, Kristin, at: peterson_kv@yahoo.com
If things look good though, then I will suggest a Starbucks somewhere halfway between us so it's nice and fair, and we meet! All of my work is online so you should be familiar with it already (I do have some old hard copy portfolios for anyone that wants to see them though), I'll go over the contract with you and you get to grill me with questions. LOL Once the interrogation part of the meeting has passed I usually end up holding you hostage and yakking for awhile because I get lonely just talking to my kitties. lol From there, we can go wherever you like. If you book in the meeting, Silver and Platinum clients who pay in full get an instant $200-250 discount. Then we also cut out a lot of hassle later with payments. (Oh how I hate payments! Too much drama! Mail is always disappearing on me!)
Also, about 50% of my clients never meet me until the wedding day- go figure. :) If you read this blog, you pretty much know everything about me, including what I look like, so eliminating the hassle of scheduling a meeting is a huge relief for alot of clients. You guys just let me take care of you and I'll do what I do. My whole goal is to take the pressure off you for this "department" of your wedding so you don't have to think about it again. I looove being the low maintenance vendor. :)
What's your biggest strength? Weaknesses?
Strengths?.... Hmmmm... I think probably my willingness to do just about anything for my clients, either to just help them, or to get the shot. On a regular basis, I help my brides bustle their dresses, fix their undergarments, put on their shoes, take veils out, cut cakes, climb trees, climb lampposts, lay down in waterfalls (seriously happened in Yosemite 6/2011!), squish bugs, protect you from crazed relatives, take the hit or the blame if you want something and nobody else does ("Just blame ME! Tell them I'm a crazy witch and MADE you!") or anything else you need. I calm nerves, wipe tears and share your joy with you too. I still cry during almost every ceremony and rarely sit for more than five minutes at a time at your reception. I'll do anything for you on your wedding day. Just tell me what you need. I'm also your advocate. Everything I do, I'm doing it for you. I want your pictures to be the absolute best they can be, from how I pose you, to where we shoot, it is all to your benefit. I am your advocate and I always want to be.
Weaknessess? Oh dude... When I get busy, I SUCK at email. I SUCK at it. I SUCK at time management. I prioritize the most important emails- the brides who are getting married RIGHTTHEN, and then I sort of forget about everything else. I try to come back and get it all together, but if I'm busy, I just lose track. I try really hard, and it doesn't matter how many hundreds of times it happens, emails sit in spam all the time. It just never even occurs to me. It can happen over and over and over again, but when you have 100 new emails in your inbox every morning, and 15 hours of editing to do, and a couple of appointments or shoots to head out to, checking your spam folder is the furthest thing from your mind. Now, when things are slower, I am the BEST email responder EVER! About half of my clients will swear up and down to you I answer every email to them within an hour. You know what that is? Lucky timing! Or, if you email me in the middle of the night, I'm right on it, because I'm always up. lol I struggle with this, I apologize alot, but I always try my best. This is a... challenge for me and for my personality. I even attended a class on time management at WPPI (Wedding Photographer's conference) to try and sort this out, but it continues to be a hard one for me. I'm trying! Just know that if I'm not answering emails, I'm editing pictures or at a wedding. Those are the only two other things I ever do!
Okay, we want you! How do we save the date? Can you just pencil us in? It will be a few months before we have the retainer (deposit) ready.
Because of the volume of inquiries I receive, I can only reserve a date with a signed contract and a cleared retainer. Currently the retainer on any package is 50% of the total cost. Until I have received both components the date is fair game for anyone. I'm sorry. :( Again, I have to be fair to everybody, and to do so, I have to abide by a first signed, first reserved policy. If you wait a few months after you decide you want me to book the date, I cannot guarantee I will still be available. My availability changes from day to day.
How can we best reach you?
For me, email is always, always best. Yes, I know I just wrote up there under "weaknesses" that I sometimes struggle with email, but email is still always best. I have terrible cell reception in my home and never use my phone unless I am physically on my way to a shoot, event or consultation. Under those circumstances, my phone is glued to my hand and I'm checking it constantly to see if there have been any changes or if I need to check in with anyone. The rest of the time, my phone is chucked in a pile somewhere in my house, totally useless, beeping "No Service," or "Out of Range." The reception is so bad I only ever check voicemails every couple of weeks, and that's just to clean out the box. Why don't I get a landline? Frankly because I still think I'd never use it. I don't keep regular office hours. I do most of my office work in the middle of the night- between 1am-5am PST, which is also a poor time to be returning phone calls... but a great time to be returning emails! That's just how I work. In the internet age, email-preferred communication is usually just fine. It's also great to have everything in writing so we can refer back to it later. (Did she say her wedding colors were blush and bashful or mustard and grey?) Also, considering what a talker I am, it seriously concerns me if I lived somewhere WITH phone service that I'd never get any work done because I'd be on the phone yakking all day. Emily needs to stay focused on her work! ;)
Again,
You can reach me, Emily, at: heizer_ea@yahoo.com
Or my office manager, Kristin, at: peterson_kv@yahoo.com
Do we really get all of the images?
Yes, you really do get all of the images from your event or session. Every image I take, regardless of quality is posted to your website on Shutterfly (Eg: http://www.jesseandjamie.shutterfly.com/) and will be included on your master disc. I do not delete anything. You never know what someone might like or want, so why not save it, just in case? You will also receive all of the images I edit.
This also means you can anticipate a few subpar quality images mixed in with your negatives. If I accidentally take a picture of, say, my shoe, while I'm squatting in the aisle during the ceremony, well you get that too! (lol I'm kidding, but I say it because it happens sometimes!) If I do a test shot, or something at the reception doesn't come out perfect the first time I take it, even if I take it again, you still get the first shot too. I would rather give you the control and let you see everything rather than possibly delete something that would be meaningful to you. That takes priority over how having a few outtakes mixed in makes "me" look. That shot I took of some grumpy looking old lady who never smiled once during the reception might have been your great grandmother who passed away a month after the wedding... And wouldn't you be glad to have that shot? Your wedding or portrait session is about you, not me. I absolutely believe you should have all of your options available to you and shouldn't be deprived of anything I took simply because I didn't like it. This is really not standard practice in the industry to do this and I get quite a bit of flack for it from colleagues, but I rarely have a client say, "I wish you had taken less pictures." That's what I'm there for. :)
I tend to run my business in a way that caters to me if I were the client. If I were the client, I would want every shot, so that's how I do things for you guys. That is the honest truth. If you would like me to proof your negatives and give you a product compiled of just the perfect images, I can do that too! It's easy to hit the delete button. It's a whole lot harder to show someone all of your mistakes along with all of your successes. I'm not afraid to do either. :)
How many images do you usually shoot?
This totally depends on what I am shooting, but generally speaking, I average 250-300 images an hour. Weddings usually come up between 900-2100 negatives. Portrait sessions typically average 250-500 depending on what the shoot is. After the shoot, I edit around 40-100 images for each client depending on your selected package. This amount is in addition to the negatives. And no, it is not normal to end up with this many images. I have compulsive editing and shooting problems, which my clients very much appreciate. :) You should also note that it is very rare that I only provide the minimum number of edits. It's very common for a client to receive double, triple or more the number of listed edits, although please note I will not guarantee numbers that high. It just tends to be something that happens because I enjoy the editing process!
How long until we see the images from our session?
I try to do a preview on the blog for everyone within a week or two of the session so you have the reassurance that the images "came out" (of course they did! :) ), look good and you have something to share with family and friends. Standard turnover time for complete orders is 90 days. This means, at a minimum, you can expect it to be 90 days before your website is up and running with all of your proofs and all of your edits on it, ready for you to order prints, discs, images on canvas and that goofy BBQ apron for your dad. ;) If you are in a rush to get our Save the Date or Holiday cards, special arrangements can be made to have a few images up on your website so you can start ordering before that 90 day mark.
What's your copyright policy and what's the deal with the Master Disc?
I retain all rights to my images. They are copyrighted by me, Emily Heizer Photography and cannot be published, distributed, sold, displayed on websites or anything else without my explicit permission. Please note that under no circumstances may vendors ever have access to the watermarked images on your Shutterfly website or on your disc. (They may, however, obtain free watermarked copies from me.) All of my clients are given "printing privileges" or "reprint rights" which means you can print as many images as you like for your own personal purposes. All of my clients are set up with a Shutterfly website (which I do not profit from) where they can order prints, download images in full resolution for free, order their own master disc early if they do not want to wait for their copy from me, order prints on canvas, create albums, and a whole lot more. Shutterfly is a great website, very economical and easy to use. They also do a lot of discounts and freebies so keep your eyes pealed for those deals.
Master discs are provided after a minimum one year waiting period. Why such a long wait? I found that at this point in my career, so much of my work is published on blogs or in magazines and with each publication more edits were requested. (Which definitely takes quite a long time to be reviewed, approved, processed and published.) I do not want your master disc to be distributed until all of the edits have been completed, and your order officially closed. I don't want your disc to be incomplete when you receive it! I also tend to not have time to work on discs until off-season because "wedding season" (February-November) is so incredibly busy. Rather than set a shorter deadline, and miss it, and disappoint my clients, and put more stress on myself, it's much better to simply put out a realistic time frame. Also keep in mind, if you do not want to wait that minimum one year for your master disc from me, you can order one from Shutterfly for an arbitrary amount- between $5-$20 depending on whether they are on sale. (Also keep in mind the primary purpose of the master disc is for your own safekeeping. All ordering can be done through Shutterfly. Images can be downloaded in full-resolution through Shutterfly and additional discs of images can also be ordered through them. There is not anything you can do with the disc that you can't do without it. Your websites on Shutterfly are up indefinitely- potentially years. Websites I set up in 2006 are still online, so there is no set expiration date on your site. You can also save your images to your account so that they are never lost)
The disc that comes from me will include a master copy of the negatives and enhanced images from each shoot. Each disc is hand-labeled with a print release granting the client printing privileges for the images on that disc. Each disc is hand signed by me giving you that privilege. You may not copy the disc, or the print release. The print release is granted to the client only.
Do you make albums and do printing and all that stuff?
Actually, no. When it comes to albums, I personally feel you can make one that is a whole lot more personal and meaningful to you than I can. If I make your album, I'm going to go through and just pick the best pictures. I don't know who the most important people in your family are, and therefore, wouldn't know who would really need to be included. I'd also charge you a huge amount of money to do an album and it would take me a really long time to do it. At this point, I think you're already being charged enough money, and waiting long enough for your orders. Since the images are already on Shutterfly, you will be able to compile your own album yourself through them at no profit to me. Also, because they do so many promos, you can also probably do an album for free. Down the road when you eventually get your master disc, you can use one of those really expensive website and make a $500 album if you want to, but being a budget minded person, I'm not going to charge you to do that. I'd rather leave that choice to you.
All of the images will be uploaded to the web after your session or event. You can order nice quality prints through your website. (Always choose matte! It's nicer! :) ) If you have the money within your budget and would like take them to a private lab once you get your master disc, you are totally welcome to do that. I have found that most of my clients aren't looking to purchase prints and so I do not currently offer this as there has not been a need. I find that my clients prefer to purchase prints on their own timeline, with the ability to do price-comparisons and shop around for the best deal. That is your choice and I think you should have it! Weddings are also really expensive, and having to pay for a certain number of prints within a certain length of time can be a real struggle sometimes. In this way, you can do this whenever you're ready! If you really would like to purchase prints from a professional lab and would like to go through me after all of that, I can coordinate that for you if that's really your preference.
I am happy to announce as of January 2012, we have now partnered with a professional lab and can offer professional quality prints! Our clients have been asking for them, and we have responded. We have also begun to have some issues with getting images on Shutterfly. Shutterfly has a 10MB upload limit on their site, and many of my images are now over 15MB, which means I cannot get them online. The professional lab, on the other hand has no size limit. (Because I have to pay for the hosting.) We've been giving old clients the choice of what they would like to do: upload all of the images to the pro site and scrap Shutterfly, or upload as many as possible to Shutterfly, and whatever won't upload to the pro site, or resizing the images to fit onto Shutterfly. The struggle with the last option is the images lose their sharpness upon resizing. We are in transition at the moment as we figure this out. Currently, prints are rated at 29 cents each on the pro site and are professional quality lab prints because they are not marked up for profit. (Professionals usually charge $10 or more per print).
I'm super cool. Can you give me a massive discount? How about a little one? Actually, I'm getting married on a Monday/Friday/Holiday, is that cheaper?
I would love to be able to say yes, but sadly for Emily, it is the same amount of work for me regardless of what day you get married on. It's also not fair to all of my other clients if I give you a deal and not them. The prices on my website are what I charge for my services because that is what I am worth. Remember that you're not just hiring me for a single day, you're hiring me for at least a couple of months of post processing work on your images, editing, backing up images, creating discs, making your website, corresponding with you and other vendors and everything else. You're also ensuring I will be there to shoot your session with the proper equipment, knowledge, and experience to handle every and any situation that should arise. I broke it down once and the hourly rate was something like $7/hour. It may seem like a huge amount of money to you, but it is also an astronomical amount of work for me. I swear, it's not all silver trays of bon bons over here. LOL For the record though, that would be really nice though, and I would love to give you a discount!
Where are you located? Your blog has shoots from all over, I can't figure it out!
I currently reside in Sacramento, California (Northern California, around an hour and a half from San Francisco) but I am willing to, and do, travel all over for sessions and events. I have a number of clients in Utah, Southern California and Washington DC of all places for some reason! I love to travel and honestly prefer it to staying home. My location goal list for weddings includes Montana, Colorado and South Carolina, so if you live in any of those states, I might cut you a deal!
Booking & Travel tidbits
For destination weddings, or weddings for brides who would like to hire me but live a bit further away- out of state, or across the country, the cost of my services is the regular package rate, and then client picks up the travel expenses. I will create a custom quote for you including the cost of my travel which will be added on to your package rate. I am ALL about economy, so don't be afraid to allow me research the numbers for you. It may be less than you think! :)
For local weddings or shoots (drivable distances) I charge the package rate + a flat travel fee based on the shoot's location. For example, travel to the Bay Area or Lake Tahoe is $60-100 depending on the exact location.
Sessions or weddings within Sacramento are FREE of any additional charges or fees. You will only pay the flat package rate.
If you are interested in booking, or picking my brain, chatting, saying, "Hi" or whatever, just drop me a line at my work email: heizer_ea@yahoo.com :) (I do have some email issues from time to time, so if you have trouble reaching me, feel free to leave a comment on this blog with a message, or simply forward your original message back to me again.)
This also means you can anticipate a few subpar quality images mixed in with your negatives. If I accidentally take a picture of, say, my shoe, while I'm squatting in the aisle during the ceremony, well you get that too! (lol I'm kidding, but I say it because it happens sometimes!) If I do a test shot, or something at the reception doesn't come out perfect the first time I take it, even if I take it again, you still get the first shot too. I would rather give you the control and let you see everything rather than possibly delete something that would be meaningful to you. That takes priority over how having a few outtakes mixed in makes "me" look. That shot I took of some grumpy looking old lady who never smiled once during the reception might have been your great grandmother who passed away a month after the wedding... And wouldn't you be glad to have that shot? Your wedding or portrait session is about you, not me. I absolutely believe you should have all of your options available to you and shouldn't be deprived of anything I took simply because I didn't like it. This is really not standard practice in the industry to do this and I get quite a bit of flack for it from colleagues, but I rarely have a client say, "I wish you had taken less pictures." That's what I'm there for. :)
I tend to run my business in a way that caters to me if I were the client. If I were the client, I would want every shot, so that's how I do things for you guys. That is the honest truth. If you would like me to proof your negatives and give you a product compiled of just the perfect images, I can do that too! It's easy to hit the delete button. It's a whole lot harder to show someone all of your mistakes along with all of your successes. I'm not afraid to do either. :)
How many images do you usually shoot?
This totally depends on what I am shooting, but generally speaking, I average 250-300 images an hour. Weddings usually come up between 900-2100 negatives. Portrait sessions typically average 250-500 depending on what the shoot is. After the shoot, I edit around 40-100 images for each client depending on your selected package. This amount is in addition to the negatives. And no, it is not normal to end up with this many images. I have compulsive editing and shooting problems, which my clients very much appreciate. :) You should also note that it is very rare that I only provide the minimum number of edits. It's very common for a client to receive double, triple or more the number of listed edits, although please note I will not guarantee numbers that high. It just tends to be something that happens because I enjoy the editing process!
How long until we see the images from our session?
I try to do a preview on the blog for everyone within a week or two of the session so you have the reassurance that the images "came out" (of course they did! :) ), look good and you have something to share with family and friends. Standard turnover time for complete orders is 90 days. This means, at a minimum, you can expect it to be 90 days before your website is up and running with all of your proofs and all of your edits on it, ready for you to order prints, discs, images on canvas and that goofy BBQ apron for your dad. ;) If you are in a rush to get our Save the Date or Holiday cards, special arrangements can be made to have a few images up on your website so you can start ordering before that 90 day mark.
What's your copyright policy and what's the deal with the Master Disc?
I retain all rights to my images. They are copyrighted by me, Emily Heizer Photography and cannot be published, distributed, sold, displayed on websites or anything else without my explicit permission. Please note that under no circumstances may vendors ever have access to the watermarked images on your Shutterfly website or on your disc. (They may, however, obtain free watermarked copies from me.) All of my clients are given "printing privileges" or "reprint rights" which means you can print as many images as you like for your own personal purposes. All of my clients are set up with a Shutterfly website (which I do not profit from) where they can order prints, download images in full resolution for free, order their own master disc early if they do not want to wait for their copy from me, order prints on canvas, create albums, and a whole lot more. Shutterfly is a great website, very economical and easy to use. They also do a lot of discounts and freebies so keep your eyes pealed for those deals.
Master discs are provided after a minimum one year waiting period. Why such a long wait? I found that at this point in my career, so much of my work is published on blogs or in magazines and with each publication more edits were requested. (Which definitely takes quite a long time to be reviewed, approved, processed and published.) I do not want your master disc to be distributed until all of the edits have been completed, and your order officially closed. I don't want your disc to be incomplete when you receive it! I also tend to not have time to work on discs until off-season because "wedding season" (February-November) is so incredibly busy. Rather than set a shorter deadline, and miss it, and disappoint my clients, and put more stress on myself, it's much better to simply put out a realistic time frame. Also keep in mind, if you do not want to wait that minimum one year for your master disc from me, you can order one from Shutterfly for an arbitrary amount- between $5-$20 depending on whether they are on sale. (Also keep in mind the primary purpose of the master disc is for your own safekeeping. All ordering can be done through Shutterfly. Images can be downloaded in full-resolution through Shutterfly and additional discs of images can also be ordered through them. There is not anything you can do with the disc that you can't do without it. Your websites on Shutterfly are up indefinitely- potentially years. Websites I set up in 2006 are still online, so there is no set expiration date on your site. You can also save your images to your account so that they are never lost)
The disc that comes from me will include a master copy of the negatives and enhanced images from each shoot. Each disc is hand-labeled with a print release granting the client printing privileges for the images on that disc. Each disc is hand signed by me giving you that privilege. You may not copy the disc, or the print release. The print release is granted to the client only.
Do you make albums and do printing and all that stuff?
Actually, no. When it comes to albums, I personally feel you can make one that is a whole lot more personal and meaningful to you than I can. If I make your album, I'm going to go through and just pick the best pictures. I don't know who the most important people in your family are, and therefore, wouldn't know who would really need to be included. I'd also charge you a huge amount of money to do an album and it would take me a really long time to do it. At this point, I think you're already being charged enough money, and waiting long enough for your orders. Since the images are already on Shutterfly, you will be able to compile your own album yourself through them at no profit to me. Also, because they do so many promos, you can also probably do an album for free. Down the road when you eventually get your master disc, you can use one of those really expensive website and make a $500 album if you want to, but being a budget minded person, I'm not going to charge you to do that. I'd rather leave that choice to you.
All of the images will be uploaded to the web after your session or event. You can order nice quality prints through your website. (Always choose matte! It's nicer! :) ) If you have the money within your budget and would like take them to a private lab once you get your master disc, you are totally welcome to do that. I have found that most of my clients aren't looking to purchase prints and so I do not currently offer this as there has not been a need. I find that my clients prefer to purchase prints on their own timeline, with the ability to do price-comparisons and shop around for the best deal. That is your choice and I think you should have it! Weddings are also really expensive, and having to pay for a certain number of prints within a certain length of time can be a real struggle sometimes. In this way, you can do this whenever you're ready! If you really would like to purchase prints from a professional lab and would like to go through me after all of that, I can coordinate that for you if that's really your preference.
I am happy to announce as of January 2012, we have now partnered with a professional lab and can offer professional quality prints! Our clients have been asking for them, and we have responded. We have also begun to have some issues with getting images on Shutterfly. Shutterfly has a 10MB upload limit on their site, and many of my images are now over 15MB, which means I cannot get them online. The professional lab, on the other hand has no size limit. (Because I have to pay for the hosting.) We've been giving old clients the choice of what they would like to do: upload all of the images to the pro site and scrap Shutterfly, or upload as many as possible to Shutterfly, and whatever won't upload to the pro site, or resizing the images to fit onto Shutterfly. The struggle with the last option is the images lose their sharpness upon resizing. We are in transition at the moment as we figure this out. Currently, prints are rated at 29 cents each on the pro site and are professional quality lab prints because they are not marked up for profit. (Professionals usually charge $10 or more per print).
I'm super cool. Can you give me a massive discount? How about a little one? Actually, I'm getting married on a Monday/Friday/Holiday, is that cheaper?
I would love to be able to say yes, but sadly for Emily, it is the same amount of work for me regardless of what day you get married on. It's also not fair to all of my other clients if I give you a deal and not them. The prices on my website are what I charge for my services because that is what I am worth. Remember that you're not just hiring me for a single day, you're hiring me for at least a couple of months of post processing work on your images, editing, backing up images, creating discs, making your website, corresponding with you and other vendors and everything else. You're also ensuring I will be there to shoot your session with the proper equipment, knowledge, and experience to handle every and any situation that should arise. I broke it down once and the hourly rate was something like $7/hour. It may seem like a huge amount of money to you, but it is also an astronomical amount of work for me. I swear, it's not all silver trays of bon bons over here. LOL For the record though, that would be really nice though, and I would love to give you a discount!
Where are you located? Your blog has shoots from all over, I can't figure it out!
I currently reside in Sacramento, California (Northern California, around an hour and a half from San Francisco) but I am willing to, and do, travel all over for sessions and events. I have a number of clients in Utah, Southern California and Washington DC of all places for some reason! I love to travel and honestly prefer it to staying home. My location goal list for weddings includes Montana, Colorado and South Carolina, so if you live in any of those states, I might cut you a deal!
Booking & Travel tidbits
For destination weddings, or weddings for brides who would like to hire me but live a bit further away- out of state, or across the country, the cost of my services is the regular package rate, and then client picks up the travel expenses. I will create a custom quote for you including the cost of my travel which will be added on to your package rate. I am ALL about economy, so don't be afraid to allow me research the numbers for you. It may be less than you think! :)
For local weddings or shoots (drivable distances) I charge the package rate + a flat travel fee based on the shoot's location. For example, travel to the Bay Area or Lake Tahoe is $60-100 depending on the exact location.
Sessions or weddings within Sacramento are FREE of any additional charges or fees. You will only pay the flat package rate.
If you are interested in booking, or picking my brain, chatting, saying, "Hi" or whatever, just drop me a line at my work email: heizer_ea@yahoo.com :) (I do have some email issues from time to time, so if you have trouble reaching me, feel free to leave a comment on this blog with a message, or simply forward your original message back to me again.)
