"I am planning a destination wedding and have some questions..."
I am happy to answer your destination wedding questions - please click here for answers to frequently asked questions on destination weddings.




"How far in advance do I need to book my wedding?"
Your hall, church and photographer are typically the first services you should be looking into. As I only book one wedding per weekend in order to give you and your wedding the full attention it deserves, I recommend booking with me eight to eighteen months in advance. Should you not be planning this far ahead however, please do contact me to see if your date is still available!
To see if your wedding day is available and/or to book a consultation, please call me at 519•578•8222 or Email me directly. (michelle@capturedsoulphotography.com)
I am now booking Ontario Wedding and Destination Wedding dates for 2011. A few Destination wedding openings are still also available for 2010! Please call or email as soon as possible to reserve your date!



"I know that it is important to not only hire a photographer whose work I love and that has experience but also one that I will feel comfortable with throughout the day... how can I find out more about you?"
I am happy to book a consultation with you at a mutually convenient time so we may talk and get to know each other better in person. Phone consultations are also available if you are not going to be in the Kitchener or surrounding area at the time you are considering booking your photographer. You may also find out more about me by reading my review on TheWeddingRing.ca as well as reading some personal reflections that I have written on my biography page. Also, a great way of finding out more about your potential photographer is to read other couple's comments and speaking to brides & grooms that have used the services that you are considering. (references are available upon request). You can now follow along with all my wedding adventures in my new blog! And yes, Captured Soul Photography is also on Facebook - stop by to read some reviews and become a fan!



"Which package is right for me? / How many hours do I need?"
How many hours / which package you choose solely depends on what time you have planned on having your ceremony and how long you would like me to stay during your reception. If you are planning a wedding ceremony that is between late morning and mid afternoon, I would highly recommend the unlimited hour or "Captured" package. From getting ready shots to the bridal bouquet toss, every aspect is captured of your day without needing to stress over time restrictions. Ideally, the "I Do" (8-hour) and "This Moment" (5-hour) packages were designed for couples with late afternoon / evening ceremonies in which the itinerary of the day is more compact and less hours are required to capture your entire wedding story.



"How many hours are you typically with the bride & groom on an 'unlimited hour' wedding day? When do you normally arrive and leave?"
This answer completely depends on your itinerary and schedule but typically on an 'unlimited' full day package, it is unusual for me to be with you for less than 12 hours.
As far as my arrival goes, if you would like me to start at the hair salon or your home when you are getting ready, I will be happy to join you at this time. Some brides have requested me as early as 7:30am, some as late as 1pm, however, it all depends on how much you would like captured and when you will be ready to be "up and about" in front of a camera.
As for when I normally leave, it once again depends on your reception and guests. On average, I tend to leave shortly after the bridal bouquet & garter toss (if you choose to have these events at your wedding) when the ambience and guests have been captured and there is nothing "new" happening throughout the final hours of the evening. I always ask the bride and groom if there is anything else that they would like photographed before I pack up to leave. Sometimes receptions wind down early, other times they continue until the wee hours of the morning. In the past, I have often left between 10 - 11pm, at times as early as 9pm, and a few times as late as midnight.



"Are the start and end times for the 8-hour 'I Do' package or 5-hour "This Moment" package predetermined?"
Absolutely not. The package begins when you are ready for me to arrive and end will run until the hour limit that you have chosen has expired or earlier if you do not have need of my services any longer.



"Do you have an assistant?"
I am currently training an intern who will be accompanying me during my local wedding sessions as of 2010.



"We would like photographs of the groom getting ready as well - do you do this?"
Absolutely. With unlimited locations, all you need to do is list the itinerary (along with all of the addresses) of where you would like me to be. I will do my best to work in being at "all the right places at the right times" to give you a full story of your entire day.



"How much time should I set aside for family / portrait photos?"
This answer will be a direct reflection of how large your families are. If you have a large family and would like family shots incorporating several different groupings, a larger amount of time should be set aside. At the bare minimum, I usually request an hour and a half to shoot family portraits, bridal party photos and portraits of the bride and groom. A longer amount of time will create a more laid-back atmosphere and allow you and your families to not feel "rushed". Traditionally, portraits are taken in between the ceremony and reception. If you choose to follow this tradition, please remember that the receiving line or general congratulations take up a good amount of time during this period as well so it would be best to take this into consideration when planning on how much time you have/need for portrait and family photos.



"How do I make sure we don't miss anyone during the portraits?"
It is always recommended for you to make up a list of people that you would like photos taken with for the portrait portion of the day. Send this list to the photographer with the final information before the wedding but more importantly, ensure that someone close to the family has the list on the wedding day so they might act as a coordinator or assistant to the photographer to make sure that no one is missed and also so the photographer may continue to shoot candid shots in between portraits.



"Do you bring backup equipment?"
Of course! I bring a second camera set-up with me as well as multiple digital memory cards and accessories to make sure I don't miss a moment...



"Will you be staying for dinner?"
As I will be with you for the better part of your day, I would appreciate to be included in any and all meal arrangements. Also, many brides & grooms have asked me if I prefer to sit with the guests or be in a more private area... personally, I believe that it is always best to have a designated spot in amongst the guests to keep with the flow and energy of the day. If this however is not possible, being kept as close to the "action" as possible is always appreciated.



"Is there a quality difference between printing our images with your professional printing-house and printing the photos ourselves? How much do prints cost if we order through your professional printer?"
Each image that is uploaded to my professional printing house is carefully adjusted by hand by the printer for optimum colour, saturation and contrast to give you the best quality print for each individual photo. All prints are processed on Fuji Crystal Archival Paper and are hand-packaged to ensure they reach their destination safely. All images are also now available in "True Black and White", "Metallic", and "Museum Mount Canvas" printing as well as the traditional "Crystal Archive" luster, matte and gloss print through your professional online gallery.
Your online gallery will be available for six months from the wedding date. An extension is available upon your request. Thankfully, my professional print house has allowed me to set my own pricing for each size of print and type of gift-item available - and I have tried my absolute best to keep the prices as affordable as possible: far under what the "typical" photographer may charge and usually only a minimal difference in cost between ordering prints through my professional printer and printing your own prints through your local print shop. For a full price list of available print sizes and gift items, please click here.
Special care is also taken with all packaging. Prints are re-inspected, and then inserted into a water resistant, acrylic, archival sleeve and packaged in a 28 point, white hardboard package. Orders of over 10 photos will be packaged in a corrugated crush resistant box and will have added hardboard added to the top and bottom of the box to assure safe arrival.
If/when you decide to print your own images from your digital images DVD - depending on the commercial/retail grade photo-printing house that you choose - your quality may be anywhere from excellent to adequate. Most local print shop's paper and printing quality will greatly differ depending on the retail outlet, so when choosing a local printing house, please make sure to take all contingencies into account to obtain the best prints possible. Always make sure that any "auto-correct" settings are turned OFF at your local printer as all photos you receive on your digital images DVD are already colour and contrast optimized and in order to to maintain the best image possible, should not be "over-corrected".
(Please note that prices with the professional printers are in US funds due to the fact that the prints will be arriving from Texas even though the printing house is a Canadian company. Duty should be exempt on all prints and Ontario residents will only currently need to pay GST as the printing house is based in Quebec).



"What happens if you're sick?"
Honestly, I am there rain or shine - whether I am on top of the weather or "under it". Should the unthinkable happen however and I am completely unable for some reason to attend, I will do my best to find a replacement photographer for you.



"Do you have an appearance policy?"
Yes - your wedding day is considered to be one of the most important days of your life and it deserves respect. I fully understand that each person/service you hire is a representative of both you and your families and should behave and dress as such. My attire on your wedding day is meant to fulfil my needs as a photographer as well as promote a business-like and elegant impression. (So in short, I will not show up in jeans, leather, or a short skirt...)



"I have reserved my date with you and am in the process of filling out the contract but I don't have all of the answers to the questions yet - what should I do?"
Don't worry! Just fill out the contact information section and as much as you can of the remainder of the questions, sign the contract and mail it back with your deposit (if you haven't given your deposit already) within a week or two of your consultation. I will email the contract back to you a month before the wedding for you to go over and fill in or amend the details. I just require the completed contract to be emailed back to me a couple weeks before the wedding date so I can fully prepare.



"When will I receive my photos?"
Photo-processing depends on a number of factors including the season you are married in, the package you choose, and how many photos are taken during the course of your day. I will be happy to discuss an approximate completion date with you once these factors are taken into account. Normally however, your individually hand-processed and edited photos are usually delivered two to four months after your wedding date barring any special circumstances.


"How long do you keep our photos on file?"
Digital image files will be kept in storage for no longer than one year from the date of the wedding. Images uploaded to the professional printer will be kept online for approximately six months from the date of wedding unless an extended period of time is requested. Please remember that even with today's technology, it is possible that your image discs may degrade over time, with use, or abuse. It is highly recommended that all image discs be duplicated onto to a new disc every four or five years or stored on another type of media for backup purposes.



"Do you have a client referral program?"
Yes, a past wedding-client referral program was officially launched as of January 1st, 2009 due to the wonderful feedback received from our fall 2008 past-client survey! Whether you have already had Captured Soul capture your wedding or have booked Captured Soul to do so, you will now receive a very special thank you for your wonderful referrals! If you refer a couple that books their 2010 (or later) destination or local wedding with Captured Soul Photography, you will receive a $100. voucher for use toward an *additional Captured Soul Service or Package Extra OR a $50. gift card for one of several popular stores/restaurants. (store/restaurant vouchers are still in the process of being chosen)
Please note that the thank-you gift is only valid for past and current booked wedding-clients of Captured Soul that have referred a couple who in turn purchases a wedding package for their 2010 (or later) event. Referral sources must be mentioned to Michelle by the couple booking prior to signing the contract. Vouchers are not transferable and referral gifts may be changed in the future without notice.
*(previously booked wedding packages excluded)


How do I decide which paper to use for each professional print/image that I order through my online professional printing gallery?
All images are also now available in "True Black and White", "Metallic", and "Museum Mount Canvas" printing as well as the traditional "Crystal Archive" luster, matte and gloss print through your professional online gallery.

• Metallic Prints are suggested for any high contrast or vibrantly coloured images. This paper uses a proprietary combination of film laminate layers that produce striking, three-dimensional, lasting images on an ultra-bright background. Its professional emulsion set provides extreme sharpness, brightness, and color saturation with an intense black density that increases its appeal. The proprietary laminate layers also increase the durability and tear resistance of the final print.

• True Black and White Prints are suggested for any image that has been processed in black and white format. True black and white prints are printed with Durst Theta silver halide printers and on Ilford professional Black and white paper that produces outstanding continuous tone black and white prints.

• Museum Mount Canvas Prints are a high end and beautifully crafted product that turns any photo into a stunning museum mount gallery wrap. Ready to hang with no frame needed. A realistic print reproduction holds detail remarkably well and the museum mount, black edge gives a deep standout effect.

• Traditional Crystal Archive Prints are traditional style prints that are produced in luster, matte or gloss finishes on Fuji Crystal archive paper with state of the art Fuji Frontier and Durst Theta printers. Fujicolor Crystal Archive Paper incorporates Fujifilm's latest coupler, base, and tone-control technologies, resulting in superb colors and pure whites together with exceptional color image stability.

Have a different question?
Feel free to call or Email me directly.

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