FAQ

Wedding

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

1. We have reviewed your web site and love your portfolio. Is a consultation required to book with your studio? Do I have to come in and meet with your photographer?

Absolutely not required. We do not require a consultation with the bride and groom. We often simply communicate via email or phone with our clients. In this modern high tech world many of our clients noted that they prefer simply to talk over the phone or in email to answer their questions. Not a problem. We can even email you screen shots of the a sample wedding album so you can see a preview of the finished product. Approximately half of our brides and grooms we didn’t meet until the day of the wedding! We pride ourselves on being professional and courteous; you get a sense for our photography style and interpersonal style from our web site, our blog, and our emails. Of course, if you do want to meet with a photographer in person, please just let us know and we can arrange a time. 

2. We have reviewed your photos and want to meet with a photographer for a consultation. How do I set up a consultation?

Please discuss with your partner or fiancée and find a time that works best for your schedule. Or if you will come in alone, pick a time where you can set aside around 30 minutes. Send us an email with a few days and times that you are available. We will do our best to accommodate those times. Remember that we specialize in wedding photography, pet photography and family portraits, which means we are often commissioned for assignments and need a few days notice. We will do what we can to meet with you when convenient.

3. Who will be our photographer?

Because we are a small studio, we employ two very talented photographers. One is a lead photographer who specializes in capturing all of your “must have” images and one who specializes in photojournalism. Our lead photographer is the person who created the photography artwork through the web site. We do not outsource our art work or hire unknown photographers. We have deliberately decided to remain as a small photography boutique and feel that outsourcing and hiring on additional staff would take away from the interpersonal experience we currently provide to our clients. By stating small, we are able to provide high quality and personalized photography to every wedding client (from Illinois and up through Wisconsin).

4. Why would I want a second photographer?

Though talented and skilled as a photographer, our lead can only be in one place at one time. Thus, a second photographer allows our lead to concentrate on the critical special moments and must have images, while our second (photojournalistic) photographer can capture the emotions happening away from the action. Samples of a photojournalistic image are photos of dad crying while he gives his daughter to his son in law, mom and dad holding hands during the ceremony, the bride and groom walking down the isle, and children playing while the adults pose for a portrait. Having a second photographer allows you twice the chance of capturing your special day – some images posed and traditional and some images artistic and creative. Both photographers are trained in both styles.

5. We do not live in Lake County but want to commission Plum Tree Studio as our photographer. Is this an option for me? How far will you travel? What is the cost?

Yes of course! We will travel anywhere within Illinois and Wisconsin, within a 75 mile radius of zip codes 60060, 60048 and 53126. The standard mileage cost if $.52 per mile from the studio and back to the studio. There is no hourly fee for travel times, only mileage.

6. Do you do weddings in Chicago? Do you also cover weddings in Milwaukee?

Yes and yes. We have a studio in Mundelein Illinois (near Libertyville Illinois) and in Franksville Wisconsin (near Racine Wisconsin). You pay for the mileage from either location, whichever is closer to you. This means if you live in Chicago you pay for mileage from lake county and if you live in Milwaukee then you pay for mileage from Racine County.

7. We’ve decided we want to book with Plum Tree Studio. Now what?

Great! Please let us take a moment to celebrate. Hurray. Super. Ok… once you decide you want Plum Tree Studio as your photography studio on your wedding day, you can relax. Please send us an email confirming your decision. We will then email you a contract and pose list. You will need to print, complete and sign the contract and return to us, along with the retainer, via snail mail. The pose list you can return to us in snail mail at a future date or you can return to us along with the contract.

8. What is your down payment requirement?

We require a $300 retainer fee at the time that the contract is signed. You mail us a check for the $300 along with your signed contract and we reserve the date on our schedule. Going forward we turn away any clients for that date.

9. What are your payment methods? Do you accept credit cards?

We accept cash, paypal, check or money order. By using credit cards we would be required to increase our prices to our customers. We made the business decision to make our art affordable.

10. What happens after the wedding? When do we get to see the image?

After your wedding, our photography team downloads and edits your images. Then your photos get uploaded and you receive an email with a link to the photos. Because we edit our images client by client in the order in which we capture the images, this process can take up to a month (during the busy season). Our average turnaround time is approximately three weeks.

11. Do I get all of the images on a cd? 

Yes, this is an option. You can chose to purchase the cd of images for the A Le Carte fee listed on our pricing sheet. With this option you receive all of the images in full size along with the rights for personal use. Your DVD comes delivered to your home in about 8 weeks, fully edited. You also receive a hard plastic case, label and insert to preserve your cherished memories. In addition, we back up your images and keep two copies at our studio for up to one year after your wedding date.

12. Do I get to chose the images in my wedding album?

Yes of course. After we post the images online, you email us the name and number of your favorite 50 to 60 images. We then design your book and send you a final email jpg of the book for any last minute changes. Then we order the book and send it to your home. Easy!

13. Do I have to come into the studio to view the proofs?

Not necessary. Because we are a digital studio, everything is online! You can come into the studio for a viewing, however most of our clients chose to simply view online and email us their choices. The easier it is for you, the more time you can spend enjoying your new life together!

14. What do you mean by wedding album and coffee table book? Do you mean the photos inserts or is it an actual book?

This is an actual book hard cover book. It is printed through a reputable and highly rated book publisher. It is hard bound like a regular printed book and can come with a slip cover and photo bound onto the front page. We can send you sample jpgs if you are interested to view.