the answers to your most asked questions:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
BEFORE THE WEDDING
How far in advance should we book ?
A minumum of a month is required to book a wedding with Karimah Gheddai Photgraphy and Cinemtography however the ideal time to book would be 6-12 months in advance. Karimah would recommend booking as soon as you have your venue booked! Please note that my company operates on a first come first served basis and your date is ONLY booked once a contract has been signed and a retainer has been paid!
Can we meet with you before booking and or before our wedding day?
Yes! My first step with inquiries is to schedule an online meeting so we can discuss your wedding day, I can show you more of my portfolio and finally so we can see if we will be a good fit for each other. All my consultations currently take place virtually.
Should we have engagement photos taken? What about an announcement video?
While engagement photos and videos are not a necessity. I would recommend having some taken as this is a special moment in your life that you want to have memories of. It also gives us a chance to work together ahead of your wedding day! Engagement sessions with Karimah Gheddai Photography are often laid back and intended for the couple to have a bit of fun while expressing their love for one for another. With regards to an announcement video its a fun little addition that allows your family and friends to note down your wedding date!
We would like to keep our images private
An NDA for photography will incur a charge of $200 as it really affects our marketing. As a client you are able to decide on a wedding photographer by looking through their portfolio, and so you will surely understand the importance of a wedding photographer having current work to continuously showcase in order to stay competitive in today’s market.
We would like to keep our wedding film private
Please note that we are not currently NOT taking on any videography work that we are unable to share on our website or social media.
How much time should we allocate for the bride and groom portraits?
Speaking from experience. Karimah Gheddai photography would require a minimum of an hour for just the bride and groom portraits in order to ensure a smooth session. She would kindly request that you try to allocate this amount of time when planning your wedding day timeline. She would also suggest an additional 15 to 30 minutes for portraits that include the bridesmaids and groomsmen (depending on party size).
DURING THE WEDDING
My family can be a bit chaotic? How will you organize the family formals?
Karimah has a number of years of wedding photography experience under her belt and will do her best to ensure a smooth family and friends formal portrait session. She has no problem turning into the Grand Headmaster (lol) to get people in place if need be but is also very courteoues and does so in a kind spirited manner so as not to offend guests. Karimah encourages you to give her a family/ friends shot list before the wedding to ensure that important family members and friends are captured. Please note that though Karimah will do her best to capture formals she cannot be held responsible for the actions of uncooperative family members or guests who negatively impact the photos.
What will happen if we go over the contracted hours?
Karimah understands that wedding timelines do not always go as planned and sometimes things will run behind. A half hour before her contracted time is up she will ask you whether you would like to extend your hours or not. The rates will be charged by the closest 30 minute time periods.
AFTER THE WEDDING
When will we be receiving our photos and or video?
You will receive all your beautiful moments around 3-4 Months from your wedding date. Karimah will keep you up to date on the delivery schedule.
How many images will we be receiving?
This is very much dependant of the events of the day (i.e number of guests that attended, types of events happening during the wedding, etc) and the package chosen, but most wedding receive anywhere between 300-600 photos. 50-75 Photos per contracted hour is the minimum standard. Multiple day weddings or weddings with more than one photographer (if paid for by the client) will obviously receive more photos.
Can I get the RAW files from my wedding or engagement shoot?
Unfortunately Karimah Gheddai Photography does not under any circumstances release the RAW photo files (only high resolution JPEG images are given out) and this is standard industry practice. Asking a photographer for their RAW files is akin to asking a baker for the flour they used to make their cake lol.
I would like to have some albums made where can I find the pricing and information? Do i have to order an album before my wedding date?
Please see the ALBUMS link at the bottom of this page for information on album pricing. No you do not have to order an album before your wedding day. You can certainly order one afterwards.
What happens if we lose our wedding images because we did not backup the digital files?
After the files are received by the client there is no guarantee of how long the photographer will hold on to the images. Kindly note that if the photographer still has the images then there is a $100 retrieval fee that will be charged to the past client for the re-sending of images as this is quite a time consuming process. I always encourage clients to backup their files to multiple computers and hard drives because in the digital age, one cannot be trusting of using only one storage source. I also encourage clients to get their photos printed or to have albums made for this very reason.
OTHER QUESTIONS
What Forms of Payment do you Accept?
Karimah Gheddai Photography and Cinematography accepts cash or e-mail money transfers (Karimah Gheddai Photography does not currently accept cheques or credit cards)
Do you charge a travel fee?
I do not charge a travel fee for weddings taking place in the GTA area but I do charge a Travel Fee for weddings in Ontario that are outside of the G.TA. The fee for this is $0.80 per kilometre.
Do you travel Nationally or Internationally?
Yes I do! I love to travel and would be happy to discuss any destination wedding photography arrangements and specific pricing outside of my regular pricing.
We love your work but are on a tight budget. Can you offer us a discount?
The honest answer is NO. While I truly wish I could capture every client's wedding day and offer discounts to all the lovely couples I have had the pleasure of speaking with, I also have to consider the amount of work and time I put into each wedding (many times I am spending up to half my month (not including the wedding day working on your wedding photos which I edit myself). My pricing has been carefully crafted based on my experience, talent, time spent on your wedding photos, equipment and my ongoing business costs.
We love your work and are ready to book? What is the next step?
I am thrilled that you are choosing me to capture your special day!!! Please see the BOOKING page for the next steps to booking with me. I require a 25% retainer in order to hold your wedding date for you.