Wedding Photography FAQ

Before You Book

Got questions? Of course, you do – planning a wedding isn't easy after all. Here are roughly a million answers to questions that we’ve been asked over the years. Some are informative, some are silly and some still confuse us. If there's anything we've missed out, just ask.

why should we choose you?

If you want wedding photos that feel relaxed, real, and unforced, and experienced photographers who’ll blend in, have the craic, and deliver great images without the fuss.

How would you describe your photography?

Our couples most often describe our wedding photography as ‘natural’ and ‘relaxed’ and this is the biggest compliment you could give us. We like to avoid cringey photos where you and your friends and family feel (and therefore look) awkward.

The word natural extends to our editing style. We like our photos to appear like a cinematic version of real life. We don’t believe in things being too dark, desaturated or gloomy – a wedding is a celebration, so we want to reflect that.

We’re inspired by the look and feel of old 35mm film photographs – their warmth, brightness and softness. We tend to avoid gimmicks and trends as nothing will date your photographs as much as a trend does.

How do you pronounce your names?

We get this question at almost every wedding thanks to our weird names. Brideen is an Irish name. You pronounce it ‘Bree-dean’ or you can just call her ‘B’ for short.

Deci is short for Declan and is pronounced ‘Decky.’ Our Dublin grooms call him Decko and our English grooms call him Dec – coincidentally, his middle name is Anthony, making him both Ant and Dec. He despises this, so feel free to taunt him.

Can I see a portfolio or a couple of examples of complete albums to make sure I’m happy with your style?

Yes, of course. While we are very protective of our clients' privacy, some of our couples have very graciously given consent for us to show their full wedding galleries.

Are the photos on your website real couples or are they models?

We think this is a REALLY important question to ask your photographer. Many photographers (including us) attend wedding workshops with top professionals from around the globe. Some photographers do editorial or styled wedding shoots too. Both of these allow you to photograph models, dressed in wedding outfits, in cool locations with perfect weather and no time constraints.

The results of these shoots are often spectacular but we NEVER use them in our portfolio as we feel it’s misleading to potential clients.

EVERY wedding or elopement that you see on our website/social media is a real one, with a actual couples, taken with whatever timings, weather or locations we’ve been dealt. We do not post styled shoots nor editorial work in our portfolio. And if we do post it in our blog, we’ll make it really clear that it is not a real wedding.

Another photographer has won awards. Have you won any awards?

Not a single one. Nada. Zilch. But we don’t tend to enter our work into awards. With that being said, we do feature often in top wedding and photography blogs.

Pro Photo magazine has put us in their Top 50 UK Wedding Photographers list. And we were once in the final three for ‘Best Wedding Story in Europe’ at the prestigious ‘Way Up North’ awards in Cannes, France. The nomination was for telling the story of a wedding via photographs. We were competing not just against Irish photographers, but with the best wedding photographers in Europe.

Can we read reviews from other couples?

Yes - we’ve gathered lovely reviews from our couples over the years. You can read them here.

Where are you from?

We live in Newtownbreda in South Belfast. “Near the big Tesco” is how we’d describe it. We both grew up in west Tyrone and spend as much time as we can among the sheep of Donegal – we hide it well, but we’re cultchies.

Can our florist/stylist/hairdresser/venue use the photos on their Instagram?

They can, of course. All we ask in return is they give us a @simpletapestry image credit on social media and a link-back to our website if using it for their own promotion. We also link to suppliers when we share photos online.

Are you able to shoot our wedding in the style that we want?

If the style you want is our style, then YES, absolutely. We think it's essential that couples choose a photographer that suits their tastes and style. From looking through our galleries, Instagram and blog you can get a good sense of what our style is like and whether it matches yours. If you book us, we will assume that our style is what you want.

Do you take photos in black & white, colour, or both?

All our pictures are shot in RAW format which is colour by default. We then process them to get our unique Simple Tapestry look. Some photos will be processed in colour and others in black and white based on what we feel works best.

Do you work from a shot list?

While we will pre-plan formal family/friends shots on a list, we operate much better when not restricted to a general shot list. We find that time spent trying to tick off shots on a pre-prepared list could result in genuine, beautiful moments being missed. So, minute-by-minute shot lists aren't necessary and could actually be a hindrance to us. Remember, you're paying for our experience and ability – trust us.

Would you be able to accommodate any ideas we may have in mind?

Absolutely. We love input and ideas – a lot of our couples are creative, artistic people and often they have cool ideas. We just ask that you don’t ask us to plagiarise another photographer’s work.

How many pictures can we expect to get?

You can expect a minimum of 700 images for standard coverage, and 800 for extended coverage. In reality, most weddings end up with 900+.

Do you charge a flat fee or work by the hour?

We charge a flat fee. Sometimes a shorter wedding is more intensive work. We'll shoot as many photos as a longer wedding and spend just as long editing the wedding afterwards.

Have you Worked at our venue before?

We’ve photographed weddings at many venues across Northern Ireland, but even if yours is new to us, we’ll visit or research it in advance to understand the best light and locations. We often shoot in venues/countries that we’ve never visited before.

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD WE BOOK?

While we often have bookings 12-18 months in advance, we are finding people are more frequently booking us with just a few months notice. If we’re free and you want us, we can shoot a wedding at very short notice.

Do you charge for travel?

In the island of Ireland, travel within 2 hours of Belfast or Omagh is free. Beyond this we charge a set rate for travel/accommodation where necessary.

Do you PHOTOGRAPH CIVIL CEREMONIES AND SAME-SEX WEDDINGS?

Yes, of course! We’ve photographed weddings and civil partnerships for couples of all genders, faiths and backgrounds. Love is love.

Do you PHOTOGRAPH multicultural or mixed-tradition weddings?

Yes, and we love them. Every wedding has its own rhythm and rituals, and we’re always excited to photograph new traditions and celebrations.

Do you shoot destination weddings?

Yes, we've shot in nearly a dozen different countries. We love to travel and have a flat rate for destination weddings anywhere in Europe, so you don't have to worry about sorting out our flights and accommodation. We can provide custom quotes for destination weddings further afield.

Do you shoot elopements and small weddings?

Yes! We love small weddings and elopements - whether it’s a handful of guests or just the two of you, the storytelling stays the same. We’ve photographed everything from Belfast City Hall ceremonies to wild elopements on the Antrim coast.

CAN YOU RECommend other wedding suppliers?

Yes! From 15 years in the business we’ve worked with a wide array of fantastic suppliers and are always happy to recommend anything or anyone you might need.

Can we meet you before the wedding?

Yes, of course! If you’re in Belfast, we can grab a coffee or a pint! If you don't live in Ireland, you can get us on FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, Teams or Skype.

These days, most people opt for a video call as it’s easier to fit into their busy working lives.

(By the way, we lied with the ‘grab a coffee’ bit as neither of us drink coffee. We’d be ordering a cup of tea or a soft drink. We just thought coffee sounded cooler and more grown up.)

The Wedding Day

Can you cover both morning preparations?

We love capturing both morning preparations and try our best to do so. Sometimes this isn’t possible if you are getting ready far away from one another. To ensure we can cover both of your preparations, it's a good idea to get ready close to each other (approx within 10 mins drive), or even in the same location if possible.

We start coverage around 2 hours before your ceremony begins. We will discuss with you how we can best use the 2 hours pre-ceremony.

Can we split coverage over two days?

Yes, we can photograph multi-day celebrations. We can create a custom quote if you have events like a second ceremony, rehearsal dinner, or day-after party.

We don't see any formal family shots on your website. Do you take these?

Yes! We think these are super important and make sure to devote some time to take them. If there are any must-have group shots just let us know beforehand and we'll take them.

HOW LONG DO FAMILY SHOTS TAKE?

Our standard family shot list takes very little time. To make things go faster, make sure family members don’t disappear off and are ready to go when needed. Extra extended family shots, if requested, can also add a bit of time to family shots.

Are there any other group shots you’d recommend getting?

If you’ve got a large group of close friends, it’s often nice to grab them for an informal photograph. If you’re standing beside someone you’d like a photo with, just ask and we’ll grab it – that’s what we’re there to do.

Can you help us plan our timeline?

Definitely. We’ll work with you to plan the timings so you get great light, minimal stress, and plenty of time with guests. We’re always happy to give advice based on years of weddings across Northern Ireland.

Our ceremony is later in the day but we’re doing a first look and family pictures before. Is that a good idea?

In winter this is an absolutely great idea and gives us a fighting chance of getting some nice daylight photos. Even in summer, it means you get to spend more time with friends and family at your drinks reception.

What time do you start?

If you book prep coverage, we start a minimum of 2 hours before the ceremony. This gives us enough time to capture prep without showing up when you’re barely out of bed and trying to eat breakfast. Should you need us any earlier we can work out a custom quote. If you’ve booked coverage from ceremony only, we arrive at the venue 30 mins before your ceremony begins.

Do we have to feed you?

Not at all, we can fend for ourselves. But if your wedding isn't near anywhere we can buy some hot food, it's nice if we can get something to keep us going.

We would never expect a full wedding meal or to be seated with guests – so if you’re feeding us, bar food is absolutely perfect.

Will my wedding be the only one you are shooting on that particular day?

From morning till night, you’ll have our undivided attention.

What time should our ceremony be?

If you plan on doing all your photos between the ceremony and meal time, it’s good to find out the time your guests are called to dinner and work back. We recommend having 3 hours between the end of your ceremony and your meal calling time. This allows time for both photos and enjoying a drink with your guests. It also gives you leeway if the ceremony runs later than planned (as is regularly the case). Time is a luxury on a wedding day and it’s good to plan to have enough of it.

How will you be dressed?

We will be dressed smartly enough to not stick out, but comfortably enough to do our job. In winter, we will have to layer up more than the average guest as we spend a lot more time outside.

What happens if it rains?

We can still get awesome pictures! All you have to do is be a little brave. We're up for going out in the rain if you are.

If your day is a complete washout, you can book a post-wedding shoot which allows you to get dressed up again and have a fantastic portrait session in a location of your choice.

Can my guests take their own pictures?

We're cool with that. We just ask that during the ceremony that nobody jumps out in the aisle when you're arriving/leaving, and that no guests tag along when we're taking portraits. Other than that, they can fire away. We’ve lost count of the number of pics we’ve taken on people’s phones to help them get a good shot.

I hate having my photograph taken, can you take photos of us without us knowing?

Why on earth are you booking a photographer then? Only joking. We’ve actually written a blog post about this very subject.

We can think of very few people that would say they love having their photo taken. While we try to make the process as enjoyable as possible, it does require a bit of work from you as well. You will know that we're there, but we'll try to make it fun. Our couples often comment on how much they enjoyed their portrait session.

Can we have a picture with our dog?

Of course you can! We love a wee doggy pic.

Can we bring my horse?

Definitely. You can bring a whole menagerie of animals!

We’re planning on doing a Céilí/fireworks/sparklers after the first dance. Can you stay for this?

If immediately after the first dance, yes. If it’s later on in the night we may have to charge extra. Remember that in Summer it’s often too bright for sparkler shots until 10 or 11pm.

Our wedding is in December. We're thinking of having the ceremony at 3.30pm. Is that mad?

If you want portraits like you’ve seen on our website, yes, it's utterly mad. Stark raving bonkers, in fact.

When you're planning your ceremony time in winter, take into account sunset and travel times. For most of December and January in Ireland, we start to lose usable light around 2.30–3pm. Midday ceremonies are a good idea, as is keeping travel to a minimum. Alternatively, arrange to have your photos at Midday and then have your ceremony afterwards.

Do you charge overtime fees if things run a little late?

No. Our coverage is either up until the first course of your meal is served, or the evening entertainment begins. If you're not having evening entertainment, we can make a custom arrangement.

Should you want extra coverage outside of this, we can provide a custom quote.

After the Wedding

How soon after the wedding will photos be available?

Within a few days of your wedding, we send you a gallery of some of the highlights of your day, optimised for sharing online. We aim to deliver your full gallery within 4 weeks of your wedding, but depending on the time of year it can be much sooner. In the off-season we will usually deliver your photographs within 2 weeks.

We do offer an express service where you can bump the queue and have your photos within one working week of the wedding – this is especially good if you’ve eloped and are eager to share with your family.

Do the final photographs have watermarks?

Definitely not. You get all your photos ready to print without watermarks. We also provide web-optimised versions… y’know, for the ‘gram.

Do you deliver the photos on DVD/USB?

Based on feedback from our couples, and as a way of reducing our carbon footprint, we phased out all physical media some time ago. Instead, you will be able to download all of the images right from your gallery in print resolution as well as web-optimised versions for sharing online.

You photographed our wedding 6 years ago but we lost the USB. Do you still have a copy of our photos?

We guarantee to hold your images for 1 year, so we urge you to back them up several times online and offline in a safe place (and print them). We try to keep copies indefinitely but cannot guarantee they will be stored forever.

After the first year, you can subscribe to have your gallery kept online as long as you’d like!

Can we have all the unedited RAW-format files that you take?

I’m afraid this is an absolute, written-in-bold-capital-lettered NO. We edit and deliver all the usable, good images that we take. The rejected images include those particularly unflattering to you or your guests, or where focus has been missed. We permanently delete them after your wedding has been delivered.

Trust us, you DO NOT want to see those images. Curation is a massively important part of our job.

Can we share the pictures online?

Yes, absolutely! We only ask two things:

1. Give a little link-back or credit so people can find us, and

2. Please, please, please, for the love of all things good and holy, don't put crazy filters over them! We spend a lot of time perfecting our edits and hope you like them as they are.

Can we get enlargements done?

Yes! You can wallpaper your house with the photos if you like! We love to hear that our couples are printing their pictures. We offer professional enlargements and prints, or you can get them printed yourself. Just make sure you use the full-resolution images for this and not the web version or it’ll look like a screenshot from Minecraft.

Can you provide albums?

Yes! Brideen designs all of our albums before having them printed with the best fine-art wedding album suppliers.

Can you post albums outside of the UK?

We can and do, but you’ll have to pay any customs/import fees that may be charged by your country. Since Brexit, this includes the Republic of Ireland as our album supplier is based in Great Britain.

We’d Like to keep our pictures private. Can you keep them offline?

As well as allowing an opt-out in our contract, we always double check after the wedding before posting any of your photos on social media or our blog. Never be afraid to tell your photographer (and, in fact, all your wedding suppliers) that you don’t want your wedding shared online.

Will you use my photos for advertising?

We generally only use photos on our website (blog/portfolio) or social media accounts. Should we want to use your photographs for external advertising, we make sure to ask you first.

Is there an online gallery?

Yes, we pay to have your gallery hosted online for a year after your wedding. It's password protected and private. You can share this with friends and family as well as download pictures and order prints.

Payments, BOOKING, Contracts & Boring (But Important) Stuff

How DO WE SECURE OUR DATE?

Once you’ve confirmed we’re available, we’ll send a short contract and booking form. A £400 booking fee secures your date and we’re officially yours.

When is the final balance due?

We require full payment on or before the wedding day.

Can we pay the final balance when we get the photos?

We understand that tabloids love publishing horror stories of photographers running off with money and not delivering photos, but we must insist on payment before working.

When you book us, you’re getting our cast-iron reputation having worked almost 15 years at the top of the wedding industry. We are not con-artists hoping to make a quick buck – maintaining our reputation for high-quality photos delivered quickly to deliriously happy couples is of the greatest importance to us.

In the unlikely (in fact, near impossible) event that we fail to deliver your photographs, you will have a signed contract that entitles you to seek ALL of your money back.

Do you have public liability insurance and indemnity?

Yes, we're fully insured.

Do you provide a written contract?

Yes, we only confirm bookings upon receipt of a contract. This is for your protection as much as ours.

What happens if you are unwell and unable to make it on the day?

We take your wedding very seriously and have, to date, never cancelled on a couple. We have a great relationship with many superb wedding photographers across Ireland who can cover us in the highly unlikely event that we are both forced to cancel. We will ensure that you have someone to cover your day to our high standards and at the same price.

Are you GDPR compliant?

Yes! We take every step to both respect your privacy and protect your data. We never share your information with third parties. We also never share your photos with other vendors without your consent.

Can you hold dates?

We operate on a first-come, first-served basis and while we have some leeway, I'm afraid we cannot hold dates for long.

What information do you need before the wedding?

We send you a short questionnaire to fill in about a month before the wedding. This will give us timings, people's names and all the addresses we need.

What is the cancellation/postponement policy?

Should you wish to reschedule your wedding, the booking fee is transferable to the new date if we are available. In the event of complete cancellation, you forfeit your booking fee.

Is there a chance prices can increase after we book?

We raise prices when necessary due to inflation and increased running costs of our business. However, once you’ve confirmed your booking, that price is locked into a contract and will not increase. If you change your booking or add anything on, we will honour the original add-on prices you were quoted.

My wedding is midweek, can you offer us a discount?

We only shoot a limited number of weddings per year and give the same care, attention and effort to each one, regardless of the day it is on.

For us, weddings on Wednesdays are the same work as weddings on a Saturday, so it wouldn't be fair that we charge a premium to our weekend couples.

Technical Geekery

What equipment do you use?

We shoot with Sony mirrorless bodies and a mix of professional lenses. We used to have a DJI drone, but it now lives underwater in the lake at Finnebrogue Woods.

We have loads of studio lighting and flashes for when the sun goes away.

What happens if your EQUIPMENT breaks on the day?

We will have a minimum of 4 cameras and 10 lenses, along with multiple flashes and memory cards. All of our cameras are regularly cleaned and serviced to ensure they're in great working order. If something breaks, it’s unlikely to affect our ability to do the job.

Do you Photoshop or retouch the images?

Yes, we do colour correction and any obvious fixes without charge before delivering your gallery. Retouching is very time-consuming, so if you require any extra Photoshop work we can provide a quote for that.

Do you use AI?

We’re all for tech that makes life easier and we know that loads of other photographers are using AI to edit their photos now, but apart from a bit of Photoshop work, we’re really not convinced so far.

We’ve tried a few different companies and each time the results weren’t up to our standard, so for now we’ll stick to our tried and trusted method of manually editing each image. It takes us significantly more time, but the results are worth it.

In terms of blog posts, we NEVER use AI. Honestly, we think the very idea of AI articles is really, really grim. Humans FTW.

Random Stuff We’ve Been Asked

What happens if you die?

We apologise in advance for our deaths. Unfortunately, in the event of our untimely demise, you will be forced to find replacement photographers yourselves. Please feel free to harass our grieving relatives though, as that would be funny.

My sister's wedding photographer was a complete asshole. Are you assholes?

No. We are not assholes. We’re a delight.

What is your favourite country to photograph in?

Ireland. We really live on a beautiful island with great people in it. We also loved the vast wildness of Iceland – it’s pretty much Donegal on steroids. And those golden hour moments in Spain and Italy are incomparable to anything we ever see at home. Is that a cop-out answer? Yeah… it is a bit.

Are those real axes in that picture?

Yes. They're very real.

Can you add any special effects to the photographs?

We actually have no idea what this means. So that’s perhaps a no.

Who are your favourite wedding photographers?

We try not to look at other wedding photographers too much. Most of our inspiration comes from movies, TV and other types of photography.

With that being said, our Mexican amigo, Fer Juaristi, continually blows our minds with his wedding photography.

What’s your favourite movie?

Brideen loves indie flicks like Lost in Translation and Little Miss Sunshine or 80s throwbacks like Gremlins and Karate Kid. Deci watches The Big Lebowski at least once a year and his tastes range from arty-farty indie movies to the biggest, brainless sci-fi blockbusters.

What’s your favourite music?

Music is everything! Our music tastes are quite wide and varied. We obsess over The National, Sufjan, Beirut, Bon Iver, Bowie and nu-gaze stuff like M83, Ólafur Arnalds and Sigur Rós, but have moments when all we want to hear is a bit of ABBA or some 80s power ballads.

Deci is a composer and makes indie music in his spare time under the name LMINL. You can listen to it here.

Have We Missed Something?

If we’ve somehow missed your burning question, get in touch – we’ll answer anything (within reason, and occasionally with sarcasm).