Good to Know

Your questions, answered

Bookings, timelines, pricing and delivery — the things couples ask most, answered honestly so you know exactly what to expect.

Wedding Photography — Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know before booking — from packages and what’s included, to what happens on the day and how we work with international couples.

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Booking & Availability

For popular Saturdays in spring and autumn, 12–18 months ahead is common. If your date is within 6 months, get in touch straight away — I do have gaps and it’s always worth asking. Elopements and weekday weddings are generally available with shorter notice.
A 20% deposit of your total package value, plus a signed contract, confirms your date. Nothing is held without a deposit — I don’t keep pencil bookings.
A 20% booking retainer of your package value, together with the signed agreement, secures your wedding date. If the wedding is cancelled at least six months before the wedding date, the retainer is refundable. Within six months of the wedding, it’s non-refundable.
If you need to postpone or move the wedding, speak to me as soon as possible — date changes are handled case by case and depend on availability and the circumstances. The final balance is due the day before the wedding.
I typically photograph one wedding per weekend to give every couple my full attention. I don’t double-book. Once your deposit is paid, that date is yours.

After a few hard lessons, I don’t hold dates without a deposit — I don’t own pencils. Once the booking deposit is in, the day is yours.

After more than 500 weddings, I’ve built a strong network of experienced professional photographers. In a genuine emergency where I physically couldn’t photograph your wedding, my priority would be to find an experienced replacement I trust and make the transition as smooth as possible. It’s extremely rare, but it’s something a professional wedding photographer should have a plan for.
Start with the photographs. If the work moves you, then look at the experience behind it: I’ve been photographing weddings professionally since 2004 and have photographed more than 500 weddings. Then meet me. Your photographer spends a surprising amount of time around you on your wedding day — you should trust their work, but you should also feel confident this is someone you want in the room when things are exciting, emotional or slightly chaotic. If the photographs, approach and personality all fit, we’re probably a very good match.

Packages & Pricing

Packages start at R18 000 and scale with the hours and coverage you choose — the full breakdown is on the pricing page. Send me your date, venue and times and I’ll come back with exact figures.

Every package includes: all usable images fully edited, high-resolution and social-sized JPGs delivered via Smash, a teaser set within 3 days of your wedding, your full gallery within 3 weeks, and a pre-wedding consultation call. No image cutoff, no upsell to unlock more photos.
A useful rule of thumb is approximately 100 finished photographs per hour of wedding coverage — a 6-hour wedding delivers around 600+, 9 hours around 900+, and 12 hours around 1,200+. I don’t impose an artificial image cutoff; if a photograph is useful, meets my quality standard and belongs in the story, I deliver it.
A second photographer can be useful when important parts of the wedding happen simultaneously, preparation happens at separate locations, or the scale and logistics genuinely benefit from broader coverage. Pricing depends on who’s available and is typically around R8,000. A second photographer is already included in the Bells & Whistles package — see Wedding Extras for details.
Yes. Drone coverage can be added to eligible wedding packages for R1,500, and it’s included free in the Bells & Whistles package. Flying is subject to weather, venue permission, airspace restrictions and safe/legal operating conditions, so a flight can never be guaranteed.
Yes — as a standalone session or as an optional add-on to your wedding package. It’s a great way to get comfortable in front of the camera before the wedding day, and you’ll have images to use for save-the-dates or social media.

Engagement shoots start from R4 500.

There isn’t much room to move — the rates are set so I can run a sustainable, long-term business, and they’re competitive for what you actually get. That said, weekday or off-peak dates can sometimes work out cheaper — it’s handled case by case, so just ask. If I’m out of your budget, I’m happy to point you to good photographers who’ll fit it.
For my standard wedding packages of 6 hours or longer, the first 200 km of round-trip travel is included. Travel beyond that is charged at R5/km. If the wedding requires flights, overnight accommodation or unusual travel arrangements — generally anywhere more than about 90 minutes’ drive from Cape Town — I’ll quote those costs clearly beforehand.
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On the Day

Around 45–60 minutes gives us plenty of room when the timeline allows it, but there’s no reason to turn your wedding into an endless photoshoot. If we have less time, we work efficiently — sometimes it makes sense to split the portraits, doing the main session earlier and stealing ten minutes later when the light is particularly good. We work this out during the pre-wedding consultation.
Very unlikely. During the ceremony I stay as invisible as possible and use lenses that let me shoot from a distance without disturbing anyone. Most couples tell me afterwards they forgot I was there.
We adapt. Sometimes we use a gap in the weather. Sometimes the couple portraits move later. Sometimes we photograph indoors. Sometimes we create our own light after dark. Rain doesn’t need to become a crisis, and it certainly doesn’t need to ruin your wedding. We look at the likely options beforehand, and if the weather changes the plan, we make another one.
We plan the important combinations before the wedding. On the day, I photograph them efficiently so you can get back to your guests rather than spending an hour organising people. A bridesmaid, best man or family member who knows the guests can be extremely useful for gathering people while I photograph the groups. The pre-wedding consultation is where we make sure the list is realistic.
Of course — I have no problem with guests taking photos. The only ask is that during posed or directed shots, they step back so we don’t end up with people looking in different directions. I’ll only mention it once and very politely.
Most of the time, I’m quietly watching what’s happening and photographing it without becoming part of the show. When something needs organising, I organise it. When the timeline needs steering, I step in. When everybody’s having fun and nothing needs me, I disappear back into the background. Couples have enough friends at their wedding — you’re hiring me to be the experienced professional who gets the photographs, helps the day run smoothly, and knows when to lead and when to get out of the way.
Both. I love beautiful natural light, particularly soft directional light, and I use it whenever it suits the photograph. But weddings don’t always happen in perfect light — I’m equally comfortable creating light when I need to, during dark receptions, difficult interiors, bad weather or after sunset. The technique isn’t the important part. The important part is that your photographs shouldn’t depend on the weather giving us perfect conditions.

Yes. Some people groan at the time, but they’re almost always the images that get enlarged and treasured later — and it only takes a few minutes.

Yes, please (and my second shooter, if there is one). The one thing that matters to me is eating at the same time as the two of you — not last. If I’m fed after everyone else, there’s a good chance I’ll be mid-bite when you open the dance floor, and I don’t want to miss that. A spot to sit, eat, and safely leave my gear is all I need.

Good chance I’ve already shot there — I’ve photographed most venues in the Western Cape. If you’d like me to scout it specially, there’s no fee within about 30 minutes’ drive; further out it’s a flat R650.

Your Gallery

You’ll receive a teaser set of 20–30 edited images within 3 days of your wedding. Your full edited gallery is delivered within 3 weeks via Smash — a download link accessible from anywhere in the world, in full resolution.
Via Smash — a download link you can access from anywhere in the world. High-resolution files for printing, and social-sized JPGs for sharing online. No physical disc, no postage costs.
Yes. All images are delivered in full resolution without watermarks. You’re free to print for personal use. For commercial use — such as a venue using your photos in their marketing — please contact me first.
I shoot in colour and convert selected images to black and white during editing based on what suits each photograph. You’ll receive a mix in your gallery.
Every image delivered has been individually edited for colour, exposure, and tone. I don’t batch-process and deliver. The editing style is true-to-life — enhancing the mood of what was actually there, not changing it.
You’re welcome to share your images freely with friends and family. If they’re going to be used for commercial purposes, please contact me first — depending on the situation. If it’s non-monetised use that credits or links back to my website, that’s usually fine. If it’s being used to generate money for a business, we’ll look at that case by case. I also keep the right to feature your wedding photos on my website and channels — tell me if there’s a genuine privacy reason not to, and I’ll happily accommodate you.

Yes, yes, and yes again. I keep multiple copies for at least three months after handover — after that, please keep your own backups of the gallery too.

I’m not interested in turning you into somebody else. I’ll photograph you carefully, use flattering light and direction, and naturally retouch photographs where appropriate. But the goal is still for you to look like you. Years from now, the value of the photograph isn’t that an editing tool made you three sizes smaller — it’s that it takes you back to a real moment in your life.
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International & Destination Clients

Same as local — just with a video consultation instead of in-person. Around 60% of my couples plan their Western Cape wedding from abroad. I’m used to remote planning, digital contracts, and WhatsApp communication across time zones. It works seamlessly.
For my standard wedding packages of 6 hours or longer, the first 200 km of round-trip travel is included. Travel beyond that is charged at R5/km. For destinations requiring flights, overnight accommodation or unusual travel arrangements, I provide a travel quote upfront as part of your package discussion — no surprises.
Absolutely — many overseas couples add an engagement session on the day they arrive in Cape Town. It’s a great way to get comfortable with me before the wedding day, and you’ll have images from your time in South Africa.
All packages are priced in ZAR (South African Rand). I’m happy to give you an approximate USD, GBP or EUR equivalent alongside the ZAR price to help with budgeting — exchange rates move, so the ZAR figure in your invoice is what’s final.
Yes. I’ve photographed weddings internationally. If you’re planning a wedding outside South Africa and want to discuss coverage, get in touch — we’ll work out what’s involved.
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Still got questions?

Let’s make sure you’re sorted

If something’s not covered here, just ask. After 500+ weddings I’ve heard every question — and I’ll make sure you feel completely at ease before the big day.