FAQs

Once you have selected Green Tara Photography as your wedding photographer, we will sign a contract stating the specific terms of the agreement and your deposit will be due. We will have several discussions as the planning for your wedding progresses, covering themes, stylistic preferences, and the schedule for the day. Full payment is due one month before the wedding. The day of the ceremony, the schedule will depend on the choices you have made in advance.

What is a typical wedding-day photography schedule?

For a full day of shooting, photography usually starts as the Bride/Partner begins to dress. Bridal portraits are usually taken next, and shots with the bridesmaids. Tara will then head to the ceremony site where she will shoot location details, and Groom/2nd Partner portraits. As guests start to arrive she will document the arrivals and last minute preparations. Then she will cover the ceremony. Often couples have their formal portraiture done after the ceremony, this includes family shots, wedding party, and couples portraits. These can be done at the location of the ceremony or at another location. Tara will then move on to the reception site, shoot details, and finally the party! Disclaimer: Many couples do not follow this schedule, and we are happy to tailor the schedule to the unique details of your day.

What is the benefit of having digital negatives?

Since most photographers charge an arm and a leg for reprints, having control over your own wedding photos is central to not being ripped off. You can send your images away for reprints, special gift items (like calendars, notecards, and large canvas prints) or share them with family and friends.

Who will actually be taking photos at my wedding?

Tara Innes is the photographer for all Green Tara Photography weddings. You will never be saddled with a company replacement photographer.

Are you comfortable shooting a gay/lesbian/poly/queer ceremony?

Yes. Tara is happy to shoot any couple. LGBT ceremonies are often the most fun because they allow the couple to write their own rules! Tara and her partner had their ceremony in 2007, and understand the unique frustrations of trying to plan a queer wedding in a straight world.

Are there any additional costs?

If your wedding is outside of the Greater Washington, DC area, then you will need to cover Tara's travel expenses. Otherwise it's all included!

Where are you located?

We are located in Washington, DC.

Do you travel outside of the DC Area?

Yes, but we require that travel expenses be covered.

Why is wedding photography so expensive?

A variety of elements go into wedding photography pricing. While you may only see the photographer for eight hours of one day, plus a few meetings, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that needs to get done to ensure that your photos are of the best quality. You are not only paying for the photographer's time, skill, and equipment, but years of education and experience, the wear-and-tear on equipment, and overhead costs of running a small business, like a computer and sometimes support staff.

The answer that most people suspect, but rarely hear honestly, is that many photographers also add a fair helping of ego into their prices. In many ways, wedding photography prices exist as they are because "everybody else is doing it." A "budget photographer" is often assumed to be a poor photographer, and therefore if the local competition is shooting weddings at $4,000-$5,000 bucks a pop, other photographers will often raise their prices so as not to seem sub-par.

Green Tara Photography is committed to resisting this wedding-photography-price inflation. We gleefully flout the norm and offer you reasonably priced photography because we believe that customers know a good photograph when they see one regardless of the pricetag.

Many photographers also add on "reprinting" costs after the initial package cost. This means that many couples who have budgeted $1500 for a photography, and found a package that fits that budget, will often end up spending twice as much in order to get any actual copies of their pictures. Green Tara Photography charges no reprinting costs and gives full-res digital copies of all images to the couple.

Why should I have an engagement shoot?

If you would like photos of you and your fianci in advance of your wedding, or if you are interested in more casual couples portraiture, you might be interested in an engagement shoot. Photos from an engagement shoot can be used in your invitations, applied to decorative boxes, mugs, or lockets as a gift for your wedding party, or framed at the entrance of the wedding itself.

An engagement shoot also allows Tara to become familiar with you through the lens, and will facilitate a quick portrait shoot on the wedding day.

Can I provide you with a list of shots I would like?

Yes! We will discuss this while we are in the planning stages. You can also send Tara photos that you like so that she can fine-tune her awareness of your taste and preferences.