Frequently Asked Questions
I am based out of Ottawa, Canada, but frequently travel across Canada and around the world for wedding days.
Absolutely. Wherever your love brings you, I’ll be there. I’ve photographed weddings from Jamaica to Iceland to Barbados, all the way to Tuscany and Denmark. I’ve also captured weddings across Canada spanning from Vancouver Island to Cape Breton Island and everything in between. I’m no stranger to long road trips and airport layovers. Whether you live in a remote corner of Ontario or Timbuktu, I’ll hop over to wherever you are.
For weddings within the Ottawa area: I do not charge travel fees.
For weddings outside of Ottawa (but still within Ontario or Quebec): I simply charge the cost of driving (with the CRA kilometre rate) to wherever I’m going, as well as 2 nights accommodation if it’s further than 1.5 hours from Ottawa.
And for anything beyond those provincial boundaries: I charge the cost of a return flight, 3 nights accommodation, and 3 days of rental car.
People often don’t realize this until after they’re married. But your photographer is the one person you spend the most time with on your wedding day. So it’s pretty important you choose a photographer you trust. Someone who you can feel 100% comfortable with. The best way to figure out if we’re a great fit is to reach out to me. Write me an email, and let’s set up a time to chat. This can either be in person, or over video chat if I’m out of the country.
If you decide you want to book me as your wedding photographer, I’ll need two things.
- a $1000 non-refundable retainer
- a signed contract from you (more info on that below). And then: we celebrate!
From that point forward, I am with you every step of the way. I’ll offer my guidance and support in any way I can. I can help you find other vendors who will help bring your dream day to life. And I most definitely will get over-the-moon excited when you send me photos of your dress!! Why? Because that is the type of relationship I love having with my couples! The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can be friends!
First off, my pricing packages are not a “one-size-fits-all” solution. So I’d never want to turn away an incredible couple based on their budget. That’s why it’s so important for us to get in contact with one another. So I can listen to what you are actually looking for and suggest ways for us to move forward and work together! There’s a good chance we can find a solution that works for both of us, like reducing my coverage time or sending one of my team members instead. There are many ways we can work together that gives you the photos you want, and still allows me to pay my own bills and keep my small business afloat!
Bottom line: I truly love what I do and want to make it work with anyone who values what I have to offer. Or anyone who appreciates my time and effort. If that sounds like you, get in touch! Let’s just chat and see what we can make happen.
Most weddings I photograph do not require two photographers. I would recommend booking a second photographer for two reasons. First, if you have more than 150 guests. Or second: if you have a complicated schedule that requires photos being taken in more than one place at a time.
Since I know (from personal experience) just how hard it is to wait for photos, I work double time to get them to you ASAP. You can expect a highlight gallery within one week of your wedding, and the final gallery less than 2 months later. These will be delivered to you in high resolution via an online gallery, and you can share the link with your family and friends so they can view and download them all too. Easy peasy!
To book me as your wedding photographer and secure your date, there are two things I will need from you: a $1000 (non-refundable) retainer fee and a signed wedding contract. To keep things fair, I work on a first-come first-served basis. Once the contract is signed and the retainer fee is paid, the date is set and I’m all yours! Woo hoo!
The sooner the better (obviously). On average, I book around 15 months out, but never hesitate to get in touch and ask about my availability – even for last minute bookings. If your date is flexible, or you’re getting married on a non-Saturday, there’s a good chance we can make it work!
The retainer fee ($1000) is paid at the time of booking to reserve your date. The remaining balance is split into two equal payments: one 4 months before the wedding, and the other 1 month before. For payment methods, I accept credit cards, e-transfers, or direct deposit bank transfers.
I thought you’d never ask. Short answer: YES! I am a firm believer that wedding days are a team sport, and that every vendor involved contributes their own expertise while collaborating towards to our shared clients’ overall experience. As photography and videography often run with parallel objectives throughout a wedding day (and that is telling the story of your day) it is important they mesh well together. That being said, our Ottawa industry has some incredible videography talent and I’ve been lucky to work alongside some incredible companies. Here’s what a couple of them have to say:
“If you’re in search of a wedding photographer, I would highly recommend booking Lauren! She is so talented and such a wonderful human. I can’t wait to work with you again! See you soon :)”
– Jinbon Lau from Films by Jinbon
“Lauren is sunshine in human form: she’s warm, incredibly kind, and always makes you feel like the most important person in the room. As a wedding videographer, I instantly picked up on this energy during our first shoot together and have been a raving Lauren fan ever since! On wedding days, the relationship between a photographer and a videographer can make or break a client’s experience. The collaboration and communication skills required for this dynamic to be successful are rare and hard to come by. Having worked with Lauren and her associates several times now, I can say with complete confidence that she and her team are experts at working collaboratively with us videographers so that our shared clients receive photos and videos that they will absolutely love. Lauren is also fiercely passionate about creating an inclusive, safe space for all couples. As someone who also values this, I cannot put into words just how refreshing it is to see a fellow wedding vendor lead by example and intentionally create a business where people of all backgrounds feel welcome. Lauren pours her heart and soul into every project she takes on, and consistently delivers magazine-worthy photos to her clients. If her 60+ Google reviews are any indication, she is experienced, knowledgeable, and has crafted an out-of-this-world photography experience for her couples. Lauren has without a doubt earned her spot as a leader in Ottawa’s wedding industry, and I will always recommend her to my wedding videography clients!”
Hire. 👏 Professional. 👏 Vendors. 👏
You only get one shot at this. So you want to do it right! Hiring professionals who can manage themselves and the job they’ve been hired to do ensures you won’t have to worry about any of it. And I’m talking about people with real life, could-write-a-book-on-all-the-shit-they’ve-seen, professionals. If you need any help selecting reputable vendors who excel at their job, I’ve got one helluva list for you! You can check it out here.
Oh heck yeah! We already are boo.