FAQ
a handful (or 20) of my most frequently asked questions; don’t hesitate to reach out if yours isn’t listed.
booking details
This might actually be your first rodeo, so there are probably a few questions about the whole booking process.
I offer full day photography, meaning there’s no time limit on the day to worry about or coordinate around (yes, really) so however long you need me on the day, I can be there. 🙂
Full Wedding Day, includes engagement session + 2nd photographer : $8200
Full Wedding Day, no add-ons : $5950
Intimate + Micro Weddings : $3500
Elopements : $2100
a la carte portraits : $1800
Each wedding includes full day photography coverage with Caitlin; your professionally edited high-res images to download, share, or print; preview images within 2 weeks; and film photos (10-20% of your gallery) throughout the day. You can add on extras (engagement session, second photographer, Super 8, welcome parties, city hall ceremonies, etc) if needed.
There’s no travel fee for weddings within ~60 miles of Prospect Park in Brooklyn (Beacon is usually my Upstate anchor point) locations beyond that will likely include a travel fee of $250+. Weddings requiring flights or 5+ hours driving from Brooklyn, NY will likely include a travel fee of $1-2k.
In order to secure your date, a signed contract and non-refundable 25% retainer will be required with the remaining balance due one month prior to the wedding day. Flexible payment plans are available, just ask.
I open my calendar ~24 months in advance and popular dates (May, June, Sept, Oct) are often booked 8-15 months ahead of time, but I’m always happy to hop on a date if I’m available on short notice. Elopements or more intimate ceremonies are often booked within a few weeks or months of the date and may take place on a weekend or weekday, which allows for greater schedule flexibility on my end.
To make sure I best serve my couples and attempt a work-life balance I typically only book 1 wedding per weekend (F-Su). During the busy season (Apr-Oct), weekends are generally reserved for Full Day Weddings unless the date is less than 3 months away. I do not currently work with Associates and personally photograph all weddings I book.
Absolutely! I would be concerned if you didn’t want to see a full day from start to finish before booking. I include several full wedding day galleries + their vendor details within my pricing guide — send an inquiry and you’ll receive immediate access to these.
So, soooo many. No two weddings are totally the same so it varies based on all of the unique factors that go into your day, but I send A LOT of images.
I deliver a minimum of 100 professionally edited and curated images per hour of photo coverage, or close to 150 per hour when I bring along a second photographer. However, I often deliver close to twice that amount since I take a lot of photos and prefer to give you plenty of alts to choose from.
I meticulously pore over every photo I deliver and organize them into chronological folders from the day (ex: getting ready, first look + portraits, family photos, ceremony, etc) within your digital gallery, which is available online for 1 year for easy sharing, printing, and downloading.
Within two weeks of your wedding you can expect to receive a hefty selection of previews (usually 50+ images) sent via my online gallery system. The full gallery of your carefully curated and hand-edited images will be delivered with personal printing and sharing rights via my online gallery system 4-12 weeks after your wedding date. The exact timing of when you’ll receive your images depends on how many hours were photographed and the time of year; late summer through autumn is my busiest season and take longer to deliver.
The full gallery will be available for you to download the hi-res images (USB drives are available to order in the gallery), share with your guests and other vendors, or for print ordering for one year, after which point I safely archive it on my end.
When you receive your images, you — as well as any friends and family you grant access to — will be able to order prints, cards, calendars, albums, or frames. You can also download your images to order prints elsewhere. I recommend Minted, Artifact Uprising, and Mpix for ordering prints; from experience, budget printers (ie. Snapfish, Shutterfly) do not always deliver the best quality when working with hi-resolution professional images. If you’re curious about a printer’s quality, don’t hesitate to ask me about them! If they’re new to me I may be able to order a test print from them before you place your order.
Since my specific editing is such a vital part of my style and service, I do not offer unedited or RAW images.
Since I offer consecutive full day wedding coverage, this means you won’t have to decide between having one thing photographed over the other, and 99% of the time I can stay later if it’s needed. I’ll be able to help you or your planner figure out when photography starts and ends once we starting chatting about the logistics of the day.
As for a second photographer, I’m wholly capable of and thoroughly enjoy photographing a wedding solo, but since my first wedding in 2012 I’ve learned that sometimes it’s best to have a second talented set of eyes, ears, and lenses along. If the details and decorations are especially important to you, your guest list includes more than 120+ of your people, your venue is a sprawling estate or across multiple floors or locations, we’ll want to discuss including one of my talented seconds. I have an amazing go-to second photographer I work with for most weddings, but have a few trusted backups if she’s unavailable.
For smaller, more intimate weddings and elopements (~50 guests or less, if any, in attendance) I strongly prefer to photograph these solo as I feel too many cameras clicking away can be distracting in smaller groups.
My goal is to always be as flexible as possible and after cancelling my own wedding years ago, I understand how sensitive and complicated planning a wedding can be.
My contract goes into full detail about my reschedule and cancellation policies, but there may be some flexibility if you need to reschedule and I’m available for your new date. The 25% retainer is non-refundable, as it blocks your date on my calendar and keeps other couples from booking it, but I may be able to apply your retainer towards your new date if I’m able to rebook your original date.
As with all things, communication is key when dealing with potential schedule changes so let me know as soon as possible and keep me up to date often when you’re considering a date change or cancellation.
As for weather-related scheduling, I embrace the elements and love the drama it can create. For portrait or engagement sessions we can schedule a “rain or sick day” on the calendar as a backup. If the forecast suggests rain on a wedding day I’ll bring along protection for my gear and clear umbrellas for you, but if you’re up for it I’m always game to brave the elements to create dramatic photos with you.
If you don’t want to go outside because of the weather, we can always plan for an indoor location or discuss rescheduling.
If our health or safety is on the line (including but not limited to: fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, flooding, hurricanes, extreme heat or cold, snow or ice storms) we can adjust plans accordingly.
Visit my contact page to see if I have your date available and send a message through the form. You’ll immediately receive an automated email with a link to my detailed pricing guide, then I’ll follow up personally within a day or two to confirm my availability and to set up a time for a video chat.
When you’re ready to book I’ll send over a contract and invoice for the non-refundable 25% retainer to secure your date!
Most of my wedding dates are booked 8-16 months ahead of time, but I’ve been known to jump on a wedding with 2 weeks’ notice if I’m available.
Elopements or super intimate ceremonies are often booked within a few weeks or months of the date, and can take place on a weekend or weekday which allows for greater schedule flexibility on my end.
about caitlin
I spent maaany many many afternoons as a kid digging through boxes of photos and film that my grandpa created of my mom’s childhood, listening intently as he and my grandma would reminisce. Hours disappeared as I clicked through slides of family picnics and weekends at the cabin that he crafted from film to projection in his basement darkroom.
He introduced me to documentary photography and how it made me feel: as if I’d been there, witnessing the life of those I love. I like to think he passed along his passion to me and I’m living out both of our dreams.
In 2011 I took a few film classes to learn the history of and science behind creating an image. I spent evenings and weekends in my early 20’s photographing musicians at gigs in dark bars throughout the midwest with my original photography dreams living within the pages of Rolling Stone, and quit school when weddings came knocking.
In late 2025 my grandmother died after battling Alzheimers and breast cancer. I visited with her shortly before her death and was determined to have one last “let’s go through all the family photos!” day with her. I spent a full afternoon clicking through old slides with my aunts and uncles gathered around her hospital bed, and (as cheesy as this may sound) I witnessed the healing power of photography. For the first time in years my old grandmother was back. She stayed awake the whole time, perking up when one of her children started to tell a story sparked by whatever photo was projected on the wall. She kept telling us who she was seeing in the photos, she lit up seeing her younger brothers and my grandpa from 70 years earlier, and she helped us differentiate between all of her babies who could have passed for twins to anyone else. I’ll cherish that day forever, and this is why I do what I do.
My first wedding was in July 2012, the groom was a musician friend who I met at a festival in Illinois. Aware of the hiiigh pressure of a wedding day and worried of failure, I repeatedly refused (like, at least 3 times) the offer to fly to the beautiful hills of western New York to photograph his bohemian, barefoot, lakeside ceremony under a willow tree. (Modern day Me to 2012 Me: Dream wedding! Say yes, you fool!)
After some friendly badgering, he was able to convince me that the wedding would be a lot of fun (um, they literally skydived into the reception) and easy* so I said yes and am grateful every. single. day. that I did.
*After flying in very late the night before (I no longer arrive less than 24 hours before the ceremony time if a flight is involved) I woke up the next day with a 102° fever but, in a pre-Covid world, photographed everything anyway.
I lean into a documentary and candid photography style with light + natural direction sprinkled in throughout the day when needed (specifically during family photos + a liiiittle bit during portraits of you and your partner). I prefer to melt into the background and tell the real-life story of this day you two celebrated becoming a family; no gimmicky cookie cutter poses or creating moments that didn’t occur organically, allowing you and your favorite people to be the focus.
If you’re looking for a tour guide-type photographer to dictate and direct every little pose, working from a lengthy and meticulous shot list of moments to replicate, and spending more than an hour on dozens of formal group photos, I’m not it. And that’s okay! It’s important to me that you work with a photographer you feel connected to, because these photos are what you’ll look back on once all of the memories have faded and become a little soft around the edges.
My favorite weddings are the ones where I feel like an old friend at the end of the day; exhausted from laughing with your sister, making silly faces across the dance floor at your nephew, and crafting inside jokes with your mom during family photos. The weddings where I’ve felt more like a friend and less like a vendor have allowed me to really connect and care about the people I’m photographing all day.
I love feeling like a trusted friend who just so happened to drag a couple of cameras to your wedding. I’ll do my thing with the lenses and the light, you do your thing and fully experience this day with your family and friends.
I love so many parts of the day for so many reasons: the way your mom’s nose starts to wrinkle as she’s caught off guard by the feels, seeing the little details you’ve chosen to decorate yourself with, the moment right after you kiss during the ceremony and realize, “OH SHIT WE DID IT!”
But my absoluuuute favorite part of the day, once all of the schedules have fallen aside and the formality of the day starts to fade, is when everyone starts to party. The nervous energy has morphed into pure celebration — often aided by some alcohol — and connections are pinging across the room. Your high school friend and cousin realize they were in the same kindergarten class, your dad sees his brother for the first time since last Christmas, and your best man is spinning your aunt in circles on the dance floor while you and your siblings take a shot at the bar. If the DJ plays one of the holy grail Whitney, ABBA, or Robyn songs, I’ll race to the dance floor to join in.
This day, which is so often considered a stressful and formal event and took so many hours of prep and planning, has come to life and is suddenly a once-in-a-lifetime party with all of your favorite people. They’re all here for you, and your love, and to celebrate it all.
I’ve been a Canon photographer from the beginning but after spending a few years in the Fuji camp I’ve recently combined the best of both worlds in a kit that’s filled with both. I’ll arrive to your wedding equipped multiple Canon digital cameras with dual memory card slots, many many batteries and memory cards, and crisp, professional lenses.
For film cameras, I currently carry a Canon EOS 3, a few 645 Fuji’s, a Bronica 645, a Holga, and an assortment of 35mm point + shoots. Throughout the day I average 5-12 rolls of film (1-2 rolls per hour of photography or 10-20% of your gallery) and up to twice that when I bring a second photographer who also shoots film (as I prefer mine do).
I keep all memory cards from the day on my body until I’m able to back them up to my computer, multiple SSDs, and the cloud the night of your wedding. I have liability insurance and can provide a COI if your venue requests it.
the process
9 out of 10 of my couples have told me they’re awkward or uncomfortable being photographed. Me, too! Anytime I’m photographed my brain suddenly goes blank, I don’t know how to stand like a human, and my face does something weird. I also get nervous before every shoot and wedding, so I make sure we work in a relaxed, fun, and chill manner. I’m pretty empathetic (my Enneagram and MBTI back me up on this) and can adjust the way I work depending on how comfortable someone appears in front of my camera during our time together.
At the end of the day I want us to have fun and my goal is always to bring your focus back to one another, so any direction I offer during portraits (be it a portrait session or periodically throughout a wedding day) will be in service of that.
Alsooo, I’m not above all of us taking a shot to loosen up, if you want to. 🙂
Cue Spiderman: with great power comes great responsibility.
This is exactly how I feel about Photoshop and editing, too. As someone who has struggled with disordered eating and self esteem over the years, I can admit that it’s suuuper tempting to just run tweak a photo of myself to make it look “perfect”. But this is also incredibly damaging to myself and those who see these photos because I’m just contributing to unrealistic beauty standards.
This goes hand in hand with how I approach a wedding day: I want it to be a realistic representation of what happened on the day rather than a trendy or manipulated creation of what I think it should be. I may clean up a few distracting elements for the sake of composition, accuracy, and general tidying of the image (ex: toning down or removing a super distracting neon Exit sign, stress acne that showed up the day before the wedding, or swapping a blinking grandma in a family photo with one where her eyes are open) but would rather not digitally manipulate someone’s natural appearance.
However, you’re also able to request additional editing (head swaps or removal of people in group portraits, smoothing lines or bulges due to wardrobe; scars; etc) for a fee (usually $25 per image, depending on what you want done) after I’ve delivered your gallery.
I’ll leave you with this Tina Fey quote about Photoshop which resonates with how I approach things:
“Feminists do the best Photoshop because they leave the meat on your bones. They don’t change your size or skin color. They leave in your disgusting knuckles, but they may take out some armpit stubble. Not because they’re denying its existence, but because they understand that it’s okay to make a photo look as if you were caught on your best day in the best light.”
I’ve photographed weddings while battling the flu, heartbreak, pneumonia, my own cancelled wedding, no voice, the worst cramps imaginable, seasonal allergies, a really bad haircut, food poisoning, and migraines. I don’t believe in pulling a sick day for weddings and haven’t yet, but should the fates have other plans *knock on wood* I would reach into my vast network of talented wedding photographers to help find a replacement.
I’m flexible and always open to discussing options: I can find a comparable photographer to send in my place; we can discuss a pro-rated refund if you would prefer to find someone; or if my second photographer is already scheduled to be there they can step up in my place and we’ll then find a new second photographer.
Many of my weddings since 2012 have required travel and have taken me from New York City to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. As of 2022 I’m based out of NYC and gained two feline family members (you may already be familiar with Miso + Tuna if you follow me on Instagram) so I’m a little more picky about spending too much time away from my home and cats.
For weddings more than 60 miles from where I live near Prospect Park in Brooklyn, I may stay near your venue for 1-2 nights (depending on the schedule and other logistics) which might include a travel fee, typically $250-900. For weddings Upstate, Beacon is usually my mark; weddings beyond that will almost definitely require a travel fee.
Weddings or sessions that require a flight or 5+ hours driving from NYC will more often than not include a flat $1k-2k travel fee I add to the total package (for a minimum of 2 nights away from home and flights, lodging, rental car/Uber/public transit) but this is dependent on the exact schedule of events, location, and time of year. I’ll include a quick travel quote when you reach out which is finalized before booking.
When my travel plans require flying for a wedding I arrive no later than 24 hours before to avoid any travel delays. The day before the wedding is often spent combating any jet lag, location scouting, and general gear prep. I try to lay low the day before to preserve my energy for the wedding day, but am usually available to document your rehearsal dinner, portraits, or other wedding-related event if it’s planned for it ahead of time.
It’s my experience, both personal and otherwise, that we all have a specific idea of what makes us look our best that others may not agree with. Any given photo of me, with all of my self-perceived flaws that society insists I should be ashamed of, may be my mom’s favorite image of me or one that I find comfort in 10 years from now. On the flip side, my mom grew up avoiding my grandpa’s camera because she was self conscious, and I always wish there were more photos of her at my age.
The same goes for you: an image in which you have your head thrown back, neck ever so slightly wrinkled, a hint of a double chin, totally lost in the moment and full of unbridled joy and laughter, may be one that your partner loooves because you look so happy and carefree, whereas you cringe because you feel it’s an unflattering reflection of yourself. Who’s right?!
Because of this dichotomy of opinions, I include a lot of images. Fellow photographers may insist that editing down thousands of images to a well curated few is part of the job (they’re not wrong, and I do do that) but I like to give you options. So you get pretty much EVERYTHING, aside from blinks or duplicates or the photos I accidentally take of my feet while running to the bathroom.
I have liability insurance and can provide a COI if your venue requests it.
on the day
Short answer: No, with one small but important exception.
In my earliest days of photographing weddings I would request a detailed shot list (I recall one was 10pt font covering the entirety of 3 pages) and spent one too many wedding days with my head down, staring at a piece of paper trying to figure out what photographs I still needed to create rather than focusing on the memories that were being made right before me. I inadvertently tasked myself with orchestrating dozens of fake memories for people rather than just witnessing what was already happening.
Now, the way I photograph weddings is natural, honest, and focused in documentary. For portraits (just you two as well as more organized group + family photos) I’ll offer guidance and some light direction, but for everything else I encourage the day to flow as its intended, without my interference or a detailed list telling us what moments or memories to artificially create.
If there are a few activities that may be considered out of the ordinary, key details, people, or special moments (ex: your grandmother just got out of a long stay in the hospital, you’ll be wearing your mother’s veil, your best friend is singing a song she wrote for you two) please don’t hesitate to let me know about these so I can be on the lookout. Any details of wardrobe, jewelry, tchotchkes, and paper goods I usually photograph at the very start of the day so it’s best to have them set aside for me when I first arrive. Florals, installs, and table settings I’ll photograph as soon as I’m able after they’re set up.
The one small but important exception: I require a detailed family + VIP group photo list. I go into more detail below and in my Planning Guide.
When sending me your family + VIP group photo list, you don’t need to include dozens of every possible combination of every family member and every friend group you have in a list (that would take us hours to get through) but those few specific must-have group photos (your immediate families, wedding parties, and VIPs who are spending a lot of the day with you). Without a detailed list of the most important (usually 4-12 combos) groupings, the flow of the day can quickly unravel in the span of 5 minutes due to stress, confusion, and your habitually late brother.
A first look is just the first time that you and your partner see each other in your full outfit on the wedding day. Thanks to the wedding industrial complex, it’s become an elaborate part of planned photos on a wedding day. Sometimes it’s an emotional moment, some couples prefer to do it privately or with only me and my camera present, some couples don’t want to do a big thing and are already getting ready together. No matter how you approach a first look, seeing each other before the ceremony gives you two more time together on a day that is notorious for just flying by.
If you’re especially anxious or nervous leading up to the day (I would be) then this is also a great opportunity to step away from all of the energy and spend a few precious, quiet minutes focused on each other rather than seeing one another for the first time in front of all your guests.
From a pragmatic standpoint, seeing each other before the ceremony adds much more flexibility to other parts of the day as we can get any family photos done before the ceremony and there will be more time for you to party with your favorite people afterwards. I always recommend seeing each other before the ceremony but won’t pressure you into it if you would rather not.
To keep expectations realistic, I’m not a wedding planner. Howeeeever, I’ve been attending weddings professionally for more than a decade at this point and have picked up plenty of opinions and tips about what helps a wedding run as smoothly and stress-free as possible.
So unless you’re going for the most laid back and casual wedding taking place at a single private location (ie. grandma Ruth’s backyard) or opting to elope with no guests, we’ll want to build some sort of schedule, just to make sure vendors and guests know when and where certain events are taking place. It’s important that we have a schedule 2 weeks before the wedding so there’s still time to make any necessary adjustments. Lighting is pretty essential when it comes to photography so if you have a planner or coordinator building a schedule for you, I may want to have some input in regards to when certain events are scheduled.
Yes! You can find a list of vendors I love working within my wedding planning guide. I try to update this list at the end of every year, but let me know if you’re looking for someone or a service not on there and I’ll see what names I can send you.
PLANNING GUIDES
After photographing weddings for more than a decade I created these free guides with tips + tricks from a photographer’s perspective. You’ll find schedule guidance, lighting info, whether or not you need a shot list, my favorite vendor recs and more, to help wedding planning go as smoothly as possible!
curious if i’m available for your date?
I can only take on a few more weddings for 2026, so follow the link below to see which dates I still have available and send a message to automatically receive my full pricing guide.
