A few weeks back, Morgane and I photographed Anna & Dan’s bright and sunny, yellow themed wedding at Braxted Park in Whitam, Essex. Here’s a taster of how the day panned out.
Last weekend we did an ‘engagement’ shoot for Charlotte & Harry whose wedding we’ll be photographing in Cambridge this coming July. They look forward to exchanging their vows in the Chapel at St.Catherine’s college and have plans to hold a really fun reception amongst the grand surroundings of the Emmanuel campus. We can’t wait!
We are asked all sorts of questions via email from our future bride & grooms, so we thought that this list of FAQ’s might be helpful.
1. WHAT ARE YOUR RATES?
Our packages for 2014 begin at £2000
2. WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
M&J Photography is a UK registered company. We currently spend our time living and working in both London and South West France. We are frequently back and forth between the two.
3. DO YOU ONLY SHOOT WEDDINGS IN FRANCE?
No, we shoot weddings all over the world. It just so happens that many of our couples are getting hitched in France. A large proportion of these are destination weddings for British Clients.
4. WHAT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKAGES?
To keep things simple, each and every one of our 2014 wedding packages includes the following:
* We also offer hand-made luxury photo books and FOLIO albums.
5. DO YOU KNOW ANY VIDEOGRAPHERS?
Yes! We collaborate with some very talented videographers so are more than happy to provide you with comprehensive photo/video packages tailored to your needs.
6. CAN WE HAVE ALL THE PHOTOS IN HIGH RESOLUTION?
Yes! we include full resolution copies of all the best photos from your wedding day or photo shoot in each and every one of our price packages. These photos, loaded onto one of our bespoke USB keys, are carefully colour corrected and individually tweaked to bring out their full potential.
7. ARE THERE EXTRA COSTS FOR YOUR TRAVEL EXPENSES TO OUR DESTINATION WEDDING?
In general there are no extra charges for travel to weddings in the UK or South West France. For weddings further afield there are additional costs for flights, transfers and accommodation. We always aim to keep these to the bare minimum by booking well in advance.
8. DO THE TWO OF YOU ALWAYS WORK TOGETHER?
90% of the time we are able to do as we wish and shoot weddings together. We think we make a pretty good team and can provide you with the most comprehensive coverage of your day this way. There are occasions when this isn’t possible and only one of us will be available. Our rates for these occasions reflect that.
9. DO YOU OFFER PRE-WEDDING / ENGAGEMENT SHOOTS?
Yes! We love the opportunity to meet and take photos of our couples in advance of the big day so we also offer engagement & anniversary photo sessions. These sessions are best shot on location & are a great way for us to get to know each other & for you to generally begin to feel more comfortable in front of the camera. The photos might also be perfect for your wedding day guest book or even the invitations. Prices begin at £250.
10. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY OF DISCUSSING OUR WEDDING PLANS WITH YOU?
Initially the best thing to do is fill in our contact form with as much information as possible. We’ll then be able to provide you with a quote via email. If then you’d like to discuss things further over the phone that’s great. If we’re not in the same country at the time, then we’re usually available for a Skype chat instead!
11. CAN WE MEET YOU BEFORE THE WEDDING DAY?
Whenever possible we like to meet you in advance of your wedding. If there’s no pre-wedding shoot, then usually a chat over a coffee in London a few weeks before the day is a great opportunity to go over any last minute details, discuss the schedule of the day and generally get to know each other a little.
12. HOW DO WE BOOK YOU?
Once you’re happy to go ahead and confirm a booking with us, we’ll send you over our standard agreement which details the terms of booking and conditions of payment. We require a deposit of 25% of the full amount to secure the date. For weddings that require us to book flights or travel in advance, we ask for a deposit of 35%.
13. HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO WE NEED TO BOOK YOU?
We advise you to get in touch as soon as you know the date and location of your wedding. We are fortunate enough to see our diary filling up, up to 12 months or more in advance.
14. CAN WE VIEW OUR WEDDING PHOTOS ONLINE?
Yes! Every one of our wedding clients receives a link and access information to their very own private and personalised website where they are able to organise, view and share all their wedding photos. By July 2013 we will have updated this platform to make it even more beautiful, interactive and user friendly across all devices. This site also serves as a proofing system for our printed photo books/albums.
15. CAN WE SEE AN EXAMPLE OF A COMPLETE ONLINE ALBUM?
Please click here for an example of a complete online album. (In July 2013 we will have updated this platform to make it even more beautiful, interactive and user friendly across all devices)
16. HOW LONG AFTER THE WEDDING WILL OUR PHOTOS BE READY?
We’ll send you a link and access information for your website within 6 weeks of the date of your wedding. In most occasions the wait is much shorter than this! The USB key and prints will follow in the post.
17. CAN I MAKE PRINTS FROM THE HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES ON MY USB KEY?
Yes! These files are yours to keep and use as you wish. If you’d prefer you can order professional, art quality prints through us.
18. DO YOU OFFER PRINTED WEDDING ALBUMS?
Yes! After your wedding is over and you’ve had a chance to browse through all your photos, you may decide you want to have them organised into a bespoke, hand-made photo book or a more traditional FOLIO wedding album. On your website, a simple function will allow you to choose which images you’d like to include. We design the layout of all books and albums so that each one is unique. For the photo books we have the pages professionally printed and deliver them personally to Wyvern Bindery in London. Here, they are carefully bound by hand using traditional techniques. We love this method as it allows a lot of flexibility in terms of the materials you have to choose from as well as the overall shape design. But what’s really great is that you have room for at least 150 photos in our books so none of those special moments can be forgotten years down the line. The more traditional style FOLIO albums are a great alternative!
19. CAN I MAKE A DECISION TO PURCHASE AN ALBUM AFTER MY WEDDING?
Yes! There’s no obligation to include photo books/albums in your initial wedding package.
20. WHO DESIGNS AND MAKES THE ALBUMS?
We design the albums (with your choice of photos). Once you have agreed on a proof, the books are made by hand in London by the wonderful people of Wyvern Bindery. The stunning FOLIO albums are made in the UK by FOLIO.
21. WHAT CAMERAS AND LENSES DO YOU USE?
We are Canon users and shoot with a combination of Canon 5D Mark ii and 6D cameras. We use a selection of top quality fixed lenses by Canon. We love how the combination of these great cameras and lenses gives us the flexibility to shoot in all environments (particularly in very low light situations) whilst still achieving the bright, airy, beautiful photos that define our aesthetic.
22. DO YOU BRING BACK-UP EQUIPMENT?
Yes, there’s always at least one back-up camera. All files are double backed-up on hard drives immediately after the wedding.
23. CAN WE HAVE SOME PICTURES IN BLACK & WHITE?
Yes! We tend to supply a mixture of black and white and colour images dependent on how we feel each image works best. After the wedding, if there are specific images you would like in black and white, all you need to do is ask!
24. DO YOU RETOUCH ALL THE PHOTOS?
All images are individually colour corrected to bring out their full potential and provide harmony to the overall collection. Tweaks are often made to exposure and contrast too. If there’s a spot or blemish you’d rather not see, we’re more than happy to remove it!
25. DO WE NEED TO SUPPLY A MEAL FOR YOU ON THE WEDDING DAY?
Yes please. At some point during the day, we appreciate being able to sit down for 20mins or so for a bite to eat. Because no-one likes having their picture taken mid-mouthful, it’s often a good idea for us to do this at the same time as your guests.
26. HOW LONG WILL YOU TAKE PHOTOS FOR ON THE WEDDING DAY?
That’s completely up to you and is often dependent on the type of wedding you have planned and your schedule. We usually begin coverage around 2 to 2 and a half hours before the ceremony, taking the time to photograph the bride and groom and other members of the wedding party as they prepare for the day, as well as shooting details of the dress, shoes, rings and the venue etc. Coverage can then continue for as long as is necessary. This is usually until at least the speeches, cutting of the cake and the first dance are complete. Our price packages are based on shooting time.
27. I HATE POSING FOR PHOTOS. DO I HAVE TO POSE?
Whether you choose to pose for photos or not is completely up to you. Documentary forms a large part of what we do, so for the majority of the day we hope you’ll forget we’re there as we stand back & capture all the wonderful moments as they unfold. However, we love shaping more structured shots & think it is important to take the time for some beautiful couples photos, taking inspiration from fashion & lifestyle photography for portraits, small group shots & photos of all those unique & personal details. At some point during the day, we usually spend 10-20mins taking some beautiful shots of you together as newlyweds. We make this as simple a process as possible, with the aim of achieving stylish & natural results that you will treasure for years to come.
28. ARE YOU INSURED?
Yes, we are fully covered for public liability and have comprehensive equipment and travel insurance.
Unlike many other photographers, we include full resolution copies of all the best photos from your wedding day or photo shoot in each and every one of our price packages. These photos, loaded onto one of our bespoke USB keys, are carefully colour corrected and individually tweaked to bring out their full potential.
Last weekend we were guests at our friends’ wedding in Biarritz and couldn’t resist taking a few photos. With Raquel being from Hawaii, this was just the ‘avant-goût’ of the celebration they will have on Oahu next year! 
Reception Venue: Chez Modjo. Gâteau & Cup Cakes: Milwaukee Cafe.
Last weekend we were back in Biarritz to see family and attend a friend’s wedding (a few pics to come). It really felt like the beginning of summer. Bring it on!
Last week, we had the pleasure of doing a pre-wedding shoot for Hélène & Michel whose big day we will photograph near Bordeaux in June. Hélène works as a product designer so has been hard at work designing and making lots of her own pretty little details for her own wedding. We thought the invitations were particularly clever. We’re really looking forward to seeing everything else she has planned soon!
Jonny recently shot a couple of features for the spring issue of bi-annual magazine ‘Company High Street Edit’. Here’s some of the spreads and images from them. It’s out now! 
We were very excited to hear this week that Swiss magazine, semarier.ch have featured one of the weddings we shot in Switzerland last summer in their Winter 2012/Spring 2013 issue. You can see the page spreads, which include lots of our photos of the lovely Brazilian / Scottish couple Isabella and Ryan, below. In case you don’t live in Switzerland, the magazine is available for download and purchase at this link. Thanks to Kalosia for helping create such a beautiful wedding for us to photograph!
Having lived in Bordeaux on and off now for about 5 months it’s surprising it’s taken us this long to get round to visiting this amazing place. But last weekend, the rents were in France for my birthday so we finally did! Despite being a bit chilly and overcast, it was incredible. We managed to take some pretty nice photos too and will definitely be going back later in the year.
