Thank you for signing your contract and paying your reservation retainer. You are officially booked!

If your collection includes an engagement session, please review our Engagement Session FAQ and contact us when you are ready to schedule it.

A few months before your wedding, we will send you a Wedding Day Questionnaire containing everything we need to prepare. Please return it approximately one month before your wedding so we have plenty of time to review the details.

Every wedding-day schedule is different, but we generally recommend beginning coverage at least 90 minutes before you get dressed.

When we arrive, we will photograph and film your available details, including invitations, attire, shoes, jewelry, and gifts. We will then document the finishing touches, candid moments with your loved ones, and the process of getting dressed. If time allows, we can also take a few portraits before leaving for your first look or ceremony.

Of course! We prefer to photograph these details as soon as we arrive. Please ask someone to gather them in one place and tidy the getting-ready area approximately 30 minutes before coverage begins.

If you are planning a special reception exit, such as sparklers or lanterns, and would like it documented, we recommend keeping us through the end of the reception.

Otherwise, approximately 30 minutes of open-floor dancing usually gives us enough time to capture the energy and your guests enjoying the celebration.

A first look is a private moment when you choose to see each other before the ceremony.

Many couples choose a first look because it gives them time to connect before the day unfolds. It can also allow us to complete couple, wedding-party, and family portraits before the ceremony, leaving more time to enjoy the rest of the celebration.

We recommend allowing at least 15 minutes for your first look. We will often begin your couple portraits immediately afterward.

We recommend allowing at least 20 minutes for couple portraits.

The amount of time needed depends on the size of your wedding party. In most cases, we recommend allowing approximately 45 minutes.

Family portraits are usually taken one hour before the ceremony or immediately afterward.

Please allow approximately two to three minutes for each family grouping. We recommend choosing no more than 12 combinations, which generally takes around 30 minutes. When preparing your list, place larger groups and any combinations involving children first.

Absolutely! We love golden-hour portraits. We can review your reception timeline and find a good opportunity to step outside for approximately 10 minutes.

Natural light and a clean, spacious room make a significant difference in photographs and films. We recommend choosing a getting-ready location with large windows, neutral colors, and enough space for you, your loved ones, and our team to move comfortably.

Suggested Chicago hotels include:

• The Peninsula Chicago

• Ambassador Chicago

• Soho House Chicago

• The Langham

• The Drake

• The Blackstone

Natural light is the most important consideration when choosing a portrait location. Chicago and the surrounding area offer many beautiful options, although some require a photography permit that must be arranged in advance.

If you would like to use a private property, please obtain permission from the owner. For winter weddings, we recommend choosing an indoor location unless the temperature is above 45 degrees. Family portraits are usually taken at the ceremony location.

Suggested locations include:

• Lincoln Park Zoo area

• Lincoln Park Conservatory – permit required

• Montrose Harbor

• North Pond

• Garfield Park Conservatory – permit required

• Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool – permit required

• Promontory Point

• Art Institute of Chicago – admission required for each person

• Wrigley Building

• Chicago Riverwalk and Clark Street Bridge

• Milton Lee Olive Park

• Lurie Garden

• Adler Planetarium and Museum Campus

• South Garden at the Art Institute

• South Rose Garden and Buckingham Fountain

• Morton Arboretum – permit required

• Cantigny – permit required

• Chicago Botanic Garden – permit required

Chicago weather can change quickly, so we always recommend having a backup plan. If rain is forecast, consider ordering clear or neutral umbrellas ahead of time. We can still photograph outside in light rain, but heavy rain will usually require an indoor location.

Possible rain-plan locations include:

• Art Institute of Chicago – admission required for each person

• Union Station – permit required indoors, but not outdoors

• Chicago History Museum – admission required for each person

• Chez – rental fee required

• Lincoln Park Conservatory – permit required

• Garfield Park Conservatory – permit required

• The covered walkway outside the Lyric Opera

• Your venue, with an earlier arrival for portraits

• A large hotel suite

You will receive at least 50 edited images for each hour of photography coverage.

Your wedding photographs will be delivered through an online gallery within 12 weeks of your wedding. You will receive a PIN that allows you to download the full collection directly from the gallery.

An heirloom USB containing all of your images is also available for $50 plus tax.

Your wedding film will be delivered digitally within 12 weeks of your wedding. Any physical add-ons, such as a USB or hard drive containing raw footage, will be shipped shortly afterward.

Yes! We love helping our couples turn their wedding photographs into something tangible.

Our handcrafted RedTree wedding albums are available in leather, linen, fabric, and vegan materials and may be purchased at any time, including after your wedding. Visit our Wedding Albums page to explore the available sizes, materials, and pricing.

Yes. Additional coverage may be added at any time. If you add an hour on your wedding day, we will send an invoice within 24 hours and kindly ask that payment be made within 14 days.

Videography may be added at any time, provided our team is still available.

Our photography and videography teams work seamlessly together, creating photographs and films with a consistent visual style. We recommend making your final decision at least three months before your wedding to give us the best chance of confirming availability.

We record audio from several sources throughout the wedding day. During the ceremony and reception, we connect to the venue’s soundboard when available, record through microphones on our cameras, and place small microphones on the groom and officiant.

Any wedding film shared publicly online must use properly licensed music. Well-known commercial songs, such as music by The Beatles, generally cannot be licensed for this purpose and therefore cannot be included in a film posted publicly.

We recommend exploring Musicbed, which offers a wide selection of licensable music. After creating an account, you can listen to full-length tracks and send us any favorites. We are also happy to select the music for you.

Please share your selection with us no later than one month before your wedding.

From a photography and videography perspective, it is best to avoid phones and tablets because their screens can cast blue or purple light onto the speaker’s face.

We recommend asking your officiant, readers, and anyone giving a speech to use printed pages or a notebook instead.

We appreciate having dinner provided and request that our team be seated in the same room as you. This allows us to remain aware of everything happening and avoid missing any spontaneous moments.

Ideally, vendor meals should be served at the same time as the couple’s meals. We will either take turns eating and photographing or sit down briefly while you are eating.

We highly recommend an unplugged ceremony. It allows your guests to be fully present and helps us document the ceremony without phones, tablets, or cameras obstructing important moments.

If you choose to have one, ask your officiant to make a brief announcement before the ceremony begins, inviting guests to put away their devices until the ceremony has ended.

We recommend keeping the lighting throughout your ceremony and formal reception moments white or neutral. Colored lighting can change skin tones and distract from the florals, linens, and other details you have carefully selected.

If you would like colorful uplighting, we suggest turning it on once open-floor dancing begins.

Yes, we are fully insured. If your venue requires a certificate of insurance from its vendors, let us know and we will be happy to provide one.

Yes! Visit our Vendor Recommendations page for a list of wedding professionals we are happy to recommend.

To keep communication clear and maintain the relationship we have built with you, we ask that all questions come directly from our couple.

If a family member or friend has a question you cannot answer, simply send it to us yourself and we will be happy to help.

We know it takes a wonderful team of professionals to bring a wedding day together, and we are happy to share photographs with the vendors involved. Please connect them with us directly, and we will take care of the rest.