A Look at My Wedding Photography Packages as a Springfield, Illinois Wedding Photographer

In 2020, Covid practically made large scale weddings impossible for the better part of a year, which led couples to realize that they don’t actually have to do a large wedding. Elopements and intimate celebrations became MUCH more popular and commonplace, and that silver lining has brought about a total change in the wedding industry that I am ALL for. I and couples all around the world realized that a wedding really can be whatever you want it to be, and I have had SO much fun working with my couples to create a wedding day unique to them! With that in mind though, it can be a little tricky to imagine what my wedding photography packages look like if each day is so unique, which is what we’re here to discuss today.

Let’s check out my different photography packages, as well as my philosophy on why I do things the way I do as a Springfield wedding photographer!

My Belief

I have a pretty unique approach to my wedding photography packages. It’s my belief that no matter the size or overall investment you put into your wedding day, every couple deserves to receive beautiful photos and a stress free experience! It’s for this reason that I have quite an array of wedding photography packages to choose from, so let’s take a look at them and my process!

Getting to Know Your Day

Every couple is unique, and so is the vision they have for their wedding day. It’s for this reason that I take incredible care when getting to know my clients and their wedding day dreams. When you first inquire with me I’ll put your wedding into one of 3 categories, Elopements, Intimate Weddings, and Large Weddings. We’ll cover each of these categories in depth next, but first I wanted to make it incredibly clear just how important the details of your day are.

When filling out my inquiry form I encourage my couples to include as many details as possible! No detail is too small to include, as it’s moments big and small that make your wedding day the one of a kind experience that it is. It’s these notes that help me to figure out what your wedding day will be like, what you want me to photograph, and ultimately which of my wedding photography packages will be best for you!

Elopements

The first category I want to talk about are elopements! These are the smallest of wedding celebrations, and can include just the couple themselves or up to 10 guests as well. When a couple inquires with me for an elopement I create 3 separate packages for them ranging from 1 to 4 hours of wedding day coverage with a suggestion on which I feel is best for them given the details they’ve provided. I include this flexibility as elopements have an incredible amount of range of what can be done! Many of my couples choose to elope in the Sangamon County Courthouse in Springfield, Illinois, and then follow that up with wedding portraits somewhere else in Springfield. For example, Katie and Anand had their portraits done at Washington Park, while Aundie and Tory had theirs at the Illinois Capitol Building.

 Danielle and Ben also chose to elope in the Sangamon County Courthouse, but afterwards they decided to have an intimate reception with their loved ones at Arlington’s. Some couples even elope on their own and then book with me to photograph their reception with friends and family after the fact like Sasha and Chris. So you see, there’s really no rules here, and I have to offer some flexibility in my packages to best serve my couples as a Springfield wedding photographer! 

Intimate Weddings

The next category are my intimate weddings! These are slightly larger celebrations with guest counts ranging from 10 to 70 people in attendance. Typically the couples that book intimate weddings have no wedding party like Ashley + Jake, or at most 3 members for each side. The weddings also usually only take place at a single location. 

Just like with my elopement packages, I create 3 package options for intimate wedding photography coverage. These packages range from 4 to 9 hours of coverage depending on what the couple wants for their wedding day. The smaller size of intimate weddings means that I usually don’t have a second photographer present for the day, but if the couple feels that one is necessary I do have the option available as an add-on for the day! Intimate weddings, like elopements, can look vastly different from one to the other. Whether you opt for something like a backyard wedding, a retro disco themed wedding like Lexi and Alex, or something else entirely the possibilities are practically endless!

Large Weddings

Finally we have large weddings! These gatherings of course have over 70 guests, though they usually end up being around 100 to 200+ guests in attendance. These weddings have larger wedding parties, often with 7 or more members of each side, and usually feature multiple locations for the day. Some large weddings can happen all at one location depending on the venue, and some we’ll have to travel from the getting ready space, to a photo location, then to the ceremony location, and then finally the reception venue. 

For these large weddings I again create 3 package options ranging from 5 to 9 hours of coverage, and I always include a 2nd photographer in each package option. I find it SO important to get candid photos of as many guests as possible since the couple wanted them present for the day! With a second photographer present my focus will primarily be on the couple while the second photographer focuses on the guests. The look and feel of each large wedding is also incredibly unique, though a lot of that comes from the venue choice! For a look at what I mean check out Allie and Dylan’s wedding, Brittany and Patrick’s wedding, and Madison and Wes’ wedding to see just how different each day feels compared to one another!

Optional Add-ons

So now that we have an idea on my approach to categorizing each wedding to best fit my photography packages, let’s talk a little bit about add-ons! These add-ons are able to be included in each and every one of my package options for an additional charge, these include:

• Film Photos
• Polaroid Photos
• Boudoir Photos (which act as a great surprise wedding day gift!)
• Additional Hours of Wedding Day Coverage
• Rehearsal Dinner Coverage
• Mobile Gallery App

You can pick and choose the add-ons you want and the ones you feel would benefit your day the most!

Included in Every Package

For every one of my wedding photography packages I include a number of different services and assurances to make sure my couples have the best experience possible from the moment they inquire through gallery delivery! These include:

• Being Able to Reach Me 24/7
• A Personalized Playlist for Your Day
• Location Scouting for Photos
• Questionnaires to Learn About You, Your Vision, and Your Guests
• Timeline Creation and Organization 
• Family Photo Organization
• A Shareable, High Resolution Online Gallery
• Gallery Insurance for up to Two Years
• Free Image Downloads for Friends and Family
• An Engagement Session
• An Online Print Store (where you can build your own wedding album!)
• A Best Friend in the Form of a Springfield Wedding Photographer

Finding the Right Fit for You

Once you fill out my inquiry form, I get to work right away to figure out which set of packages fit best for the wedding day you’re envisioning. Now I could send this information through an email, but I’ve found that a phone call works SO much better! Once I have an idea on what you’re looking for with your wedding day we’ll set up a time to call and go over everything together. We’ll talk about you, your love story, and the vision you have for your day. This lets me not only find the wedding photography package that fits your day best, but also lets us know if we are going to vibe together! After all, I’ll be spending a LOT of time with you on the day of your wedding, so we want to make sure we’re the right fit for one another!

That just about covers my approach to my different package options as a Springfield wedding photographer. If you’re interested in booking me as your photographer I’d love to hear from you ASAP! One of the first and most important steps is to fill out that inquiry form and send it my way (be sure to send me ALL the details of your day as well!) From there I’ll be in touch with you and we can begin planning your wedding day together!