wedding photography packages FAQ'S

I take a limited number of clients a year. When you choose Apérture as your photographic atelier, you’ll enjoy a fully collaborative process tailored just for you. After our initial phone contact, we will meet in person to explore your needs, and see if Apérture is a good fit for you.  

We will collaborate as often as you want or need during planning for your event to ensure total harmony with your vision. Apérture's owner will tour your  venue with you in advance. As your date gets closer, we will collaborate frequently. Change requests are cheerfully received in writing, and are signed as contract addendums to make sure nothing is missed.

After your event, there is a continued process of communication on the process to make your custom albums, videos, framed photos, and framed canvas artwork. You will always have multiple ways of getting in touch and a dedicated account representative as a point of contact just for you. 

Clients typically invest between $4500 to $15000 for their wedding photography and videography artists. Apérture is much more than a digital-only photography service. Your images are available as custom framed fine portraiture on canvas, a live painted wedding portrait from an onsite artist, professionally produced videos, painterly fine art framed portraiture, bespoke albums, memory boxes, and digital legacy boxes with USB and proofs. Maryland state sales tax of 6% is added to all orders. 

Apérture proudly uses the most advanced full frame camera in the world, the brand new Nikon Z9, and the equally impressive Nikon Z7ii and Nikon Z6ii. Apérture uses professional Nikon S-line and Nikon Gold lenses and various lighting techniques, including on and off camera flash, soft boxes, reflectors, continuous video lights, and color gels to create magazine-quality images.

It is the standard policy of Apérture by The Photo Studio LLC to require a 50% non-refundable deposit and a signed contract to hold your wedding date. Once your contract is signed and your initial 50% deposit is paid, the remaining balance can be paid for in 1, 2, or 3 installments, on a schedule that will be agreed to by all parties in your contract.  Maryland state sales tax of 6% is added to all orders and will be equally divided over the amount of your payments.  The reason all deposits are non-refundable after booking is that the Photographer cannot book another event on your chosen date once your contract is signed. Cancellations will forefit the 50% deposit for this reason. There are no exceptions to this policy and it is written into all contracts. 

It is the standard policy of Apérture by The Photo Studio LLC to require overtime payment to compensate Photographer(s) for work conducted past the end of a contract's agreed finish time. Overtime is payable in 30 minute increments from the minute overtime service begins and is not prorated..  The rate is $250.00 per half hour. Photographer will only work overtime at the direct request of Client(s), who must agree in writing to payment for overtime. Overtime is paid on the day of service before Photographer leaving event venue, in addition to any other monies due..  There are no exceptions to this policy and it is written into all contracts.

Apérture banks with American Express Business Services and accepts all credit cards, bank ACH debits, bank-to-bank wire transfers, business and personal checks (with ID).

A 50% non-refundable deposit and signed contract are required to hold your wedding date. The remaining balance can be paid for in 1, 2, or 3 installments. 

For contracts over $15,000 there is an interest-free option to structure monthly payments by credit card or bank ACH debit over 12, 18 or 24 months.

Apérture Weddings typically serves wedding photography clients within a 50 mile radius from zip code 20004. Yes, travel worldwide is welcome, and available on an individual basis, please contact us to inquire if we are available for your celebration date. 

Theresa Elliott has been a working photographer since 2005. She is the lead/principal photographer at Apérture and is the lead photographer at all weddings, unless otherwise specified. Theresa's style is documentary, editorial, and romantic. Her background is taking photos at large black tie events, weddings, multi-week film festivals, concerts; and, she has been a contract photographer for prestigious organizations such as The Carnegie Foundation and The American Film Institute. Theresa has also photographed notable individuals in the music and entertainment industry. 

Theresa carefully chooses the second photographers and assistants who work with Apérture based on aptitude, creativity, and drive. They will have varying degrees of experience, but all have passed knowledge and quality checks as well as a portfolio review, before being accepted as second photographers.

Retouching and editing: All photographs delivered go through an initial color correction and enhancement process. Full portrait retouching is done only on specific photos selected by Client(s), based on the package selected. Retouching will gently enhance the overall appearance of an individual, but not change any appearance dramatically.
Client(s) have input on requested retouching to guide the photographer on their specific cosmetic concerns for full portrait retouching. 

Full portrait retouching will subtly smooth and brighten the skin on the face, neck and chest, the under eye area, and gently minimize acne or post-acne marks. Gentle teeth whitening will be performed if requested, and other small cosmetic adjustments to reduce the look of smile lines are made for portrait retouched photos. 

No alterations of body parts, eye or hair color, or wholesale changes to the appearance of an individual in a photograph will be made in the retouching process.

Your photographer will send you a few limited "sneak peeks" within 15 calendar days for you to share and enjoy. 

Delivery of your full online proof galleries take 50 calendar days to process after your wedding, to allow for adequate time for our busy studio to do initial post-production on your photos. Photographer selections will be uploaded for you to view on a private online gallery. These images will make up the entirety of the photographs that are delivered to you. Depending on your package, Client(s) choose a specific number of favorite images for specialized portrait retouching and printing or for digital delivery.  The number of in-depth retouched portraits you receive will vary by the package or service you choose. After delivery of your proofs, once you select your images, Photographer will have an additional six weeks (about one and a half months) to retouch your selected images. If images are being printed or a special order is made for an album or a custom framed product, those orders will be produced according to the schedule set by the print lab or custom artwork maker. From start to finish, when ordering albums or large framed artwork, expect a time frame of three to four months after your wedding before all your final artwork is complete and delivered to you. 

Clients who choose Apérture enjoy a first-class service experience built in to every Client touch point. Quality: Apérture clients are hiring an experienced principal photographer who is a seasoned expert in the craft, and continuously strives for improvement through ongoing professional education. Value: understanding what couples and their families want out of their wedding photos, and delivering beautiful memories to look at every day and a legacy to pass on to future generations.

The number of photographs delivered depends on the length of your service.  For a 60 to 120 minute engagement session, you will receive about 50 to 75 images. For a micro-wedding service of 4 hours, expect to receive about 250 to 300 images. For a 5, 6, or 7 hour service, expect to receive around 500 to 700 images. For an 8 or 10 hour wedding, expect to receive between 700 to 1000 images.  While all delivered images go through an initial color correction and enhancement process, full portrait retouching is done only on a specific number of photos selected by Client(s) when choosing a package, not on all images.

Yes! Theresa Elliott is a skilled family photographer and would love to work with you! Heritage framed portraiture, storybook portraits, themed portraiture, and location photography is Theresa's specialty. Apérture by The Photo Studio LLC offers a wide variety of family photography, headshots, event coverage and even personalized vacation photography. Just ask!

It is the policy of Apérture not to give RAW Files or Copyrights, which always remain the sole property of the Photographer and are not available. Digital files are provided with specific products. Printing rights are provided under specific contract guidance.  

Yes! Understanding and respecting client wishes for privacy is built into Apérture's process. Living and working in Washington DC, we understand the need for complete privacy and will not publish or use your personal wedding photos for Apérture's website or social media, unless we have your written permission. 

Yes! Apérture is pleased to help make recommendations for wedding locations and other wedding vendors including florists, wedding cake or cupcake bakers, videographers, wedding reception venues, party rentals, DJ's and more!