Congratulations!
Thank you for considering us for your wedding day. We have included a list of the questions that we are asked most frequently and/or situations that cause the most amount of confusion in our industry. If you have any questions, they might already be answered below. If not, feel free to use our contact page and send through your query. We aim to respond within 48 hours (Mon - Fri during business hours). (You can see our portfolio here.)
What makes you different from the rest?
1) We only accept a limited number of wedding clients per year (30 couples).
2) We support our local businesses and community. At Poppy & Sage Photography, we strongly believe in supporting local people and families – a portion of our profits is directly invested back into our local community. Benefactors include local charities, community initiatives and local vendors. Our current fundraising event can be found by clicking on this sentence.
3) We are 100% reliable. Creative types tend to have a reputation for being unreliable. Peter has a background and qualifications in engineering and Emily has a background and postgraduate qualifications in research, among other fields. We have both worked in professional careers that demand dependable and motivated team members. Furthermore, our contract goes both ways. It is there to protect you, too, as it clearly outlines what is expected of us (turnaround times, number of images/hour to be delivered, and so on). We are bound to deliver our side of the agreement.
Do you have a set rate per hour for weddings?
Yes, our rate at Poppy & Sage Photography is $550 AUD/hour with a minimum investment of 5 hours for weddings (unless it is an elopement or micro wedding; information can be found in the link below). You can customise your package from here. If you want us for 10 hours of coverage, it will be $5,500 AUD. It's that straightforward. We pride ourselves on being transparent with our pricing.
What does $550 AUD/hour earn me?
-availability in the lead-up to the wedding
-2 shooters on the day; husband & wife team – check out our introduction here
-50-75 images/hour on USB
-high-resolution version
-web-optimised version
-a photojournalistic, documentary approach that is intimate, clean and unobtrusive
-reliability of service and quality of product
-meticulous in-house QA/QC as no step in the process is outsourced
Are you a registered business?
Yes, our ABN is 69 541 762 457.
Do you have liability?
Yes, we are with NRMA Public Liability Scheme (we can easily make the certificate available upon request).
How much do your engagement shoots cost?
Engagement shoots include the following:
-1-hour duration
-50-75 images
-high-resolution version
-web-optimised version
$550
Do you welcome cultural weddings?
Yes! We absolutely do. As stated in our “About” section, we believe that all people are equal. And equally beautiful. We are all about inclusivity, diversity, and meaningful recognition of intersectionality. The world can do with less judgement, right down to day-to-day microaggressions, and can do with more advocacy.
Furthermore, we enjoy travel, especially to off-the-beaten-track locations. One thing we have learned from our travels so far is that we can all learn from each other. We would love to hear your unique story, and it would be our privilege to capture it!
Just to be clear: Everyone is welcome at Poppy & Sage Photography. We are trying to help create a world that we are proud to share with our daughter as she grows. That world does not discriminate based on heritage, gender, and so on. You are welcome here.
Are your images watermarked?
No.
Have you been featured?
Yes. You will find our full list of features here.
What do your clients say about you?
"We had the absolute pleasure of having Em and Pete from Poppy & Sage as our wedding photographers. There are not enough words to describe how lovely Em and Pete are. They are immediately warm and friendly and put everyone at ease, which is what you want on your big day. They were so good with our children who range in age from 1 - 14 years old. Even our moody teenager was smiling! Our guests are still talking about how brilliant our photographers were. Em and Pete demonstrate a high level of professionalism and organisation while maintaining a relaxed approach. We found them to be very accommodating and flexible, allowing us to make changes when we needed. Em and Pete were able to capture many beautiful moments, and we have received so many compliments on our photos. Thank you, Em and Pete - you were perfection, and we couldn't have picked better photographers!"
~Michael & Tara, valued wedding clients
“Thank you to Peter and Emily for our beautiful images. Such a warm, down-to-earth, professional couple who made our day relaxed and fun.”
~Greg & Claudine, valued vow renewal clients
"We are so glad we booked Poppy & Sage for our wedding photography. We are so in love with the images - they are better than we could have imagined! Emily and Peter captured the day in a natural way, while still giving us some more traditional portrait-style shots. The pictures are completely and utterly 'us' and show how much joy and love the day was filled with, which was so important to us."
~Jane & Aidan, valued wedding clients
"Thank you so much to Emily and Peter for capturing our special day. Not only were our photos amazing, but they were also so warm and welcoming from our first meet-up and beyond. Checking in to see how we were going leading up to the day and making sure we were at ease. Emily, you were so kind and helpful, busting out the Claratyne whilst my eye was having a reaction and offering assistance whilst we were struggling to tie up the back of my dress.
Emily and Peter were so thoughtful, going above and beyond making sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed - from coming prepared with bottles of water for us and keeping our energy up with little snack bags. They really thought of everything: great photos and great service."
~Kirra & Benjamin, valued wedding clients
"We've been through the photos and we're so incredibly happy. There are so many amazing shots, so we'll enjoy looking through them again and again and deciding which we'll have printed to see on our walls every day. Thank you again so much; we're so happy we had the two of you there and how perfectly you captured everything."
~John & Suzie, valued wedding clients
“We are so happy we chose you & Pete to be our photographers; we couldn’t have picked a better couple than you both. You made us feel so comfortable - just like you were part of our family. Thank you so much for your kind words (referring to a card); we really appreciate you both.”
~Michael & Anne-Maree, valued wedding clients
“Thank you so, so much. We could not be happier. They (the images) are just incredible. We could not be more appreciative of everything you did for us.”
~Nick & Sarah, valued wedding clients
“Thank you! We have just finished looking through them (the images). They are really lovely - thank you. We are very happy with them. The envelope and card were lovely, too. Very special. Thanks for all of your hard work for us!”
~Elijah & Alana, valued wedding clients
“Just want to say thank you so much for our amazing photos. We love them and Ben loves the ones of his girls (myself and the cruiser). You guys have done an amazing job, and we are so grateful for the photos. Definitely worth the wait!! {We take up to 8 weeks to turn around the images.}”
~Benjamin & Katelyn, valued wedding clients
“The photos are very lovely” (groom) / “The photos are very lovely; thank you for making our special moment even more memorable!” (bride)
~Marcus & Daphne, valued wedding clients
“We are very happy with the photos, and it was a pleasure to have Poppy & Sage as our wedding photographer.”
~Ren & Henny, valued wedding clients
“Thanks ever so much for the beautiful photos!! You really made our day, and the photos are amazing!! Thanks again!”
~Abigail & Eddie, valued wedding clients
Can I purchase albums or other products from Poppy & Sage Photography?
Yes, we have a la carte options. We offer albums, brag books, canvases, prints, et cetera.
Will I be pressured to buy from a la carte?
Absolutely not. They are a la carte for a reason. If you want something, you can choose from a range of top-quality products. If you don't, not a problem. We dislike a hard sell as much as you do.
We have never met you and we want to be sure that we're a good fit. Are you happy to meet up in person?
Absolutely! You will feel more comfortable and relaxed if we have already broken the ice. However, travel restrictions do apply. Our clients must be able to meet up within a 10 km radius of Brisbane CBD. Aside from that, we are more than happy to meet for a coffee or a chai latte to see if we are a good fit for each other. Here are some recommendations for meeting locations. (Our personal wedding images below were taken by Lady Jayde Photography.)
Do you charge travel fees?
We are based 5 minutes from Brisbane City, Australia. We charge travel fees for any event further than 25 km from Brisbane CBD. For every km over that, we charge an amount per km in line with the current ATO recommendations. We are happy to discuss individual travel-related costs at our first meeting, either in person or over Skype.
Have you shot at our venue previously?
We have addressed this question in a blog post: Can We Shoot at Any Venue?
I am feeling overwhelmed with the process of planning our wedding day and factoring in enough time for everything important to us. Can you give us any direction on this?
Certainly. We will talk about the images that mean the most to you. Perhaps it's capturing inside jokes with the bridal party. It could be the bond between family members. Sometimes it’s the details of the day – the something old, something new, something borrowed, something <insert colour here>. Perhaps you want us to focus on the couple portraits as you soak up those fresh post-ceremony feels. During the planning stages, we take into consideration factors ranging from the most ideal lighting conditions to reasonable timeframes required to capture the images important to you. We can even help you prioritise the list so that we work in the correct order on the day, in case something unforeseen pops up (you have to be prepared for everything!). Furthermore, we can help to manage your schedule on the day, if you so choose.
My friend received more than 800 images from her wedding photographer. Some are even canvas-worthy. Why does Poppy & Sage Photography only provide 50-75 images per hour?
I'm sure your friend showed you some of the images, but did you sit down and flick through all 800+? If you did, there is a good chance you noticed that there were a lot of filler shots. Possibly only a handful of the images were truly great. At Poppy & Sage Photography, we carefully curate your gallery, so you don't have to trawl through numerous images of similar poses. We pick out the best of the best and spend our time editing those images to produce an excellent product. More is not necessarily better.
I have had a quick look through your contract, and it mentions that your turnaround for delivery of images is up to 8 weeks after the wedding. My friend got their wedding images back within 3 days. Why do you take so long?
As mentioned above, we only provide you with the crème of the images taken on the day. Because we handle everything in-house from initial contact through to shooting to culling to editing to delivery, we ensure that nothing slips between the cracks. Common issues like colour imbalance, crooked horizons, inconsistent exposures, and so on, are resolved during the process. The end product is our professional signature style that embodies the subtle tones of the film. At the end of the day, quality editing takes time.
Can I pay you more so that the turnaround for image delivery will be less than 8 weeks?
Well, you could. In all honesty, though, you are paying more for less. In other words, we could get it done faster but it may be to the detriment of the fine quality of your images. Top-quality colour correction always takes time.
Do you provide sneak peeks?
Short answer: no. We provided our reasoning here.
Do you provide your images in all colour?
Unless otherwise requested, we provide a combination of colour and black & white images (feel free to let us know if you have a preference). Copies of every image in both colour and black and white are not supplied as part of our delivery process. We have an editing vision that we are mindful of while shooting. Sometimes the resulting images lend themselves better to colour and sometimes to black & white. We have formulated a blog post on the subject of black & white images here.
I have previously seen photographers arrive at a friend’s wedding like they were dressed for Dracula's Cabaret Show. This is not the style we want at our wedding. Can I see an image of your team?
Sure! This is us at work:
Unless told otherwise, we dress like guests when we attend your wedding. If the dress code is smart casual, we wear smart casual. If the dress code is black tie, we wear black tie. If there is a colour(s) or style(s) you would prefer we wear/avoid, just let us know. We are not offended, and we are very happy to accommodate.
I really love your work. We are happy to pay you more to have us as your 31st couple for the year. We promise not to tag Poppy & Sage Photography on any social media platform.
Unfortunately, we can only accept 30 couples each year. Our word is our word. We value our reputation more than our profit. The fact that our yearly number of clients is capped is a core principle of our business. We believe that quality cannot be rushed. If we take on additional clients, our time becomes stretched, and we would strongly dislike for this to be reflected in our resulting service and product(s).
I recently had photos taken for my wedding, but my partner and I are unhappy with them. We are considering a post-wedding shoot to try and capture some of the magic that was missed on our most special day. Can you help?
Firstly, it's a shame you experienced this. Situations such as this usually come about because of miscommunication and mismanaged expectations. We discuss everything with both of you and take notes on what is most important to you as a couple. At Poppy & Sage Photography, we pride ourselves on avoiding terrible situations such as this. We ensure these situations don't occur with our clients by following some steps including:
1) Asking enough questions to cover all aspects of your wedding (you will receive a questionnaire from us upon initial contact)
2) Keeping in regular contact with you through your preferred form of communication (in-person, phone calls, skype, text - whatever suits you)
3) Being punctual on the day (one less stress for you to worry about)
4) Making a list of 'important memories to capture' based on our conversations with you (we stick to it on the day)
5) Assisting with finding vendors if the bride or groom is having difficulties or would like to streamline the process (we collaborate regularly so we have our finger on the pulse)
Our goal is to provide all our clients with the sort of images that they would want to look back on one day in a nursing home after a lifetime of treasuring them. So, yes! We would love to chat and see what we can work out. Please head to our contact page and fill out the form so we can get in contact with you. Hopefully, we are a good match, and we can work together.
If you happen to be a traveling wedding photographer reading this, feel free to join our group - "Traveling Photographers - Worldwide Referrals" - on Facebook. We value an equal-opportunity referral process and would welcome your participation.
Do you offer videography?
We take a specialist approach to our service. We specialise in photography; we can happily provide you with recommendations for specialists in videography. Photography is a skill in itself; videography is a skill in itself (we chatted all things photography & videography here).
Do you collaborate with local vendors?
Yes. We enjoy supporting local businesses and forming relationships with them. Please do not hesitate to contact us and ask. However, as it takes time for us to tailor options for your needs, we provide this service after our agreement has been entered into. More information for collaborators is here. Furthermore, we are a vendor-friendly business. More information here.
Reviews from businesses we have collaborated with:
Professional | Reliable | Creative
The most outstanding photographic work delivered exactly as promised! I would highly recommend Poppy & Sage Photography. Working with Emily has been amazing, and I look forward to future collaboration! Nadja from Le Sans SouciReally enjoyed working with Em; she is so lovely to work with. Goes above and beyond to showcase all the details and the photos are just beautiful! Highly recommend! Diana from The Sweet Society Co
I have had the pleasure of working with Emily from Poppy & Sage on a number of projects. Her chilled-out vibe keeps everyone looking relaxed and gorgeous and she has all the little details covered. Always willing to help and go the extra mile. I cannot recommend her highly enough. Marisha from Magnolia Studios
We recently had the pleasure to work alongside Emily and Peter from Poppy and Sage Photography and couldn't be happier with the professionalism and eye for details this duo have. We cannot recommend them more! We are looking forward to working alongside them again very soon to share some more amazing memories. Carissa from Emunah Events
In summary, what do you guarantee to me as your client?
-no hidden fees
-no hard selling
-capped number of wedding clients to ensure consistent high-quality service and product
-base minimum fee per hour structure on top of 5 hours minimum
-in-person meeting before accepting a non-refundable retainer
-guidance for the structure and flow of your day to optimise your resulting images
-vendor contacts we can personally recommend; we support local community and do everything we can within it
Finally, your day is not about how beautiful your images could look in our portfolio. It is about capturing your memories for your lifetime of people and places that are important to you. We pride ourselves on telling your story your way. If you feel that we might be a good fit, feel free to contact us – we would love to hear from you.