FAQ
Who is Bow Tie Photo?
Great question! Bow Tie Photo is a husband and wife team, Zack and Lauren! I'm going to stop writing in 3rd person now...I am the lead photographer/videographer and Lauren helps make everything else work!
Photo AND Video? How does that work?
We strongly feel that working as a team leads to the best possible product for your wedding photography and videography. Technology has literally come so far that the same cameras we use for photos can be used for videos. This is awesome because we can shoot photos and video that match in styling, color, emotion, etc... It also reduces the “vendor footprint” on your wedding day because we are a leaner group working as one unit versus two separate teams.
Where are you based?
Another great question! Our office is in historic St. Augustine, Florida. It is a terrific location to have a wedding photography business! Our office is in the Treasury building, which is home to The Treasury on the Plaza wedding and event venue. Our office for wedding photography is located upstairs. The address is 24 Cathedral Place, Saint Augustine, FL 32084. In addition to photographing weddings in St. Augustine Florida, we also serve Jacksonville, Amelia Island, Daytona, Orlando, and points west in Florida. We are originally from Washington DC, so we also travel north on occasion!
Do you travel to destinations?
YES, we travel! We LOVE to travel actually. We are on a mission to photograph a wedding in every state. Please help us do it! Additional countries are a bonus! If you want to hire us for your wedding in a state/country we haven't photographed, there is a special gift for you! And we don't charge you any weird travel fees; just the cost to get us there, a room, and a meal or two.
What's your style?
Have you had a chance to review the Home page? This should give you a good idea of what our style is like. Many couples want to hear specific words like "photojournalistic" or "fine art" when searching for their wedding photographer. Personally, I don't believe we have any one style that defines our work. If I had to put a name to it, I would say ‘documentary with a mix of creative portraiture and fine art throughout.’ What is most important to us is that you look and feel great on your wedding day. Capturing candid moments (documentary) is essential as well as creating beautiful, creative portraits (fine art). Yes, you CAN have both!
Natural Light? Off Camera Flash? Other?
Yes, Yes, and Yes. Many photographers group themselves into one of these groups to define how they use light in their work. I feel there is no silver bullet to what type of light you must use all of the time to make great work. Just like you have an oven, microwave, and stove in your kitchen. They all heat your food, but is one better than the rest? Maybe some of the time, but not all of the time. That's exactly the point with what type of light I like to use!
Pricing?
There are no one-size fits all packages that will accommodate every couples' needs. A couple with a courthouse elopement does not have the same needs as a couple hosting a 250-person wedding. I know you really want a number… The best answer is to say most couples spend between $2k - $5k. WOW, Zack, that's a huge range! Well, yeah. What does that include? You're asking a lot of questions! That's a good thing, let's talk!
Why an engagement session?
Engagement sessions are a terrific time for us to get to know you and you to know us. You'll find us getting into a flow that will continue on through your wedding day. I want you two to feel like models, rockstars, and most importantly, comfortable with being on "that" side of the camera.
What is a bridal session?
A bridal session is photo shoot on a separate day from your wedding, similar to an engagement session, except you are in your dress and tux. Most couples do it several weeks following their wedding.
Why do a bridal session?
Bridal sessions are an excellent way to take even more photos of you and your now-spouse as a married couple dressed in wedding clothing. Maybe you want to explore a place that was not feasible to get to on your wedding day. Maybe you want more private time to take intimate photos. Maybe you just want to spend more time with us (most popular reason!).
What's on your wedding photography bucket list?
WOW, I can't believe you asked! Thank you! If you are unsure of what a wedding photography bucket list is, it is a list of weddings I would like to photograph. They could be exotic places, themes, times, or any other unique feature. As noted above, we are working to photograph a wedding in every state! Below is the rest of the list, if your wedding includes any of these things, please let us know! There is a special gift for you!
A wedding on top of a mountain
An elopement in Vegas
A wedding at Oktoberfest
A wedding ceremony in a forest
A costume wedding
A Wizard of Oz themed wedding
A Disney themed wedding
A Game of Thrones themed wedding
A wedding on each continent (if you are seriously getting married in Antartica, I'll do it for free)
A wedding that includes surfing
A wedding in a hangar or at an airport
A wedding in the Scottish highlands
A wedding in the French Quarter, New Orleans
A wedding on top of a sky scraper
A wedding with any type of exotic exit, helicopter, plane, hovercraft...
A wedding at a ski resort, in winter
A wedding in Iceland
A wedding on a lake, portraits in a row boat on the lake
A Willy Wonka themed wedding
A wedding on a mega yacht
A wedding during Carnaval in Rio