Hi, I’m Mark and I’d love to photograph your wedding.
Weddings are awesome, and marriage is a big deal. I feel so honored that I’ve somehow made a career out of photographing one of people’s happiest days. While I believe that a marriage is so much more than just one day, your wedding is a unique and incredible time for you and your favorite people to get together and celebrate the beginning of that journey. And I get to come along to take pictures? That’s the best.
Hiring a photographer is one of the most personal decisions you’ll make during this process. At the end of the day, I want you to love your photos, and I promise to do everything I can to help make this happen.
I wish I was the perfect photographer for every couple, but I know that’s not the case. At the end of the day, it all comes down to trust.
My best work comes as the result of clients trusting me to tell the visual story of their wedding day. If you’re not in love with the style of images you see on my website, no problem! I want you to find a photographer whose work speaks to you and makes you feel that you can trust them to deliver the kind of images you’ve been dreaming of. I hope that’s me, but I value your happiness over my business!
I began photographing weddings because I love to tell stories, and the narrative of a wedding day is probably one of the most exciting ones out there. Wedding photography doesn’t have to be a big production. I don’t have to do much; the story is already there. My job is to find the moments, and preserve them beautifully.
My chief concern when photographing your wedding is that you walk away with beautiful photos that feel like you. I’m all for taking awesome portraits of you and your spouse against an incredible vista, but I’m equally excited about the in-between moments that really capture the essence of your wedding story. I encourage you to take a look at some of the full wedding posts I have on my website to get a good feel for what to expect from your wedding day coverage.
All of my packages include:
Coverage from Mark Spooner
Processed Digital Photos
An Online Proofing Gallery
I don’t believe in taking your photos and holding them for ransom. You will receive anywhere from 500-750+ full resolution digital files that are yours to keep. I’ll hold onto the copyright for my own marketing, but you’re not going to be hit with any extra costs or loopholes to access the images that you’ve hired me to give you. Know that your wedding is incredibly important to me, whether a photo from your special day ends up on the front page of my website or the front of your grandmother’s fridge.
If you’ve done any searching, you’ve probably found plenty of photographers offering packages with all the bells and whistles. I could try my best to convince you to spend an extra $1000 on a beautiful wedding album, but I’d rather keep the base of things simple and give you the option of adding all that awesome stuff down the line. I offer 3 packages with the hopes of accommodating a variety of budgets. The hourly discount you'll see in the larger packages is designed to reflect my desire to be present for more of your wedding day’s events. Feel free to shoot me any questions that you might have!
A portrait session is a great way for us to connect and explore a little while making some special photographs. I love these sessions because they allow us to be as adventurous as you’d like – exploring the coast at sunset or hanging out at your place for an intimate at-home session. These typically last anywhere from 60-90 minutes and usually take place somewhere between the North Shore and Boston. If you’d like to explore beyond that there might be a small travel fee for extra time. Having a set of laid-back photos in non-wedding attire is always a great addition to your wedding package. These sessions begin at $500
I love small weddings. Stripping down a wedding to its core elements can be a very refreshing idea for those who don’t feel that a traditional wedding really represents what they’re looking for in a ceremony. If this sounds like your style let’s chat about your plans and get something on the books!
FAQ
HOW DO I BOOK?
To reserve your date, I simply need a signed contract and a $2,000.00 non-refundable retainer fee. If your wedding requires travel, I’ll also need the expenses paid at the time of booking to ensure travel costs are as quoted.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
I currently live on the North Shore of Boston but am available for travel worldwide. I’m a pro at fitting the essentials into a carry on and love to see new places. Don’t let distance keep you from reaching out!
DO YOU BRING A SECOND SHOOTER?
I have learned to document weddings well on my own and have photographed most of my career as a sole photographer. That said, hiring a second photographer can be a great way to get additional coverage of your wedding day, especially if logistics dictate photographs being needed in two places simultaneously. A second photographer is also a great asset in helping document extra detail photos and can provide extra focus on family and friends while you and I might be getting portraits elsewhere. Second shooters can be added to any package for $750.00.
WHO HAS COPYRIGHT?
While I’ll retain the copyright of the images from your wedding day, my contract gives personal print and media permissions to my clients for any non-commercial use. If you have particular concerns about privacy, please let me know.
CAN WE MEET YOU BEFORE OUR WEDDING DAY?
Establishing a great connection with my clients is essential to being able to capture their day well, so having some sort of contact beyond email is a prerequisite before booking me as your photographer. If you’re local to the North Shore I’d be glad to try and meet you for a cup of coffee. If this isn’t feasible, I’m more than happy to set up a Facetime or Skype call. I want to make sure that you’re 100% confident that I’m the right photographer to be joining you to document your special day!
DO YOU TRAVEL FOR WEDDINGS?
I sure do, and I love it! I charge a travel fee of $150 for interstate weddings in addition to the actual expenses of any airfare and/or hotel stay. Most weddings that include air travel will require two nights accommodation in addition to transportation. I request at least a one-night hotel or airbnb stay for weddings and events that take place more than 2 hours away from my home in Beverly, MA.
DO YOU HELP US THINK THROUGH THE SCHEDULE OF THE DAY?
I would love to! I’ve photographed over 100 weddings, and love to use this know-how to better the experience of my clients. Big things to consider are sunlight, travel, and priorities. First looks are often a photographer’s favorite because they relax the day and give us plenty of time to get through portraits, but I will of course differ to your specific vision for your wedding day. Once booked I’ll send you a pre-wedding questionnaire that will help us think through the specifics of the day. Whether we work together or not, click here for what I hope is a helpful resource as you think through the timeline of your wedding day.
