Frequently Asked Questions about wedding photography.

Hiring the Wedding, Payment, and Logistics

Will you personally be the photographer for our wedding, or will you send another photographer?

I will always be the one personally. The choice of the photographer for your wedding is crucial for the future: hiring a specific photographer means deciding how you want to remember your wedding day. Therefore, by choosing me as your wedding photographer, you are choosing my perspective, my style, your memories—that’s why I have to be there. If we want to hire you for our wedding, how far in advance should we do it? That’s easy: the sooner, the better! However, the months that fill up in advance are the summer months, sometimes up to a year and a half in advance! My advice? If you have high standards and truly care about the memories you’ll have of your big day, don’t leave it for the last moment! There aren’t many good photographers who fit what you’re looking for and have the date available. Once you find one, hire them immediately! (=

Will we sign a contract?

Always. If you live far from Curridabat, we can come to an agreement. How much does the wedding photography coverage cost? I have three wedding packages. To learn about more options and details, please email me at foto@douglascedeno.com or you can call me at 8534 36 13. How does the payment process work? A 25% deposit of the total amount is required to reserve the date when signing the contract. The remaining 75% is due one week before the event.

Are the prices inclusive of VAT?

VAT needs to be added to the prices of our packages.

How do we reserve our wedding date?

The main requirement to reserve my services for your wedding is to make an advance payment. It’s the only way I can confidently tell other couples who are getting married on the same day and want to hire me that the date is already booked. Do you do weddings outside of San José? What about outside of Costa Rica? And outside of America? And the world? Of course! I love to travel and photograph weddings in places where I have never been. In the past two years, I have been doing weddings and engagement sessions in Europe, and well, the day they have weddings on Mars, I’ll be available too!

Is travel included in the price?

For weddings within the Metropolitan Area (San José, Cartago Centro, Heredia Centro), travel is included. For weddings outside that area, an additional transportation fee would be charged. To know the prices, you can visit this link Travel expenses cost (CLICK)

How can we hire you if we live far from San José?

You can either come and spend a weekend here, and we can meet at my office in Curridabat (we can even take the opportunity to do an engagement session!), or we can have a meeting via Skype. If you decide remotely that I should be the photographer for your wedding, I will send you the signed contract by email, and you can make the advance payment. Nowadays, this is wonderful! Haha!

Where can we meet you? Do you have an office?

My office is located on the north side of the Catholic church in Curridabat, San José. You can find the address here (CLICK) I attend by appointment only. Do you do wedding videography? At the moment, I am only a wedding photographer. Haha!

Engagement Session

What is an engagement session?

It’s a one-hour photo session that takes place a few months before the wedding day. During the session, the engaged couple, dressed casually, engages in kisses, hugs, and holding hands. You know, the typical everyday stuff! Haha!

Is it important or necessary to have an engagement session?

If it really serves a purpose, it’s to get to know each other better, so that on the wedding day, we have the feeling that we are (almost) friends. It also helps a lot in discovering your best angles and preferences when it comes to photography. You can also use the photos for invitations or create a canvas for the reception.

Where does the engagement session take place?

Wherever you want! The packages include sessions in San Jose Centro, Cartago Centro, or Heredia Centro, but we can also do urban, countryside, garden, beach sessions, etc. We just need to discuss it!

Are there any additional charges if we want the session on the beach or in places far from the coverage area?

If you want to have the session in Guanacaste, due to the distance and the time it takes to get there and back, there would be travel expenses. The coverage areas with no additional costs are San Jose, Cartago Centro, and Heredia Centro.

Is the engagement session included in the wedding coverage?

Starting from the golden package, yes. You can also add more sessions at a special price if you book your date.

Do you recommend bringing a companion to the engagement session?

Absolutely! It’s important that you both feel relaxed on this day and don’t have to rush to get things from the car or worry about carrying things. So, having an assistant whom you feel comfortable with and can even have fun with is highly recommended.

Do you do engagement sessions for couples who are not getting married but want to have a photoshoot?

Yes, but if I haven’t been hired for the wedding, the price for an engagement session is $200.

My photographic style and how I work at weddings

What is your style as a wedding photographer?

I believe my wedding photos speak for themselves, but let’s try to put it into words! The key is as follows: “I go with the flow.” That means I never tell you what to do. I am a photojournalist and documentary photographer, so my job is to capture things as they happen. This is the key to making your wedding photos unique, unlike those of other couples. And that’s also how I enjoy it. Just take a look at my blog (where I share some of the work I do) to see for yourself. As one of my slogans says, “We specialize in preserving your memories!”

Furthermore, my focus is on capturing emotions and feelings, whether it’s laughter, tears, or hugs. And there’s plenty of that at a wedding, as well as in my photos!

I have been working as a wedding photographer for over 5 years, always imbuing my vision and perspective into every photo I take, and giving my best. I believe I create unique photographs because I work with the couples’ ideas. I’m not interested in posing them on a tree or having them do fake poses. I want them to be themselves, both in the engagement session and on the wedding day. There’s nothing better than photographs that speak of your relationship and represent who you are.

We don’t like posing! Do we have to pose on our wedding day?

Haha! No, not at all. Anyway, consider that out of the 4 to 7 hours that a wedding usually lasts, the “posed” session takes about 40 minutes. But we only do it if you want to. However, I recommend doing it: the poses I do are not like the ones before, cheesy and without charm, and I think it’s worth the little “effort” to have some good photos of you where I can control the light, the background, etc. Before you know it, you’ll be at the table enjoying appetizers!

Can you still get good photos of us during the wedding even if we don’t pose?

Yes, of course. But it’s more challenging to get photos of both of you together. I recommend spending those 40 minutes after the ceremony and before the reception for some kisses and hugs. But you have to give it your all during that time! OK? 🙂 How many photos do you usually take during a wedding? Between 300 and 500. I carry my camera on my back, and a lot happens in 4 to 7 hours. Plus, if I see “something,” I can’t help but photograph it. Although then I spend hours and hours selecting… But what can I do, it’s my job! And I like it! We want the wedding photos to include the guests, not just us. Is that possible? I take many photos of the guests during the wedding, you just have to see my photo galleries. As I said, if I see something, I take the photo. But it’s also true that the main characters in the movie are the two of you. And above all, I pay attention to the people who interact with you. The guests who appear the most in the wedding photos are the ones who have been with you the most at the wedding: it never fails!

Do you take group photos on the wedding day?

I always recommend, within the possibilities of the day’s schedule, trying to take a photo with each table and the bride and groom. This is because there are many guests who avoid the camera, and it’s a great way to have a memory of everyone who attended (= What photographic equipment do you use on the wedding day? Do you have backup equipment? I always carry two Nikon d750 cameras and a backup Nikon d7100. I also bring several Nikon lenses: 11-16mm 2.8, 17-55mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8, 85mm 1.8, and 35mm 1.4, 24-70mm 2.8. I also have 2 Nikon sb910 flashes and 4 Pocket Wizards to remotely trigger the flashes.

Do you shoot more than one wedding per day?

Oh no! I couldn’t even if I wanted to! A wedding lasts between 5 and 7 hours, and I’m so exhausted afterward that I don’t even shoot weddings the next day… 🙂 Do you stay until the end of the wedding? It’s up to you. I have two options: you can hire me until the end of the wedding -no matter how long it takes-, or you can use the hours agreed upon in the package. In the second case, you can always tell me on-site to stay for more hours, of course. It’s up to you! 🙂

What is your experience with weddings?

I have been a professional wedding photographer for 4 years, and up until 2015, I had done around 95 weddings. Prior to that, I worked as an assistant to a retired wedding photographer for 2 years and learned from his work, so we could add another 6 years of wedding experience.

Do you do any other types of photography jobs besides wedding photography?

At a professional level, primarily, I only do weddings and all kinds of photography sessions related to love: engagement sessions, family sessions, post-wedding sessions, and pregnancy photos. Always in real settings (indoors or outdoors) and never in a studio because I don’t like it, haha!

The wedding day

Can you take photos of the bride’s preparations?

Yes, of course. I have a package that includes it, or you can add a two-hour session to any package for $250.

Do we need to provide you with a meal during the reception?

It’s not mandatory. In fact, in other countries, this is not usually done. However, it’s important to consider that for a photographer, working at a wedding – at least the way I work – is physically and mentally exhausting, especially if you’re carrying a camera for 7 hours. Being able to sit down, drink plenty of water, and eat well is essential. Furthermore, I always ask my couples to place me inside the room where the reception is taking place so that I can have my meal there. If I’m eating and something happens or if I sense that something might happen (like if a guest approaches their table), I get up and go closer because on that day, any conversation can end with a tight hug or a sea of tears, and I want and need to be there to capture it in my photos. It’s important to emphasize that during the reception, I try not to take photos of guests while they’re eating to avoid making them uncomfortable. It’s a period where respect is highly valued. In any case, if you decide not to provide me with a meal, please let me know at least a few days before the wedding.

What happens if your camera, flash, or lens breaks during the wedding?

I bring two cameras, two flashes, and several professional-grade lenses. Everything is under control! 🙂

Do you stay until the end of the reception? Always, at least for an hour. If you want me to stay longer, you can book extra hours or directly choose the gold package, which includes 7 hours of coverage on the wedding day, which is ample time for me to stay until the end.

What time do you start taking photos on the wedding day?

I usually arrive half an hour before the event, but the start time is determined during our meeting and agreed upon in the contract.

Where do we take outdoor photos on the wedding day?

Usually, they are taken in the garden of the restaurant or hotel where the reception is taking place. They can also be taken after the ceremony if there is an interesting location nearby. The session usually lasts around 40 minutes (I recommend this as a minimum to achieve the best photos), but if you’re eager and there is enough time, we can go wherever you want and for as long as you want. We just need to discuss it!

What is the First Look session?

It is the first meeting of the couple, just before the ceremony, usually at the venue where the ceremony will take place, and they are dressed for the wedding. It can also be chosen to take place at a neutral location, such as a forest along the way, etc. Sometimes the couple is separated by an element that prevents them from seeing each other but allows them to appear together in the photos. In other cases, the groom’s eyes are blindfolded, and only the bride can see him. There are several possible combinations.

Delivery of wedding photos

What do you deliver?

From the 400 to 700 photos I take at the wedding, I select the photos that I like, or photos that are objectively important moments, or photos that, even if I’m not thrilled about them, may have value to you. These photos are individually retouched by me and will be provided to you on a USB memory stick in JPG format, high resolution, without any watermarks or signatures. From this selection of photos, you can make prints, albums, canvases, frame them, or whatever you have in mind. Do you deliver all the photos you take at the wedding? If more photos are captured than stated in the package, they will always be provided. On average, around 40 to 50 photos per hour are taken, deleting only test shots for lighting or unflattering gestures. What is the delivery time for the wedding photos? Within one to two weeks after the wedding, you will receive a digital link to download the high-resolution photographs. Depending on the package you have chosen, we have several options: printing, starting to assemble the album, or creating a canvas or frame with your preferred photograph.

Is it possible to choose the photos for the wedding album?

Yes, of course! Once I send you the link, you can select the photos for your album. I can guide you on the ideal number of photos based on the type of album and the number of contracted pages. How many photos are included in the wedding album? Between 60 and 70, depending on the album. In some models, there is even an option to include up to 150 photographs. Do you retouch the wedding photos? Yes, all the photos I deliver are adjusted and retouched for white balance, saturation, and highlights. I strive to do the work directly from the camera so that the photos endure over time. I don’t apply Instagram-like filters or fantasy colors because what may be appealing now might not be desirable in five years when you might regret having the entire wedding in artificial orange or blue tones.

Do you take photos in color or black and white?

Digital cameras capture photos in color. However, when retouching them, I always consider the option of presenting them in black and white. The majority of the photos remain in color.

Can we ask you to turn a color wedding photo into black and white and vice versa?

Yes, of course, no problem. As I always say, they are my photos, but they are your memories!

Can we print the wedding photos you provide us on the USB ourselves?

Absolutely! All the wedding photos are in high resolution and without any watermarks. You can even make a poster if you want! (And you wouldn’t be the first.)

Additional Information:

What are the wedding albums like?

They are elegantly white, and you can choose how to arrange the photographs and their size. You can see a sample here: [insert link]

What size is the frame and the printed photograph?

The frame has a size of 83 x 65 cm, which is similar to a 42-inch screen. You can see it during our meeting in my office, and there are samples available.

Any more questions? 🙂 Thank you!

Books and Metal Prints