Frequently Asked Questions
How many weddings have your photographed? How long have you been in business?
As of early 2019, we have photographed close to 450 weddings. We started Thomas Beaman Photography in 2010 when we moved to PA from California.
Do we need to provide you with a meal from our caterer?
No you do not. Even though many wedding vendors require a meal, we do not believe in making you pay for our food. I can't think of any other job where people go to work and expect to be fed. We always bring our own food and eat on the go when we have time. This way we are always ready to capture the moments. Make sure you remind your caterer not to charge you for vendor meals for us.
Do you have insurance?
Absolutely! I am fully insured.
Our venue requires a certificate of insurance, can you provide that?
Absolutely. We ask that this request is made 2 months prior to the wedding date. This gives my insurance company the time they need to submit the documents.
Can you hold the date for us (pencil us in)?
I am sorry but I can't hold any dates without a retainer and a signed contract. All dates are booked on a first come/served basis. This is to ensure I am being fair to everyone who contacts me.
How much is the booking fee/retainer? When is final payment due?
The booking fee/retainer is $500 and the final balance is due 30 days prior to the wedding day.
If we cancel the wedding can we get the retainer back?
The $500 booking fee/retainer is non-refundable. The retainer and signed contract guarantees that I will hold the date exclusively for you and turn down all other work for that specific date.
When she would we book you? How far advance do you usually book?
You should book as soon as you know that I am the perfect fit for you and your wedding (this goes for all other vendors you need too). Since all dates are first come/first served, once a date is booked, it's taken off of my calendar. I have booked dates 2 years in advance and I have booked dates 2 months before a wedding. It is completely unpredictable. Generally, Saturdays between April and November are booked 1 year to 16 months in advance. Fridays and Sunday weddings are all over the map. Best advice is to book as soon as you know that I am the right fit for your wedding.
What kind of cameras do you use?
Our primary camera system is the Canon 5d mkiv with a huge variety of L series Canon lenses.
Do you carry a backup camera?
How many images will we receive?
If there are a few images that we want in both color and black and white, can you do that for us?
We can do even better! We give our couples ALL of the images in color and another set in black and white.
Are all of your digital files edited?
Do we get the rights to our photos?
What if you get sick?
We have not missed a wedding in our entire 9 years of business but in the rarest of rare occasions that something really bad happened, Megan our associate photographer would take the lead. She has been with the company for over 4 years and photographs her own weddings under our name. We trained her to shoot in our style. You have have actually been seeing her work all over the website. Since all editing is done by one person, you can't tell the difference between photos taken taken by Thomas and those taken by Megan. Plus we are friends with most of the amazing photographers around Central PA and we always have each others back in case of emergency. If you are still concerned about this, please give us a call and we can chat more about the subject.
Do you offer albums?
Yes, we end up making albums for about 75% of our couples. Albums are custom designed by us. You receive an online proof of the design. Once you receive the proof, you will be able to make any changes that you want. Once you think it's perfect, it goes to print and gets delivered to your doorstep. These albums are absolutely gorgeous!