FAQ


PHOTOGRAPHY


What is the nature of your relationship with your photographers?
We work with top - tier photographers who focus on photography, not running a business. Most of our photographers shoot the majority of their weddings through Bellagala. Some photographers shoot weddings outside Bellagala, however they tend to be more expensive for the same product and or simply cannot not offer the same product as Bellagala. This is because Bellagala's post production and finish album resources far exceed the capability of an individual photographer, which allows Bellagala to provide disproportionately awesome value.


What is generally the difference between a photographer who charges $1,000 and one that charges $2,500?
While Bellagala prices vary in range from $1595 - $3495, you certainly can find a cheaper option. What you won't find is a cheaper option at the quality we offer. With Bellagala, it's simply comes down to economies of scale. We are able to offer unbelievable packages because we do more weddings.

The old adage, "you get what you pay for" especially holds true with photography. Typically a photographer charging $1,000 is new to the industry and hasn't invested in quality equipment or training, which can cost upwards of $10,000. The cheaper photographers think that photography is a fun hobby, instead of a business, and treat your wedding as such.


Will I receive more personalized service from a photography studio that has multiple photographers or a solo photographer?
Most photographers got into business because they liked taking photos and they soon realized they could charge for their services.

You may or may not be familiar with the concept of "successfully to the point of incompetency." The idea here is that a individual gets to a level in the career where they accomplish much, which ultimately pushes them into areas that they are not competent in. For example, you'll hear of stories where someone is a peak performing salesman and they eventually get promoted to the sales manager position only to fail miserably. Frankly, it's a different skill set. Like that of the former analogy, as a photographer becomes more successful, the time is slowly shifted into areas that are not their strength; organization, administrative, business operations, but of course, they now need to now juggle multiple balls to keep things rolling.


What sort of back up systems do you have for storing the digital data?
Digital photos have a distinct disadvantage versus film if one is not properly equipped. Most independent photographers today are not able to properly archive and digitally store your wedding photos and end up erasing them after a couple of years. Or worse, they don't save them at all!

In 2009, Bellagala invested into Apple Xserve, Nas1100 Redudant back up, offsite servers, CD backup and a series of other internal back up measures to make sure we always have your wedding photos, in case you lose them.

Although it may seem trivial to ask about these technical issues, if your photographer seems unclear about the technical process in which they back-up data, it's likely that they have insufficient back-up and your wedding photos are at risk.


How many photos do I get?
Our photographers take as many pictures as needed throughout your wedding day. Your final CD of images will contain a minimum of 100 images per hour.


How much experience do you photographers have?
It depends. Some have 10+ years, while others have 3 years. We have found that time in business does not always equate to better photographs or a better experience.


How do I view my pictures online?
Pictage, our photo finishing lab, will be sending you an e-mail notification for viewing and ordering proofs and proofs products.


What's the difference between Bellagala's Associate Level photographers and Studio Lead photographers?
Associate photographers have proven wedding experience and are on their way to becoming a Studio Lead, but they typically are working on developing and broadening their portfolio. Associates are often moved up to the lead position after one or two years at Bellagala. Our Associate Leads have an average of 2-4 years professionally shooting weddings upon joining our team!

Our Studio Leads are experienced industry professionals with extensive portfolios. They have years of shooting weddings under their belts. While the average years of experience for our Studio Leads is 5-7, some of our Studio Leads have been snapping photos professionally for over 10 years. Their experience translates in to beautiful and memorable wedding pictures for you!


Can I see samples of an Associate Lead's work?
Yes, our Associate Leads' work is featured in our brochure on pages: 118, 136, 154 and 168. Additional samples can be seen at our office or online.


What is so special about your finished albums?
We have partnered with the premier finished album company, Graphistudio (Oprah even uses them for her photo albums!). Our albums feature seamless binding, archival printing, stunning layouts and cover options, and more. These quality albums are hand-made in Italy by the finest artists and designers.

Unlike online album services, Graphistudio albums are made to last a lifetime (or longer). Your album will still be beautiful after hundreds of viewings (and trust us, you will love your photos so much you will look at them at least 100 times!) and is an heirloom piece for the next generations.


How come other photographers charge so much for finished albums and you don't?
We feel that it is best to be up front with all the costs associated with photography. There are so many different package options that it can be hard to discern real value. Other photographers set their package prices lower and don't include an album, so that after the wedding they make their money selling you add on products.


Is Bella Pictures a division of Bellagala?
No. Bella Pictures is a national company based out of California. Although our names our similar, our service offerings are not. We pride ourselves in being a Minnesota company and hiring the best local talent and artists. In some instances our prices may be slightly higher, but we don't think you should sacrifice your relationship with your photographer or the quality of your photos to save a few dollars. For a more detailed comparison of Bellagala and Bella Pictures, contact your Bellagala Sales Consultant.


How soon will our pictures be ready after our wedding?
Your pictures will be up online for your viewing and your CD of negatives ready approximately 4 - 6 weeks after your event date.


When should we expect to hear from our photographer?
If you have chosen the Option 1 package, your photographer will be in touch with you 4 - 6 weeks prior to your wedding. If you have chosen Option 2, your photographer will be in contact within two business days.


How do you assign the photographer to our event?
We only assign photographers for our Option 1 package. We have extensive online planning tools that allow you to express your wants and desires for your wedding images. Once you have submitted that information, we match you to the photographer best suited to you.


What is the overtime rate for photographers?
$300 per hour plus tax.


Do we get proofs?
We found that the online proofing and printing system works great for most clients. However, if you would like to purchase your proofs in either a proof magazine or loose print proofs, you can do so for $350.


How much time should we allow for posed portraits?
The time for posed pictures is decided on between you and your photographer. Depending on the size of your portrait list, this can range between 45 minutes and two hours.


What is color correction?
Color correction is an important step in the digital editing process, however most photographers have neither the time nor inclination to master color correction. Instead they rely on photo printers or online photo hosting sites to color correct and adjust their photos. This type of color correcting is done by a computer in a batch process and since it is a secondary step by someone other than the photographer, you wouldn't receive those color corrected images on CD.

Professional color correction requires technical training, expensive equipment and a developed eye. At Bellagala, after your photos are taken, our post production specialist color corrects each picture individually before they go on CD to you. This process takes a lot of time and added expense, but we feel it is essential to your wedding photos.


Why is color correction important?
Color correction ensures your photos are as true to life as possible. Missing this crucial step often results in overly orange skin, washed out faces, and dull tones in your pictures. Without color correction, a good shot can look amateurish and low quality. But by spending the extra time (and money) to hand color correct every image, each of your photos will "pop" and look just the way the photographer intended.


What are bonus enhancements?
Our post production team has developed exclusive techniques to enhance your already beautiful photos. Some of our techniques are subtle, and some are obvious, but the end product we know you will love. Our bonus enhancements give your photos a distinct look and fine art feel.


What are the reprint prices?
All prints are done on archival quality paper through our online proofing and printing center.

4x6 print - $6
5x7 print - $8
8x10 print - $10
11x14 print - $18


How do we order our album?
After your pictures are online, you will fill out our finished album order form, where you will choose your photos and customize your layout and cover.


Can we add more images or pages to our album?
Yes, please contact your sales representative for specific pricing and options.


What pictures can go in our album?
You can incorporate pictures from your engagement session, wedding day, Trash the Dress session, The Traveling Photo Booth™ and the Photo Station.


What is the deposit?
$700 and it is fully refundable for 14 days.


When do we pay the balance?
Three weeks prior to your event date full payment is due. Any additional charges accrued the day of your wedding will be automatically billed to your credit card on file.