Christy Hunter Photography: 10 Questions with Christy Hunter

Photographer - Christy Hunter

Business: Christy Hunter Photography
Location: Seattle, Arizona AZ, Washington WA
Experience: 6 years
Photography Types: High school Seniors, Engagements, Weddings
Profile: Christy Hunter Photography
Website: christyhunter.com

1. Introduction: What's your story?

Hey there! My name is Christy, owner of Christy Hunter Photography. Your wedding day is an important milestone in your life and an event that deserves unparalleled attention and care. There is no doubt in my mind that my love language is serving others. While working in customer service for a decade, I noticed that I wasn’t content with just meeting people’s needs like those around me were. I always wanted to do more, give more, and to be more for my clients. That’s what I will do for you. Whether you send me 3 emails over the next year or 50, I’ll respond with just as much enthusiasm and detail from beginning to end.

I believe that there is no better feeling in the world than wrapping your arms around your sweetheart and feeling them hug you tightly. Every day. And make sure you have one embarrassing nickname for them that always makes them smile no matter what. That big, cheesy, impossible-to-hold-back smile that ultimately ends with laughter and a kiss. I measure my success by how often I’ve made others smile. I do what I do because I believe in nourishing relationships and I love seeing the joy couples have found in each other.

I'm so happy that you're here and thinking about allowing me to serve you and your sweetheart on your special day!

2. How long have you been shooting weddings? How many weddings have you photographed?

In the fall of 2017, my husband purchased me my first camera for my birthday. Within just a few months, I knew that this was a lifelong passion I wanted to pursue as a career. I focused on furthering my education and growing/up-leveling my photography gear. I started photographing weddings the following year in the summer of 2018. Weddings and engagements have been my primary focus ever since. Working with couples is just want really makes me happy!

The number of weddings that I photographed doubled from 2018 to 2019 from 8 to 17. Unfortunately, due to the impact of the pandemic on the wedding industry, I was only able to celebrate 7 weddings in 2020. My hope is that a sense of normalcy for everyone comes in 2021 and I can continue working with awesome couples on their big day!

3. How would you describe your photography style?

I believe the story of your day should be captured in a bright and vibrant style that matches how marrying your best friend makes you feel. With me, I want you to feel like you’re hanging out with a friend: comfortable and sharing laughs.

4. How well in advance should couples book their wedding photographer?

Book your wedding photographer as far in advance as you can (once you have your date, of course). Why? Well think of it this way: many of your other wedding vendors can serve multiple couples on one day. Caterers, for example, tend to have a team of people. They work together to get your food ready and have multiple people available for delivery. But your wedding photographer can't serve two couples on one day. Most weddings need a minimum of 6 hours for coverage (and that's if you don't have EVERYTHING photographed), but 8 hours of coverage is pretty standard. Plus they have to account for travel to your venue.

So how far in advance should you book your wedding photographer? As I mentioned before, the earlier the better. The prime time frame is about 12 to 18 months before your wedding. Why shouldn't you wait until closer to your date? Remember, scarcity is a real thing. Especially if you have your eye on a particular photographer! Photographers can only serve one couple on a date. Once that date is taken it's gone. There are some other things to keep in mind that increase scarcity even more (with photographers and other vendors):

- If you are trying to plan your wedding date around a long holiday weekend, those dates fill up CRAZY fast! After all, if you don't have to use vacation time from work to celebrate with friends and family, why would you?
- Are you trying to book your wedding for a prime/favorite wedding season in your area? Here in Arizona, summertime is... well... HOT! And if you want an outdoor ceremony, summer isn't ideal. So, in that case, Spring and Fall dates fill up faster. And there are a finite number of weekends in those months!

Peak booking months tend to fall during the months of December through March. This corelates to all of our big U.S. holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and Valentine's Day. This time period is known as "Engagement Season" in the wedding industry and, as I mentioned before, photographers are usually one of the very first vendors that couples reserve.

My favorite benefit to booking your vendors early though: less stress! Being able to cross things off your to-do list is a GLORIOUS feeling! The more you accomplish the more time you have to enjoy your engagement season of life!

5. What are the different packages that you offer and which one is your most popular package?

I’ve created 3 select collections over the years along with some a la carte items that I feel best serve my couples. All collections include an engagement session, all of the fully edited images in an online gallery, and a minimum of 7 hours of coverage. The middle collection is the most popular choice that couples choose for their day.

I know that you're eager to dive into Investment information. Based on the answers to a Wedding Questionnaire that I send to all of my potential couples, I'll determine what their wedding photography needs are. I use their answers to these questions to create a personalized experience from the very beginning of our time together. While I encourage all of my couples to make sure they don't sacrifice on anything that they really desire for their wedding day, I don't ever want them to feel like they aren't being taken care of and getting exactly what they need.

As a wedding photographer, I am completely committed to helping my clients not only feel prepared and excited for their wedding day, but also to walk them through the booking process. You’ll probably look at package options and think, “Well, ok, how do I decide?” Before officially booking, I always talk with couples and find out the details of their day that can impact how much coverage they need. These are things like how many locations you'll be using throughout the day, how long your ceremony will be, if you will have a large bridal party, etc.

6. Are you the wedding photographer who will be shooting on the wedding day? Who else is there in your team?

I love being both interactive and discreet throughout the wedding day. There will be parts of the wedding day when I will need to be in control in order to accomplish everything that needs to be done while staying on schedule. There will also be moments when you shouldn’t even know that I’m there. (The ceremony, during dances and toasts, etc.) I teach my couples how to pose, model, and interact during their engagement session so they are naturals on the wedding day and don’t need quite as much instruction from me!

I will always be the lead photographer on your wedding day. I'm the person that you'll be building a relationship with from the time that you inquire all the way until your wedding album is delivered. I also bring along a second professional photographer with me to EVERY wedding day! This is for a couple of reasons:

1. By having two photographers present, I am able to focus on capturing all the big moments of the day while my second photographer can be on the lookout for emotional reactions and all the small in-between moments.

2. I know it’s scary to think about, but sometimes things happen. Maybe I become extremely ill or have a devastating death in the family. This has never happened, but you have to be prepared for what happens then? This is one of the BIG reasons I now REQUIRE a second photographer to be with me on your wedding day. If I were to become ill, have an accident (I’ve seen it!), or something crazy, I want to know that I have a photographer already there with me that I can trust to serve you.

7. Do you charge a travel fee? For what distance? What does that cover?

I do not charge for travel unless your wedding takes place more than 50 miles from my home. If your wedding venue were to fall into that category, then travel fees would be calculated based on your wedding's specific needs (if I have to fly instead of drive, reserving a rental car, number of nights at a hotel, etc.). I choose not to charge a blanket travel fee in case your wedding may not really need that flat rate amount. If I know that extended travel will be involved, I'll provide you an estimate before booking me for your day so that you know exactly what to expect.

8. Are albums or prints included in your packages?

An heirloom wedding album is included in 2 out of 3 of my wedding collections. All albums are custom designed by a professional album designer. Just a couple of weeks after receiving your wedding gallery, I'll send you the initial album design along with a form for you to create your unique album cover. Other custom options are available upon request!

Every couple always receives high-resolution digital files of their images as well as printing rights. You will have the ability to purchase professional quality prints and canvases directly through your wedding gallery OR you can print them on your own. The only thing I caution my clients on is that at regular retail labs, the machines aren’t calibrated and the technicians aren’t trained to make consistent professional prints with correct color, so you might see anywhere from a slight to a drastic quality difference between the images you see on your screen and the prints you receive from them.

9. How long after the wedding will the couple receive the images? How will they be delivered?

I love delivering my client’s files quickly and easily via an online gallery. You will have the ability to print, share, and download your images as much as you want. I believe in freely sharing my work because that is what I would want if I were in your shoes!

All edited images will be available for viewing and downloading within ONE MONTH after the Wedding date. I guarantee their online availability for one (1) year.

10. What is your cancellation and/or refund policy?

I understand that things happen. Because damages are difficult to ascertain, the Couple may cancel there agreement with me under the following terms:

- If the Wedding is totally canceled, (a “Cancellation”) The Photographer shall keep the non-refundable retainer and any additional payments made or due under this Agreement as liquidated damages and not as a penalty;

- If the Wedding is rescheduled to and The Photographer, using commercially reasonable efforts, is available to provide the services in this Agreement, the Parties may amend this Agreement to the rescheduled date. The Photographer may require an additional non-refundable retainer for a reschedule, and any fees for rescheduling travel shall be paid by the Couple.

- If the Wedding is rescheduled and The Photographer is not available to provide the services under this Agreement, it shall be considered a Cancellation, and The Photographer shall keep all non-refundable retainers and payments due under this Agreement as liquidated damages and not as a penalty.

- If the Couple wishes to end this contract for any other reason, it shall be considered a Cancellation, and The Photographer shall keep the non-refundable retainer and any additional payments made or due under this Agreement as liquidated damages and not as a penalty.

Upon a Cancellation, I shall have no further liability to perform.