documentary style wedding photography

Absolutely! I think it’s super important to meet up or chat about your plans and ideas before anyone commits to anything. Booking your wedding photographer is (for many) the 1st or 2nd most important decision on their wedding day!
If you’re local to Norwich, I’m usually able to pop over for a coffee and a chat. Failing that, there’s the phone, Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp — whichever works for you. These chats are totally no-pressure. I’m there to help, answer questions and offer advice. We’ll talk through your day, maybe go over some galleries, tell you how I work and what you can expect from me.  If at the end of it I’m not the right fit, that’s absolutely fine — better to find out early than on the day.

I do! If you hold a Blue Light Card (or you work for the NHS, emergency services, teaching, or the armed forces and aren’t signed up to it yet — it’s worth doing, it’s free for eligible workers), get in touch, and I’ll happily apply a discount to your wedding photography package. The exact discount varies slightly depending on which package you book, the venue and the date, but it’s always a meaningful amount rather than a token gesture. Just mention your Blue Light Card (or your role) when you get in touch, and I’ll factor it into the quote from the start.

Sure do! I love a destination wedding and I’ll happily travel pretty much anywhere you’re getting married. Travel and accommodation expenses are subject to individual arrangements, though — I’ll work out the fairest way to cover those with you based on where you’re going, how long you need me for, and how much planning is involved. If you’re getting married abroad, I’ll usually suggest flying in a day or two before the wedding so I can scout the venue, meet you properly, and be fully on-it for the day itself rather than rolling in jet-lagged. For UK destination weddings, it’s often just a case of adding a night’s accommodation to the quote. And I love London weddings btw (hint hint!) — it’s an easy train ride from Norwich, the venues are stunning, and there’s usually something wonderfully chaotic going on that makes for brilliant candid photos.

For a full-day wedding, 650–1000 is pretty typical. Of course, so much depends on guest numbers and what you have going on during the day. More guests typically mean more photos. And if you have a bouncy castle that your tipsy aunt decides to have a go on, expect even more photos — because who doesn’t like to laugh at a drunk family relative on a bouncy castle? Every photo in your final gallery is individually edited and chosen because it’s actually worth keeping. I don’t bulk-deliver every shot I take; I cull the near-duplicates, the missed-focus frames, and the ones where your nan blinked — so what you end up with is a gallery of really good photos rather than a hard drive full of filler.

Half-day bookings usually come in around 300–500 photos, depending on what’s covered. Either way, you’ll have plenty.

In 3–5 weeks after your ceremony, I’ll upload your images to a private online gallery. These are web-sized and perfect for online sharing on Facebook, Instagram and anywhere else you’d like to show them off. You’ll get a password-protected link you can share with family and guests, and there’s an optional built-in shop if anyone wants to order prints or books directly.

Then, roughly two weeks after the gallery goes live, the full high-resolution versions land on a branded USB/memory stick, delivered to your door. These are the print-ready files — very high resolution — so you can make albums, wall prints, or whatever else you fancy. If you’ve booked me for a full day, you’ll also receive a hand-picked selection of printed photos as part of the package. I want you to actually see your images in real life, not just on a screen.

Absolutely! I’m more than happy to offer discounts for out-of-season weddings or Monday–Thursday dates. Peak weekends in summer book up fastest and cost more across the industry; mid-week and off-season dates are often a lot of fun, a lot less stressful to plan (venues have more availability, suppliers are less stretched), and come with a nicer price tag attached. “Out of season” for me usually means November through March, and mid-week is anything Monday to Thursday. If your date falls into one of those brackets, let me know when you get in touch and I’ll factor the discount straight into your quote. Winter weddings in particular are criminally underrated — low golden-hour light, frosty venues, cosy fairy-lit receptions, and far fewer double-bookings across your favourite suppliers. If you’re flexible on timing, there’s real money to be saved without compromising on the day itself.

Yes, all serious wedding photographers will have a basic contract. It’s dull and boring, but don’t worry — it’s not scary or anything like that! The contract is there to protect both of us. It covers the obvious stuff: the date, the hours I’m booked for, what’s included in your package, payment schedule, cancellation terms, and what happens in the very unlikely event that something goes sideways (illness on the day, equipment failure, and so on). I use a standard, plain-English contract — no sneaky small print, no weird clauses, no lawyer-speak designed to catch you out. You’ll get the contract along with your invoice after you decide to book, and I’m always happy to talk through anything in it before you sign. If a question or concern pops up, just ask. I’d rather spend ten minutes clearing something up than have any awkwardness later down the line.

And speaking of contracts – I do have a handy guide about hiring a wedding photographer with lots of advice, tips and info – The ultimate guide to hiring a wedding photographer – Matthew Dartford Photography

Of course! All the photos I supply from your wedding day are licensed to you and your guests for personal use. This means you can print them, frame them, make albums, hang them on the wall, pop them in Christmas cards, post them online — all of that is completely fine. Your guests can do the same. Credits are very much appreciated if you’re sharing online, but not essential.

The only thing the licence doesn’t cover is commercial use — so you can’t resell the photos or use them for paid advertising, brand work, or anything like that. And if by chance your venue or supplier wants to use a photo for their marketing, you need to send it my way to confirm their needs and get permission. 

I keep digital backups of every wedding I shoot, and I keep them for as long as practically possible — often many, many years. If you lose your USB or accidentally wipe your online gallery, get in touch, and there’s a chance I can still help. That said, I cannot guarantee indefinite backup. Hard drives fail, cloud services change their terms, and the digital world is generally not as permanent as we’d all like. So the short version is: yes, I’ve probably got your back — but please don’t rely solely on me. When you receive your photos, make at least two copies of the USB and store them in separate places (one at home, one at a parent’s house, for example). And most importantly, actually print some of them. Prints outlive hard drives every single time.

Each wedding is subject to a booking fee/deposit to reserve your date. This is a non-refundable deposit, usually 35% of the full wedding photography package cost, and it’s what actually locks your date in — until that’s paid, I can’t turn down other enquiries for the same day, so the sooner it’s sorted, the safer your date is. The remaining balance (65%) is due no later than two weeks before the wedding. At the time of booking, you’ll receive an invoice with a full cost breakdown and payment schedule (and all the payment details you need).

If you’d rather spread the cost out across the months leading up to the wedding rather than pay it in two chunks, I’m happy to set up a custom payment plan — just ask when you book. The goal is to make the financial side as painless as possible so you can focus on the fun bits.

Bank transfer, cash, or online card payment — whichever’s easiest for you. Most couples go with bank transfer because it’s free, fast, and leaves a clean paper trail on both sides. All the payment details (account number, sort code, reference) are included on your invoice, so you don’t have to chase me for them. If you’d prefer to pay by card, I can send you a secure online payment link that handles most major cards. Any small processing fee that applies will be flagged up-front so there are no surprises at the till. Cash is absolutely fine too, though I’d only suggest it for smaller amounts (like a final balance top-up) rather than the full package, purely because carrying large amounts of cash around before a wedding is a pain. Whichever option you pick, you’ll get a proper receipt for your records.