INTIMATE WEDDING INVESTMENT GUIDE
30 people or less
CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING ENGAGED!!!
I’M STOKED YOU ARE HERE!!!!
Congratulations on this new season of life and love! Choosing a photographer to capture your special day is not easy. There are a lot of factors to consider but I am so glad that you have reached out to me! I will never not love shooting love! Everyone’s day is special and full of love no matter where it is, the time of year or time of day. I have shot and experienced a lot and would love to be a part of YOUR day. If you have any questions, like how much time to allot for photos, or if you should wear your engagement ring during the ceremony, I can offer my advice based on your needs and what I have experienced! I look forward to chatting more with you to make your day as stress-free and full of love as possible!
WHO IS JADE RAE?
Great question! A little bit about me, Jade! I was born and raised in New Mexico. I love the diverse beauty in this state and how much it has to offer! I got my bachelor’s degree in studio art and photography at New Mexico State University, and learned that studio art isn’t my jam. I love capturing real moments for real people, which brings us here today. I love marriage. I love witnessing two children of God come together to live their lives for Him. The anticipation of the bride getting ready when she puts her dress on, to the cake being smashed in the groom’s face, weddings are so fun, full of life and love. When I’m not shooting with my camera, I am hanging out with my husband, Isaiah, and our puppy, Oakley. I love sitting in coffee shops, hiking mountains, traveling the country with my husband, getting tattoos, watching Parks and Rec for the 10th time, or catching up with old friends. I live my life as an open book and have nothing to hide from anyone so please ask me any questions about my life, photography or faith!
Let’s set the record straight with the word “Elopement ”. Parents and grandparents shudder at that word. But it has evolved into another option for those who don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a full-blown wedding. I like to call it an “Intimate Wedding” because if you invite all of your closest people, it’s super intimate and special. Elopements can be whatever you envision them to be. You can have your ceremony in a national park. You can invite guests or not. There is way less pressure when it comes to planning and experiencing your elopement.
RIGHT OFF THE BAT when you are planning your special day, you need to pinpoint THE MUST-HAVES. If you really want to save money, then stick to a tight budget. If you are focused on a stressless day, then don’t add a lot of things to do. If you long for adventure, strap on your boots and hike up a mountain. Explore Pinterest and spit-ball ideas onto a google doc so you can actually see what your day could be! Once you have those Must-Haves, then you can get into the details that make your day, scream Y O U.
Okay! Let’s get into it!
LOCATION & DATE
Choose a dream location. A special location that means so much to you and your sweetie. Do you want lots of adventure? Find a place that you backpack to. Do you like some adventure? Find a place you can hike to. Do you want a full day of adventure just exploring a new place? Find an airbnb and bring your photographer with you for a full day of photos to celebrate your love. Choose the time of year that best suits YOU! The summer in most places, especially national parks, are always busy.
LEGALITIES
Make sure your location requires permits to do what you are dreaming of. Figure out if you need an officiant and witnesses. Some places, like in Colorado, you don’t need an officiant to be legally married, just a marriage license. Plan when you will need to sign your marriage license!
GUEST LIST
Don’t feel obligated to invite everyone and their third cousin because that is what your mom would want. Invite the people that actually want to be there and know you and your sweetie. Invite immediate families and grandparents. Invite just your parents and have a big reception with more people later on. Invite a best man and maid of honor OR invite no one at all! Don’t let other’s opinions on how they think your wedding should be like drive you to make decisions that you don’t actually want to make. Don’t invite friends you haven’t talked to in a really long time. Do invite BEST friends. There are lots of guides online that can walk you through this process!
PERSONALIZATION
Make the day yours! LITERALLY ALL YOURS. If it’s chilly, put a jean or leather jacket on top of your dress! You don’t have to wear fancy shoes, wear chacos! Depending on your location and time of year, focus your outfits and accessories on that.
BUDGET
Remember to take into account:
-photography
-outfits and accessories
-travel costs
-legal document costs
-housing costs
FAMILY DRAMA
When family and friends hear about your elopement or intimate wedding, they might get their opinions BUT there are ways to make it clear to them why this decision was made. There are ways to include them in the planning so they don’t feel so distant or forgotten.
~Bring your mom, soon-to-be mother-in-law, sisters, grandmas to your dress fittings!
~Throw an engagement party and invite them all there!
~Livestream your ceremony to family and friends.
~Have a reception later on where you can dress up again!
I AM YOUR FRIEND, NOT A VENDOR!
What I do to serve you
Pray for you from the moment you contact me.
Edit your images fast so you can reminisce on your special day.
I help you plan your day, whether that be we figure out your day-of-timeline or if you need to figure out if you want to wear a cardigan over your dress!
Think of me as an extra bridesmaid! I help you get ready and help the groomsmen put their boutonnières on.
Make sure we are all on the same page so your day runs smoothly.
INVESTMENT
Why do photographers call it an investment? Because we know how much capturing memories mean to you. We know that choosing a photographer just for you is not easy. With that though, we also know that photography is not cheap. We have a lot of expenses to keep up daily, monthly, and yearly. We know what photography is worth and want to give you the absolute best, while also respecting our worth and talents. I have package options available to start to give you an idea but I know that money is hard and packages are overwhelming sometimes so you can add things to your package, talk to me about your budget, and I will try to help you as much as I can! I usually like to ask a lot of questions so I can better understand what your day will look like and how to best suit your needs so maybe a package isn’t what you need but instead for me to give you a price! Let’s chat about it!
I was initially drawn to Jade because she prays for us!!! It didn’t ever feel like “business”. She cares for her clients. Her photos outdid my expectations!! I asked for only one specific kind (under the veil) and all of them are so beautiful. I have too many favorites and She gave us all the photos!! SO WONDERFUL!
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
Jade is so passionate about photography and uses her God given talents to make her clients feel good and confident in front of the camera. Literally loved seeing her capture our special day!!
Still aren’t convinced?
Check out some full ELOPEMENT galleries below!
Package A
starting at $4,000
$500 retainer is included in the final price
7 Hour Coverage
Adventure Engagement Session (1 Hour Session)
Pic-Time link that can be shared and downloaded by anyone
In-person or FaceTime consultation
*Out-of-town travel accommodations not included*
Prices do not include tax
Package B
starting at $2,500
$500 retainer is included in the final price
3 Hour Coverage
Engagement Photos (30-Minute Session)
Pic-Time link that can be shared and downloaded by anyone
In-person or FaceTime consultation
*Out-of-town travel accommodations not included*
Prices do not include tax
ADD ONS
Additional Wedding Hour - $300
Second Shooter (different perspectives, more variety of images, more images) - $500
Rehearsal Dinner Coverage - up to 2 hours - $1,000
Film Photography - $100 per roll
Photo Album - $600 (YOUR wedding photos made into an album that Jade makes and sends to you)
TRAVEL
Traveling is always the last thing we tend to think about but it is the most important in my book! I can give you some suggestions as we are planning your day to make it easier on the both of us! I will estimate how much it will cost for my travel expenses and include it in your final invoice.
why prioritize photos and maybe spend a little more?
While your dress will get dirty, the food might get cold and your cake will be gone before you know it, YOUR PHOTOS LAST F O R E V E R. Invest, take some money out your guest gifts fund and spend it on photography! You will not regret it!
If you feel like I am the right fit for you and your fiancé, look at your budget and see where you can cut some money and put it into having your day be captured well. I know you have a million decisions to make and a lot of money to spend, but prioritize the photos and having complete confidence that your wedding will be captured and photos cared for by the right person!
FAQs
DO YOU OFFER PAYMENT PLANS?
Yes, through Honeybook, the platform you use to contact and email me! They are monthly payments where the last payment is due the month before your wedding.
DO YOU EDIT EVERY PHOTO?
All of the best shots I get from your wedding, I edit and give them to you! I never withhold images from my clients! Photographers do not edit every single photo because about 25% of them are either embarrassing shots of you and your honey, or blurry shots. They are bound to happen but we don’t give those to you. I do not give out raw photos because they are too large of files and do not reveal the creativity and effort it takes to edit a photo.
WHO IS YOUR SECOND SHOOTER / VIDEOGRAPHER
My husband, Isaiah! He travels with me for weddings and is my second shooter and videographer. He has lots of experience and is extremely talented!! You can trust him and his process. If you hire both a second shooter and videographer, my husband will be my videographer and I will have one of my trusted photographer friends be the second shooter!
WHEN DO WE PAY OUR RETAINER?
As soon as you decide to work with me, I will make up a contract for you with your wedding date, the package you chose as well as add-ons. The reatiner is due within a week after you sign the contract and is NON-REFUNDABLE.
I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING PLANNED FOR OUR WEDDING, CAN WE COME BACK AND STILL TRY TO HIRE YOU WHEN WE HAVE MORE DETAILS FIGURED OUT?
Of course! But also remember that my weekends can fill up pretty fast! The only information I need to secure your date is your wedding date! Once your retainer is paid, your date is fully yours! No one else can take that date away from you in my book!
THE PACKAGES YOU OFFER HAVE MORE HOURS THAN I NEED, CAN WE DISCUSS OTHER OPTIONS?
Yes! If you need fewer hours, let’s chat and figure something out that works for us both!
If I travel by car [max 10 hours away], travel costs must include:
gas
food/housing [if applicable]
If I travel by plane, travel costs must include:
flights [departing and arriving]
food/housing
rental car/gas [if applicable]
What does this process look like if I want to book you?
Great question! So if you look through this guide and feel confident I am your photographer, you will email me what package and add-ons you are needing! From there I will write up a contract showing the entire price along with some fun stuff I will need you to read. Once you sign that contract, I will send you an invoice where you will pay the $500 retainer. The rest of the payments will be split: one payment due halfway until your day and then one month before your event. This process needs to go by fast! Once I send over the contract, I am counting on you to sign it and move forward with me! I understand paychecks and maybe not having the money to pay it right away but if you wait 2 or 3 weeks before signing the contract and paying the retainer, I can’t hold your date any longer on my calendar.
If your contract is signed and your deposit is paid, then I will email you my welcome guide! There will be information in there to hopefully help you with further planning while we wait for your day to come!
I am ALWAYS available if you need to chat through your day and make sure we are all on the same page!
One month before your day I will email you with an example day-of timeline, a questionnaire and a list of some photos so I can get an understanding of what photos you prioritize on your day.
THANK YOU!
I am STOKED to talk to you further and get to know you and your honey. Please ask me ANY questions at all: about me, how I usually work on these days, or any elopement planning things. It makes everything so much easier when you feel comfortable and know what you want from me.
I also like to ask a lot of questions! I am a 6 on the enneagram so if that doesn’t explain things to you, I don’t know what will. I will keep you informed of anything that I will need from you before your day so everything runs as smoothly as possible.
One of my favorite things to do is chat and talk about life so let’s get to know one another! Again, thank you so much! I am so excited for you and can not wait to serve you through photographing your day!