Frequently Asked Questions Part 2 | Chloe Giancola Photography | Augusta Georgia Wedding Photographer | Aiken South Carolina Wedding Photographer
Chloe answers faqs - part 2
How many photos should I expect in my wedding gallery?
While every wedding varies based on the amount of details, number of guests, locations, size of bridal party, etc. I tell my clients to expect an average of 100 photos per hour. So a five hour coverage is usually 500 photos, an eight hour coverage is usually 800, and so on. Of course I don’t limit or cap my gallery delivery at a certain number. I include every fabulous photo in your gallery I take, minus the multiple family photos I take where someone inevitably blinks ;)
How far out should I book my wedding photographer?
If you have your heart set on someone do not wait. As soon as you know the city at least and the date or even the month, reach out to them. Some photographers want to shoot every weekend, others may prefer only 2 weekends per month. In my business I limit the amount of weddings I shoot per year to ensure my clients get the absolute best of me creatively and I do not get burnt out. I want my editing times to be fast for them, I want to connect and know my couples. I don’t want my business to feel like a factory, only focused on the quantity it puts out. My focus is more about quality and serving our couples well.
How did you know you were ready to enter motherhood and your business would still thrive?
Of course beginning a family is only partially in our control, ultimately God knows the plan for our lives. When I started my business in 2012 straight out of college, I knew I wanted to gain experience managing a wedding so I worked a little bit as a wedding coordinator as I worked on my photography skills before I was ready to start charging and going full time. My goal was to figure out my workflows, my style, my client experience, how to shoot, edit, get new clients, and everything in between so that hopefully once I was entering motherhood my business would already be established in every way and I would just be navigating the balance of work and becoming a new mom.
I know everyone’s journey varies and timing is different. I worked and hustled and said yes to everything for 3 years, we got pregnant with our first in 2025. I now have three children and have established my business and boundaries enough where I have flexibility and get to decide my calendar mixed with my own family calendar too!
What can apply to anyone in the small business or entrepreneurial space is taking initiative, continuing to learn and perfect your craft, being flexible to the constant new technology, and writing out your own custom definition of success and aiming for that. After having three babies in the last decade, and now being a veteran in the wedding indutry, I evaluate each time how much I can shoot that year, how much time I need off, and reassess my goals to make sure they are meeting my definition of success and serving my family well.
