COVID-19

information for weddings
during the pandemic

Safety & Precautions

Safety for our team, our clients, and our loved ones has been our #1 priority during these times. We truly believe it is possible for weddings to take place safely and will do our part to support the effort for events to be held in a responsible way. See some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the pandemic below:

COVID-19 QUESTIONS

What precautions are you taking during the covid-19 pandemic?

Our team will be abiding by all of the recommended CDC guidelines but most importantly, wearing face coverings and keeping a safe distance. As such, this may impact our approach and how we photograph specific elements of the wedding day.

How does this change your approach on wedding days?

To ensure the safety of everyone, Femina staff has our permission to take any extra precautions they feel are necessary. This may include avoiding crowded rooms and dance floors (if dancing is permitted) and photographing from farther away. If we determine that a situation is deemed “unsafe”, we may ask for guests to remain masked while not being photographed, for individuals to wait outside of a room during “Getting Ready” prep photos, or choose to remove ourselves from a situation temporarily. We will work with you leading up to the wedding day to offer suggestions during the scheduling process to ensure everything runs smoothly, and that your day can take place safely!

Will you still shoot my wedding during COVID?

Yes, as long as your event is taking place with the recommended state guidelines at the time of the event. These guidelines are consistently changing but may include, limited number of guests (indoor and outdoor), seated dinner only and mask-wearing the entire time, except when eating, etc. We will be working hard to communicate with every couple as their wedding nears and we know what the guidelines will be at that time.

What if I need to postpone my event...again? Is there a rescheduling fee?

We understand that planning a wedding during COVID has been incredibly stressful and emotional for many couples and we have tried our absolute best to be flexible and accommodating throughout the pandemic. So all initial postponements (and even some second rounds) due to state shutdowns and restrictions were rescheduled with absolutely no questions asked or fees implemented. Now that we have more information and know that events can take place safely and within the recommended guidelines, we are 100% ready and willing to work. So with that being said, we will remain flexible for events rescheduled within 2021 without charging a fee but for any rescheduled dates in 2022 we will be charging a flat $1,000 rebooking fee. All rescheduled events will still require a new signed contract reflecting the date change.

Why are you charging a rescheduling/rebooking fee?

We are a small business and while this has been incredibly difficult for our couples, this has also been devastating for us as well. There are many factors that go into this decision and we do not take it lightly. One is that we cannot continue to take dates off our books and forfeit new retainers and income for two years in a row. This is simply not sustainable for any business, especially a small (somewhat seasonal) business. We also have to take into consideration that our product suppliers will continue to increase their costs due to inflation and are trying to recoup their costs from COVID as well. So products that were originally planned to be ordered within 2020-2021 from 2020 clients, could potentially get pushed to 2022-2023, which means our costs will increase significantly. This additional fee will help offset these costs. There are many other reasons as well but just keep in mind, this is not a penalty fee, it is a rebooking fee, which under normal circumstances would occur regularly. 

How is my payment schedule affected by rescheduling?

We are asking that all clients continue to stick to their original payment schedule, even in the event of rescheduling. Our regular payment schedule is: Retainer due at booking, 90-day payment (which is 50% of the balance) and then final payment due a week before the wedding. This has helped us tremendously and we truly appreciate all clients who paid their 90-day payments in 2020 even if they postponed their event. Of course if you need to adjust your payment schedule or would prefer to make payments based on the new date,  we certainly understand. Please reach out to discuss further. 

Is there anything I should know about Femina’s personal policies during COVID?

While we certainly understand the desire to move forward with the wedding of your dreams, no matter the size, we still need to take many things into consideration in order to confidently shoot a “regular sized” wedding. Obviously as the year progresses, many factors will begin to change and affect our approach, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for an honest and open conversation about our personal policies and approach to shooting your wedding.  

Everyone at Femina has been taking extra precautions to best protect ourselves, our team, our families and our clients. We are in constant communication with all of our staff regarding their personal situations and comfort levels with documenting larger events and it varies, so we will adjust assignments accordingly (note: this may change who your assigned photographer or videographer will be). Some people may be more comfortable only shooting micro or mini weddings (<50 guests) to limit their exposure and some may be more comfortable shooting larger events, so we will honor our staff’s requests. Some of our photographers have small children, have parents that are elderly or immune-compromised, and some are newly pregnant or compromised themselves, so please understand that circumstances can change at any moment and we will do our best to adjust accordingly. 

Additionally, it is difficult to successfully “quarantine” following a larger event, before entering into other clients’ homes for their scheduled portrait sessions (ie. maternity, newborn sessions, etc). Please understand this has been very difficult on our business, our team and our wedding couples and we’re trying to do the best we can to accommodate everyone, while also taking our safety and well-being into consideration. 

MICRO-WEDDINGS & ELOPEMENTS

What is considered an elopement and a micro-wedding?

Elopements are typically under 10 people and micro-weddings are under 50 people. The number of guests does not necessarily correlate directly to the amount of work needed on a wedding day, but rather helps us determine the overall structure and what package would work best in terms of coverage, etc. Elopements usually do not include a cocktail hour and may only have an intimate dinner without any reception formalities (i.e. no speeches, special dances, cake, etc). Similarly, because the events are smaller, they may not need to have two photographers.

What is different about shooting a micro-wedding and a large wedding?

Surprisingly, not much! We get this question a lot, “will our package change because we’re having a smaller event?” and the short answer is, no, it may only change by the amount of hours needed. Many elements of wedding photography/videography are still the same, regardless of how big or small an event. Much of what we do and the services we offer in our collections involve: pre-wedding communication and logistics (phone calls and emails with our clients, coordinating with all of our shooters, providing insurance paperwork to the venue, etc), day-of coordinating/facilitating, coverage for photo/video and post-wedding production (culling, editing, retouching, album design and revisions, album meetings, etc). So for us, a majority of the work is still being done. The main thing that would change would be the number of hours needed and of course some of these things are built into the hourly rate on the day of the wedding (i.e. shooter fees, editing, etc). For more information about how we modify packages for a micro-wedding, see below. 

Can you help us modify our current package to suit a micro-wedding?

Of course! To piggyback off of the previous FAQ (if you haven’t read it yet, we encourage you to do so in order to understand why the packages are modified the way they are), much of the structure of the collections stays the same and we simply adjust the number of hours needed. Keep in mind, if you still have the budget for your original package, we are more than happy to swap out hours of coverage for upgraded products, more products, or other services (i.e. engagement session, livestream services, or video services, etc). Many of our clients have taken advantage of a smaller guest-count, by investing in more photography products and other services they may not have been able to afford before! 

One thing we’ve heard over and over is that our couples still want to be able to celebrate their special day and share with all of their loved ones, no matter the circumstances. So photography and videography has truly become more important than ever. Let us help you honor your marriage by creating the most unique documentary work of art that you’ll cherish for many years to come!

What if we want to elope somewhere else instead?

We can certainly work with you on a destination elopement in the event that you decide to forfeit a big event for a more intimate affair with the two of you and your closest family and friends. Obviously there are some factors that we need to take into consideration such as availability and any travel restrictions due to COVID. However, we’re certainly open to discussing it together! 

When it comes to modifying a package for a destination elopement, we would simply figure out what products/services are needed and what the travel costs would include. We can get pretty creative with destination coverage too, such as telling the full story of your wedding journey (i.e. documenting your flight, rehearsal dinner and any other activities you may have planned). These more intimate events can really encompass a lot when it comes to photography and videography. We live for these adventures!!