Have any questions or concerns about working with me? Take a quick look through these frequently asked questions. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Elopements

WHAT IS AN ELOPEMENT?
An elopement is a wedding that is intentionally intimate, meaningful, and unique to reflect your relationship and focus the day on your love and connection to one another. They truly look different for each couple and don’t follow a set of rules or traditions like traditional weddings.

WHY SHOULD WE ELOPE?
Every couple’s reasons for eloping are different and very personal to their situation. With that said, the best reason to elope is to ensure the day is fully about you and celebrating your connection.

HOW LONG IS AN ELOPEMENT?
The length of your elopement is totally up to you. Typically, they’re between 6-8 hours, but some are as short as 4 hours and others expand over multiple days! It’s truly up to you and what you envision. Let me know what you want to do for your elopement and what you want photographed so I can suggest how long your elopement should be.

IS ELOPING LEGAL?
Yes! Marriage laws change based on location, but here in Alberta you can legally get married no matter where in the world you call home. All you need is a marriage license issued by the Alberta Government, a registered officiant, and two witnesses. CLICK HERE for more information on how to elope legally in Alberta, and CLICK HERE for more information on how to elope legally in Scotland.
Once you’ve booked with me, I send a custom elopement guide that includes info on how to apply for your marriage license and ceremony permit. It includes who to contact, how far in advance you need to apply, and more information.

HOW EXPENSIVE IS IT TO ELOPE?
This is another one where there’s no definite answer. It’s totally up to you, your plans, and the vendors you work with. However, even a lavish elopement in another country is often less expensive than a traditional wedding at home.

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO WE NEED TO START PLANNING?
Elopements are thought to be last minute runaway weddings, but they’re really not. I recommend starting to plan your elopement 4-12 months in advance. This way you can ensure your favourite vendors are available for your date, your attire is ready on time, and all logistics are sorted out!

CAN WE INVITE GUESTS?
Absolutely! Due to park restrictions, vendor logistics, and in order to keep this experience as intimate as possible, I am happy to accommodate and help plan an elopement up to 5 guests.

DO WE HAVE TO HIKE FOR OUR ELOPEMENT?
Nope! You can do whatever you want to—do you see a theme starting to up up—hehe! Not all elopements are adventurous hiking affairs. I help my couples come up with ideas that suit them best. Here are some of my favourite ideas that have nothing to do with hiking!
Brewery or winery tour
Picnic (great views without hiking)
Helicopter or gondola ride (great views without hiking)

CAN WE BRING OUR DOGS?
Of course! You can bring any of your fur babies. I love all animals and have a very special place in my heart for dogs.

HOW DO WE START PLANNING?
I provide planning guidance to all of my couples! If you’re at a complete loss on how to find vendors, what vendors you need, finding locations, coming up with ideas, etc. I can assist you with it all.

The Experience

WHAT’S IT LIKE WORKING WITH YOU?
I try not to take life too seriously and laugh every single chance I get—even laughing at myself when the occasion calls for it! When working with me, I try to create a relaxed and fun atmosphere from our very first Zoom call, during the planning process, and right through to your elopement day. This is your day and you deserve to enjoy the entire process.

WHY DO WE NEED A ZOOM CALL?
Seeing each other’s faces and hearting each other’s voices is very different from reading text on a screen. So much context is lost over text. Zoom calls ensure we’re a good fit, we’re understanding each other, and it’s quicker! The amount we can cover in an hour over Zoom would normally be over 20 emails—ain’t nobody got time for that!
So let’s grab a pint or glass of wine and have a fun chat over Zoom. We’ll discuss all of your elopement plans, get to know each other, laugh, and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have!

WHAT’S YOUR PLANNING PROCESS AFTER WE BOOK?
Once you’ve paid the retainer fee and signed the contract, we can proceed with planning your elopement—YAY! Here’s a quick overview of how the planning process goes:

1. Questionnaire
   I send a ‘get to know you’ and ‘your dream elopement’ questionnaire. It allows me to get to know you, learn what your elopement vision is, and see what you’ve already got planned. These questionnaire’s are important for me to be able to make meaningful suggestions that you’ll value.

HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE WHEN PLANNING?
1. You can email me at hello@kaitlynhill.ca any time you need to! I usually respond to emails within 48-72 hours.
2. Full email access. As mentioned above, you have full email access to me. I know some vendors only allow you to email them within a certain timeframe or ‘x’ amount of times. You don’t have to worry about that with me. If a question pops into mind at 2am, email it over. I won’t be responding to you while I’m asleep or preoccupied, but I’ll get back to you asap during office hours.
3. Zoom meetings. Once you’ve booked with me, you receive 1 complimentary Zoom call. This is separate from our initial consult Zoom before you book. You don’t have to use this Zoom call, but if you feel the need to—it’s there! Some couples use this Zoom call to confirm details, ask questions about their timeline, or go over logistics.

WHAT MAKES YOUR EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS?
I take on a limited amount of elopements per year so that I can truly give you all of my attention and be there for you every step of the way. You matter to me. You’re not just another client to me. I want to ensure you have an incredible elopement experience by guiding you through planning, giving you ideas to bring your vision to life, create a seamless and relaxed experience, and also throwing in some goodies here and there—because who doesn’t like to feel special!?

THE COLLECTIONS

WHICH COLLECTION IS RIGHT FOR ME?
Collection I is for you if you want all of the amazing photos! 8 hour coverage time allows for a longer hike to a secluded location OR time to travel to multiple locations that require little to no hiking. And the cherry on top—Sheena Rae Beauty will not only do your hair and makeup, but will come with us on your adventure to provide hair and makeup touch-ups throughout the day!
Collection II is great if you’re adventure doesn’t require a full 8 hours of coverage and 6 hours will do. This occurs when your hike is a bit shorter or your multiple locations are very close to each other (distance-wise) or you don’t want to spend as much time taking photos and more time spending one-on-one time together.
Collection III is perfect for capturing your ceremony and newlywed portraits at one location (short hike or no hiking). I don’t recommend this package if your hike is longer than one hour (one-way).

I’D LIKE SOME MORE INFO ON WHAT’S INCLUDED IN EACH COLLECTION.
Fill out the contact form HERE or email me at hello@kaitlynhill.ca and I’ll send over my full pricing & info guide. This will included more information on the collections and your experience.

CAN WE CREATE A CUSTOM COLLECTION?
Definitely! Sometimes you need something that’s right in between a couple of collections. Let me know what your needs are and I’ll create a custom collection for you and send along a quote.

WHAT DOES ‘NO ADDITIONAL TRAVEL OR ACCOMMDATION FEES’ MEAN?
It means you won’t be charged travel or accommodation fees for elopements within Alberta, Canada or Scotland. These fees are included in all collections—even custom collections. I like to keep things simple :)

DO YOU PHOTOGRAPH ELOPEMENTS OUTSIDE OF ALBERTA?
Absolutely! Currently, my main exploration area outside of Alberta is Scotland. But I will travel elsewhere too because I LOVE to travel—I LIVE for travelling! I’ve travelled to 11 countries thus far and plan to visit many more. If you’d like to elope to a location I’ve never been to before, I use extensive searching techniques to help you find locations, accommodation, and vendors. I also arrive a day before your elopement so I can scout the location(s) if possible. If you’d like to elope outside of Alberta or Scotland, let me know what province or country you’re thinking of and I’ll send you a custom quote.

HOW DO WE BOOK?
1. Fill out my contact form HERE.
2. Go over the pricing & info guide I’ll email over to you.
3. Schedule your Zoom call where we’ll discuss the collection you’re interested in or create a custom collection, and what your elopement vision looks like.
4. Sign the contract and pay the retainer fee to officially reserve your date.

HOW MUCH IS THE RETAINER FEE?
The non-refundable retainer fee is 50% of the total collection price.
Payment plans are available.

WHY IS THE RETAINER FEE 50%?
A lot of expenses go into photographing elopements. A non-refundable 50% retainer allows me to ensure those expenses are covered and I can continue to provide an incredible experience to all of my couples.

WHY IS THE RETAINER FEE NON-REFUNDABLE?
The non-refundable retainer fee secures your spot, allows me to turn away other business, and provides me the funds needed to plan and photograph your elopement.
If you need to cancel or postpone, an additional non-refundable retainer fee will be charged to secure your new date and cover liquidated damages—anytime someone postpones or cancels, I lose money and income.
All of my cancellation and postponement policies are put into place to protect us both.

WHAT CURRENCY ARE YOUR PRICES IN?
All pricing is in Canadian dollars.

THE IMAGES

WHEN WILL WE RECEIVE OUR PHOTOS?
My retouching process is extensive and I don’t want to rush your memories. I try to deliver sneak peeks asap, but it can take up to 3-5 days after your elopement date, and full galleries are delivered 8-10 weeks after your elopement.

HOW MANY IMAGES DO WE GET?
I believe in quality over quantity, so I never promise a specific amount of images, but you can expect 50-75 fully processed images per photography coverage hour. For example, for a 6-hour elopement with 2 hours of hiking and 4 hours of photography coverage, you can expect 200-300 fully processed images.

CAN WE HAVE THE RAW FILES?
Nope! Hiring me as your photographer means you’re also paying for my art. My art is incomplete until the images have been fully processed. RAW files are incomplete photos.

DO YOU PHOTOSHOP?
Not a lot. Not everything can be Photoshopped, so I like to get everything perfect in camera. I do a bit of skin softening, eye enhancement, and remove obvious blemishes (like pimples). I don’t retouch to the point where you no longer look natural—haha! Additional editing requests may be subjected to additional fees due to the nature of editing.

HOW WILL WE GET OUR PHOTOS?
Your fully processed high-resolution digital images and sneak peek slideshow will be delivered to you through an online password-protected gallery. I urge you to download your full gallery asap and store them on two different hard drives.

PORTRAITS

WHAT IF WE’VE NEVER HAD PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS TAKEN BEFORE?
That’s totally okay! Most of my couples have never been in front of the camera before. I will direct you through natural movements and poses that will feel comfortable, will be flattering, and get you those beautiful dramatic images.

WHAT IF I’M SELF-CONSCIOUS OF SOMETHING?
On your questionnaire there will be a section where you can include anything you’re self-conscious of and want me to pay special attention to. However, I strive to ensure you look amazing in every pose before I snap the photo.

HOW LONG DO PORTRAITS TAKE?
I like to designate at least 2 hours of time for newlywed portraits. If we’re spending the whole day together, this may be spread out through different locations and you’ll probably receive more than 2 hours worth of portraits. It’s important to me that we don’t rush through your portraits because it takes time to get comfortable in front of the camera and I want to give you a variety of images.

WE’RE INVITING GUESTS, CAN WE GET GROUP PHOTOS?
Absolutely!!! It’s a great time to get some professional photos taken with your closest friends and family.

WHAT KIND OF PORTRAITS DO YOU TAKE?
I photograph a combination of posed and candid images. I’ll walk you through poses and natural movements to get genuine emotion from you and make you feel comfortable.

WHAT IF I’M REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT PORTRAITS?
That’s totally understandable! I will walk you through each step and give you tons of portrait tips so that you will feel confident, comfortable, and look incredible! A week before your elopement I send over a little posing guide, too. It’s not meant to be memorized, but knowing a few tips ahead of time can sometimes alleviate a few nerves.

Still more questions? Let’s book a Zoom call!

hello@kaitlynhill.ca