Couples ask us the same handful of things, and most of them come down to one worry nobody says out loud: will I know what to do? Short answer, you won’t be abandoned. Here’s everything else, answered plainly.

How we work

What is documentary wedding photography?

Documentary wedding photography means the goal is to record what actually happened rather than construct it. We watch relationships, light, and timing all day, then photograph moments as they arrive. Some photographers call it candid. Either word points at the same thing: your wedding, not a catalog shoot staged in your venue.

Do you pose us, or is everything candid?

We give direction. Walk toward me. Stand close and just talk. What we don’t do is tell you where to put your chin. The prompt isn’t there to create a moment, it’s there to take away the pressure to perform. Whatever happens next is yours, and we’re there for it.

What if we’re awkward in front of a camera?

Almost every couple tells us this before we start. Good. That usually means you’re not the performing type, and neither are your photos. We don’t need you to pose. We just need you to be together, and we’ll find the rest. You don’t have to be good at this. That’s our job.

Will we still get portraits of just the two of us?

Yes. We photograph the two of you and close family groupings at every wedding. What you won’t get is a ninety-minute session working through every permutation of your family tree, or golden hour spent frozen while someone adjusts your hands. We’ll point you toward good light and each other, then step back.

Can we get a group photo with our friends looking at the camera?

Yes, and you should ask for it. Specializing in candids doesn’t mean we’re against a fun group photo. Those belong in your gallery too. They just don’t happen automatically, because we’re not scanning the room rounding people up. Grab your friends, find us, ask. It takes thirty seconds.

Will we know where you are during the day?

Not always, and that’s intentional. When people forget the camera is there, their faces relax. That’s when the real photos happen. We move quickly and quietly, often from a distance, and most guests won’t realize how many frames were taken. You’ll know we’re there. You just won’t feel like you have to perform for us.

What will our gallery look like?

Chronological and emotional, closer to a film than a series of stills. There’s more shaping in that than people assume: which frames make it, which sit next to each other, where the story slows down. A gallery is a sequence, not a pile. If you think “I remember that exactly,” that’s the goal.

Whether we’re a fit

Who is your approach best for?

Couples who trust our eye and don’t need to preview every image. Who care more about real emotion than technical perfection. It helps if you’re comfortable not being camera-ready every second, and if you want guests to feel like they’re at a wedding rather than a photo shoot.

Who is it probably not right for?

If you have a long list of must-have posed shots, this will frustrate both of us. Not because those shots aren’t valid, but because our workflow isn’t built for a detailed shot list. Same if extended family formals are a top priority, or if you feel anxious without knowing exactly where to stand.

Our guide to wedding photography styles walks through every approach with honest pros and cons.

Planning a Wisconsin wedding

When is the best time of year to get married in Wisconsin?

September is our pick. Warm days, full trees, none of July’s heat. But every season here has a real case. Summer is easy to schedule, fall brings the color in a shorter window than people expect, mid-to-late May is underrated and mild, and winter works if you lean into it.

See our season-by-season breakdown.

What happens if it rains on our wedding day?

We’d take a rainy wedding over a ninety-degree cloudless one almost every time. Rain has a mood and an intimacy to it, and some of our favorite images have come out of it. Heat just makes everyone miserable with nowhere to hide. Bring clear umbrellas and let us work.

Should we worry about booking a July wedding?

July is usually the peak of Wisconsin’s heat and humidity, which changes the day more than couples plan for. Shade stops being a nice-to-have. We got married in July ourselves and got a gorgeous day, so you never really know. If we were planning a July date today, we’d think about shade first.

More on wedding day light and Wisconsin’s best wedding venues.

Working with us

How long have you been photographing weddings?

Nineteen years. We started in 2007 and have photographed more than 275 weddings since, as a husband-and-wife team based in the Driftless Region near Viroqua. After that long, very little rattles us, which means one less thing for you to hold. We’ve learned to read a day: when to step in, when to wait, when to stay out of the way.

What are your packages and pricing?

Full wedding coverage starts at $4,800 (2026 rates), closer to $5,200 for weddings further from southern Wisconsin, where we’re based. Something smaller like an intimate wedding or elopement starts at $2,000. These are starting points. The exact number moves with your location, date, and what your day needs from us.

Do you travel, and what does it cost?

Yes, and it’s already in the number above. Whether it’s your engagement session or the wedding itself, travel is built into your quote from the start, not tacked on after. You won’t see a separate travel line item or a surprise add-on later.

Is an engagement session included?

Depends on the package. Our larger packages include one, and it’s always available a la carte if yours doesn’t. We’ll walk you through exactly what’s included when we talk.

How far in advance should we book?

Most weddings book six to eighteen months out. We’ve also booked much closer to the date when our schedule allows it, so don’t rule it out if your wedding is coming up soon. Reach out and we’ll tell you honestly if we’re free.

Do you both shoot every wedding?

For full wedding coverage, yes, always both of us. We each see the day, the light, and the story a little differently, and shooting together is what makes the coverage complete. For intimate weddings under 75 guests or elopements, it’s sometimes just Ray, depending on the event and whether that’s the right fit.

How long until we get our gallery?

Eight weeks is our standard turnaround for the full gallery. You’re not waiting in silence that whole time, though. About a week after the wedding, we send a small preview, just a handful of images, so you’ve got something to hold onto while the rest gets edited.

How many photos will we get?

It depends on coverage length and the pace of the day. A six-hour wedding and a nine-hour wedding won’t land in the same place, and a day that moves quickly gives us more to work with. For a full wedding, most galleries land somewhere between 500 and 900 photos. Very few come in under 500 unless the day itself was short.

What should we expect before the wedding day?

About a month before your wedding, we send over a short questionnaire. Fill in as little or as much as actually helps, there’s no minimum. We’re documentary photographers, so we follow the day as it happens. We’ve shown up to weddings without even knowing the schedule and it’s worked out fine. The extra info just helps us know what to watch for, and gives us a sense of your people before the day starts.