Getting Started Guide
Welcome!
Here's everything you want to know about working with Photography by Erin Leigh for your wedding!
and my promise
to you is...
to take care of as many things as I can throughout the planning process and wedding day so that you have less to do, less to worry about, and less to stress over.
Hakuna matata.
Hey guys! I'm Erin Leigh Weber.
An Artist, Adventurer and Storyteller...
My style is all about capturing light filled, vibrant images that feel like you, through effortless posing and a stress free portrait experience! Don’t worry if you've never been in front of the camera, I’ll coach you through everything! I love to work with couples who are full of laughter, love an excuse to get dressed up, but are equally as comfortable cuddled on the couch!
When you look back at your photos in 50 years you may not remember the elegant place settings or the coordinated bridesmaid dresses, but you'll definitely remember the way it felt and the connections... the emotion of having your marriage witnessed by your closest family, the butterflies before your first look, the laughter and pure joy when your favorite song came on the dance floor. My goal is to capture images of how it felt that can be passed on for generations to come.
Just natural, relaxed & stress-free wedding photography!
No more awkward posing
...
Charlie + Bridget
“Erin is so easy to work with, very responsive & such a sweet, genuine person. She was such a helpful, calming presence during our wedding day & made the day flow seamlessly. As quickly as the day went by, we couldn’t be happier we have such excellent, perfect photos to reflect back on to relive it.”
"She was such a helpful, calming presence during our wedding day & made the day flow seamlessly."
REAL LIFE CELEBRATIONS, INTIMATE MOMENTS, GENUINE LAUGHTER, & UNEXPECTED PUPPY KISSES!
15 + years of capturing...
Cheers!
You are welcome to break up your balance and make payments at any time. Auto-payments can be set up if that works better for you. Everything is online so it's very easy for you to make payments when you'd like to. However you break it up, the remaining balance is due 2 months before the wedding date.
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After your questionnaire is complete, we can schedule your details appointment, where we will get together over zoom (or in person if you prefer) and do a mental walk-through of your day in depth - your timeline, the family groups that you want, as well as any album options or other products you may want. Once finished, you'll be emailed the link so you have access to your timeline and shot list during your planning.
Details Appointment (3-4 months out)
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This is an online questionnaire that I’ll email you that will gather the key information that I’ll need in order to create your timeline and family shot list. It can be done whenever is convenient for you, and makes it more efficient when we get together for your details appointment.
Online Questionnaire (6 Months Out)
Final Payment Due (2 Months out)
If you opt to take advantage of having an engagement session, they usually take place 6 - 15 months before your wedding so that you get the images back and have time to print anything you’d like to use them for (save the dates, decor, signature book, etc).
If taking advantage of my risk-free booking offer, I ask that the session takes place within 2 months of booking your wedding with me. (If you book during winter, this is extended until April or May for you).
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Engagement Session (6-15 months out)
There are going to be a lot of last minute things right before the wedding that you can’t do in advance, most likely as well as some unexpected details that will need sorted out. My plan is to have everything taken care of with you a couple of months before the wedding so it’s one less thing on your mind. Here’s the general timing of what happens before the wedding day for photography.
What to expect
Contact Points before the wedding day...
She captured our wedding day with care and detail making our day feel so special. Beyond this, she was extremely attentive leading up to our big day with multiple check-ins and was very flexible with any last-minute changes. We trust Erin wholeheartedly and fully recommend her to anyone who is looking for expertise coupled with love and attention! Erin-thank you for being your authentic self and helping make our day unforgettable! You are one-of-a-kind!
They say the sweetest things...
What real couples have to say about the experience
Kaitlyn
Erin shows up with love, grace and SO MUCH expertise.
The absolute best! Seriously you will not be disappointed. Honestly she was our favorite wedding vendor... She was so helpful every step of the way. Our wedding day came and we had a medical emergency in the church. It was horrendous, but Erin stuck by the bride, acting as the day of coordinator helping to direct the rest of the evening. She kept calm & supported us through a horrific & traumatizing situation. Erin stepped up and helped us every step of the way.
Jessica
I can't praise her enough for her kindness and for her amazing photography skills.
“We are so happy we chose Erin! She was fantastic. She has a sweet personality and really tries to get to know you as a couple so she knows how to work with you best. She kept me calm and collected during my wedding and sent me updates leading up to it. We got so many amazing pictures. Her style is a perfect mix of artsy and classic. You won’t regret choosing her as your photographer!”
Lindsey
She kept me calm and collected during my wedding.
Frequently Asked Questions
My portraits are gently styled without feeling overly posed, creating an artistic, effortless elegance. My clients tell me that my approach to weddings makes them, their families, and their friends feel relaxed and calm. I speak up and give plenty of direction when needed, while still allowing moments to unfold and be captured naturally.
Clean and rich colors. I aim for timeless, understated elegance. Trends come and go, and overly stylized images can quickly become dated. I shoot the feeling of each particular wedding day to capture the essence of my couple and process my imagery with a classic, timeless approach as opposed to succumbing to industry trends so that my photographs will still hold their power in 25 years.
I remove duplicates, blinks and unflattering images, and then the rest are edited to give them my clean and rich signature look and that is what goes into your gallery! (Although this can vary greatly, generally engagement sessions include 150-200 and typical 8 hour weddings include a minimum of 1,000 final photos).
Post production is one of my favorite parts! I love reliving your portrait session or wedding day! My turnaround time for engagement galleries is about 2 weeks and wedding galleries will be delivered in 4-6 weeks via an online gallery for easy sharing and downloading high res files.
Absolutely! Once your images are complete and in your online gallery, you receive an email with a pin number to download them. Use them to your heart’s content! I even suggest an online lab that’s pro-quality if you’re printing yourself! I also have a shopping cart built into your online gallery for ease of use if you or a family member would like to order directly from your gallery. Any photos printed through me also receive complimentary retouching as needed.
Of course you may! I pride myself on the consistency of my work. I understand all photographers post their best shots from each wedding on their websites so it’s hard to determine how well he or she will perform on the wedding day. That is why I encourage all of my potential couples to view full weddings from all photographers they meet with to see how well the photographer performs throughout the day. When you see a wedding photographer who claims to be a natural light photographer, be sure to see examples from dark receptions that they’ve done! View full wedding galleries here.
On average, my couples book me 12-15 months before their wedding day, although I also book a lot of weddings that are only a few months out if I’m still available. My calendar does fill up quickly since I only book one wedding per day and limit the amount of weddings I book each year in order to give each of my couples the attention they deserve. I cannot hold dates, so I recommend booking as soon as you can once you have a date and venue locked in.
Great question! I have an associate team of amazingly talented professional photographers who work with me for weddings when I'm unavailable. I've found this to be extremely beneficial for everyone during the pandemic as well since there are so many uncertainties surrounding covid. I've created this small team of photographers that I fully trust, and if anything should happen (ie: a positive covid test or emergency surgery - don't laugh, it happened to me in 2021 when my gallbladder decided it didn't like me anymore) then there's no worrying or scrambling to find a replacement who isn't tried and true. I still personally handle everything before and after the wedding and can promise that you'll be in the best hands of photographers who care about you & your wedding day! (However, unless I'm literally incapacitated, I will be there personally! I take your trust in me very seriously and would never just decide not to show up on a whim). Here are some full galleries that my associates have photographed: Associate Photographer Galleries.
- Since 2009 I've been so honored to have over 200 couples trust me to capture their weddings! From vineyards in California & West Virginia, to the historic DeKoven Center in Wisconsin, beach weddings in New Jersey & Maryland, and a Yacht wedding on the Hudson River in NYC to name a few... I'm based in central PA (Harrisburg), and do the majority of my weddings within a 2-3 hour radius, so there's a lot of venues I've worked at before! That said, it is mind-blowing how many amazing wedding venues there are in the area and I know that I've barely scratched the surface. I love shooting at new-to-me venues each year, along with my well-known favorites.
- Let me tell you about my scouting process and how I handle new venues. If I haven't worked there, I'll bring a fresh perspective and find interesting locations that a photographer who has worked there 100 times may not have thought of because they default to the same locations over and over again. I do some research online beforehand, and will arrive in advance when possible to location scout, keeping in mind the lighting and weather conditions for your specific day and create a unique approach that fits you. My approach is all about being specific to you, not one size fits all.
- Some of the venues in the area that I've had weddings at include: The Hotel Hershey, Saint Joan of Arc, The Hershey Country Club, The Hershey Lodge, Historic Acres of Hershey, Westwynd Farm, Cameron Estate Inn, West Shore Country Club, John Wright Restaurant, Lauxmont Farms, Stock's Manor, The Lodge at Liberty Forge, Lakeview Farms, The Barn at Silverstone, Moonstone Manor, Melhorn Manor, Beech Springs Farm, Riverdale Manor, Linwood Estate, Historic Shady Lane, The Mill at Manor Falls, Harmony Hall, The Booking House, The Wind in the Willows, Constantino's, The Steel Stacks in Bethlehem, The Susquehanna Club, Mendenhall Inn, Hunt Valley Country Club, Steppingstone Farm Museum, Esser's Estate, The Montour Preserve, and The Chesapeake Bay Beach Club.
I also have a dozen clear umbrellas to use if it does rain and you want to take photos outside still!
ABSOLUTELY! I know that your fur baby is a huge part of your family and you may want to include them in your portraits. If you want to include them in your engagement session, please let me know in advance because we will need to use a location that is pet-friendly.
Incorporating a first look into your wedding day will allow you to spend more alone time with your partner, diminish your nerves, and enjoy this special moment together freely, but also gives you 40% more time for photos! The “First Look” moments are so intimate and a perfect time for you and your partner to feel totally yourself without the eyes of your ceremony crowd watching! That said, it's a very personal decision and should be whatever you feel is best for your day. View this full blog post on pros and cons of a first look.
At this time I provide photography only. My skillset is still images and I am solely focused on capturing beautiful photos that you will preserve in your album and frame on your walls. I would be more than happy to offer you referrals of excellent videographers that I've worked with though.
Investment overview
Detailed investment info & collections will be emailed to you as soon as I confirm that I'm available for your date.
Peace of mind is HUGE when it comes to your wedding. It should be a given that your
photographer has the right equipment and backups for all gear, liability insurance. and even the common decency not to bail on you with no good reason. It should be a given. Unfortunately all too often it’s not, and hobbyists view it as a way to make some ‘easy’ side cash. I treat
Photography by Erin Leigh as the professional business it is, not as a hobby. I take every
precaution and believe there is no such thing as “too careful” when it comes to a wedding day! This is why I shoot on 2 cameras, onto 2 cards in each camera, and then back your photos up in 2 locations and online at all times.
A good photographer is an investment that you will never regret!
average investment $3500-5800
Collections can be customized because - let’s face it - “one size fits all” never looks good on anyone!
I’ve photographed over 200 weddings, and at the risk of sounding braggy, I’m pretty dang good at it! I know how much time things take for each part of the wedding day. I know my equipment inside and out and am confident that I can create images that I’m proud of in any lighting situation. There is no substitute for hands-on experience, and there are no redo’s on a wedding day!
Experience
I am obsessed with organization & having systems to help things run smoothly. Whether that be the process before the wedding happens, or the order that the family photos are taken in, or having a quick turn around time on your images. I am with you for essentially the entire wedding day and will help keep things moving efficiently and smoothly.
Efficiency
Life happens and gets crazy - especially when planning a wedding! When things change or come up unexpectedly, I simply adjust accordingly & go with it! By preparing ahead, I’ve given us the flexibility to make changes without stress.
Ease & Flexibility
Why consider booking
Erin Leigh
Don’t look anywhere else!
Best experience ever.
- Sarah
How do you determine your collection prices?
With so many vendors to choose from, I know budget is a big priority! It’s also important to find a photographer who’s style you love with the expertise to capture your dream wedding experience.
Beyond the hours we are together on your wedding day, each collection comes with unlimited support for timeline prep and any necessary venue research, plus 24+ hours of editing to create and perfect the images that you will cherish forever.
Being able to safely and efficiently capture this once in a lifetime day requires a few extra expenses. Keeping my couple’s images safe is a huge priority! I am always insured, and carry backups of all of my equipment, and raw image files. This includes 2 camera bodies and an array of lenses to setup the best shots. Investing in your wedding photography means investing in a lifetime of celebration.
Your memories are safe with me!
Sign me up! What's next?
If you have any questions, feel free to schedule a consult. Otherwise, you can review the proposal and contract while I check my availability, submit your retainer fee, and your wedding date will be secured! Have your engagement session within 2 months if you want to take advantage of my risk-free booking offer. If you have any questions, I'm always just an email or call away!