CAPTURING UNIQUE & BEAUTIFUL STORIES FOR ELOPEMENT & SMALL WEDDING DAYS

Sure, we’ll make sure you get incredible photos that will be passed on for generations, but together, we’ll do so much more than get a few good photos. I don’t want your wedding day to JUST be a ceremony and a few portraits, you deserve so much more than that! Let’s craft an amazing experience full of adventure, sightseeing, exploring, quality time, and a ton of fun.

While my main job really is to ensure you get amazing photos, but I'm here to help you out with timelines, considering the best light for the best photos, location or vendor recommendations where I can, and answering as many questions as I can. I want to help you create your dream day and use my experience to do so, because while many people have attended a few big weddings in their time, it’s pretty rare to witness an elopement or small wedding day.

I believe in low-stress, relaxed days that allow you time to enjoy the experience. I want to ensure you come away with amazing wedding portraits, but I also want to make sure that our time together is more than a photo session. I want to tell a story and create the best experience possible which means my job starts long before the wedding day and extends beyond the day itself.

All sessions require a $200 non-refundable retainer upon booking to ensure the date scheduled.

Weddings + Elopements require a $1200 non-refundable retainer upon booking. 50% retainer required for travel weddings.

Meg’s Marvels Photography specialized in full day experiences for small weddings and elopements with guest counts typically around 0-100.

What to expect

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

• How can we book you for our wedding day?

  First, fill out my contact form so I can learn all about you two and your wedding day. If you think we’d be a great fit, we can either set up a call to answer any lingering questions/brainstorm ideas OR jump in right away. As soon as you have a date & general idea for the location, I just need a signed contract and $1200 retainer to save your date and I’ll officially be yours to capture this awesome adventure.

• Where are you based? Do you travel?

  I am currently based in Walnut Creek, CA, and I spend a lot of time in and around the San Francisco & Bay areas. I am definitely open to traveling outside of this area for weddings, but most of my sessions take place either around my travel plans or within 50 miles of Walnut Creek, CA. For information on my travel pricing or travel plans, reach out!

• Travel fees are a big unknown & everyone does it differently. What do you charge?

  For weddings & elopements, travel fees are included to keep things simple! Anything within 200 miles of where I’m at is included in my NorCal wedding package options. For weddings outside of Northern California, I offer specific travel inclusive pricing options upon request.

  For sessions, I include travel within 50 miles from my hometown Walnut Creek, CA or book sessions around times I’m already traveling. For travel dates, reach out to get more details. & While I don’t usually travel for sessions, if you have a cool idea or want to work around my travel schedule, I am always down to explore some options!

• Why should I work with you for my small wedding?

  Besides the fact that I am super loving and very silly and can understand all The Office references you throw my way… I want to go beyond just showing up and taking photos on your wedding day. I want to build a relationship with you, not just show up on your wedding day. I’m here to help - make suggestions, offer advice, answer questions, provide recommendations where I can, and do what I can to make everything easier on you! I’ll even make you a custom timeline and we’ll work together to figure out all the details.

  I’m around if you need advice - I’ve been to a few weddings in my time, and have seen things that work super well and things that don’t. If you need an extra opinion or have a burning questions, I’m around to help.

  I won’t just be a stranger on your wedding day. Your photographer will be with you almost the entire wedding day capturing some of the most intimate and wonderful moments. Having a stranger hanging around for all of that seems a little bit awkward to me. So I don’t want to do that. From the initial inquiry, I do my best to make sure that we are a good fit so we can build a comfortable relationship over the months leading up to the wedding. Not only does this make the wedding day more fun, but it helps me better capture your story uniquely to you.

• Why classifies as a small wedding?

  This varies from event to event, but most small weddings/elopements I photograph have groups from 0-50 guests. At this time, I am not taking on larger wedding work in order to best serve my specific niche.

• Do you have hourly minimums for weekends? What if we only want one or two hours of coverage?

  At the time, my minimum for coverage is 4 hours on weekdays, and 6 hours on weekends, so I help ensure that I can concentrate my energy on giving every single couple an incredible experience rather than being stretched too thin on a variety of shorter days. So much work goes into planning amazing elopement days, that I decided to implement minimums to ensure I was getting the chance to work with couples who really valued the full experience of their elopement day and wanted to capture a full story of their wedding day, not just a photoshoot in wedding clothes.

• How many images will we get?

  This really depends on a few different factors, but usually I deliver a minimum of 50 photos for every hour of shooting. Though I won’t withhold anything I think you’ll love!

• What is your turnaround time?

  Sessions are delivered within 3 weeks of the session date & elopements and weddings are delivered within 6-8 weeks.

• What kind of equipment do you use?

  I have a variety of lenses and gear that I mix and match depending on what I’m shooting. Most commonly I’ll be shooting on a Canon r5 and/or r6 and a 35mm f/1.4 lens. I’m in love with prime lenses and usually also bring along some combination of my 24mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.2, 85mm f/1.4 lens, and do have a 70-200 for event days. On wedding and elopement days, I commonly shoot with two bodies and switch between some different lenses depending on the part of the day. I also have flashes, a strobe, and light stands for nighttime receptions and anything happening after the sun sets.

• Do we have to think of our own poses?

  No way! One of the reasons to hire a photographer in the first place is so that they can help make you comfortable in front of the camera and give you directions so you don’t feel lost. I like to play lots of games, ask questions, and guide you into flattering poses so that you don’t even have to worry. I also have a welcome guide to help with brainstorming/picking outfits/figuring out all the details so you don’t have to figure out all the logistics on your own. Though if you’re nervous or want to go beyond posing, I HIGHLY recommend planning a fun activity rather than just picking a backdrop to capture an experience. On wedding days, I try to implement a slightly more documentary style approach outside of portrait times but will for sure move you into areas with the best light if I have the chance.

• How do payment schedules work?

  For sessions, I require a $200 non-refundable deposit upon booking to retain your date. I require the rest of the payment the day of the session. For weddings, I require for a $1200 non-refundable retainer to save the wedding date and cover the initial planning. Then the rest of the payment is due 2-3 weeks before the wedding or elopement day. This is a good excuse to meet up and go over the last minute details as well! On sessions, the final payment is due the day of the session.

  If you want to set up a payment plan, let me know, and I’m more than happy to figure something out!

• What’s the best way to keep in contact with you?

  Both before & after you book, email is the absolute best way to get in touch with me. I’m the absolute worst at responding to text messages and tend to answer them in my head or forget to actually hit send. You should expect an email response from me within 1-2 business days of sending that email most of the time.

‘24 Travel Schedule

2024

January

Florida Keys

Southwest Utah - TBD

May

Yosemite

& Some Trips On the Radar - (no dates set)

Las Vegas, NV

New York City

Austin, TX

France / Scotland in Spring

If your location isn’t on the list, reach out to me! I encourage travel and try to make it affordable and easy :)

Plus, my husband and I usually plan our trips last minute, and if you have a cool spot in mind, I’m always happy to squeeze in a shoot.

+ Some places I’d love to get back to soon or places I’d LOVE to plan a fun elopement day:

• Alaska (specifically Kenai Fjords/Seward)

• Joshua Tree

• Catalina Island

• Mt Rainier (think July - September)

• Mammoth Lakes / Alabama Hills / Bishop, CA

More Wishlist Locations & Destination Planning Tips

FROM THE BLOG