Process and Timeline

A: Absolutely! A free personal photography consultation is the best way to learn about our unique approach to wedding photography and to view our extensive portfolio. Please call us at 888-556-7590 or complete an appointment form, and we'll be in touch within one business day.

A: We know that preparing for your wedding can be stressful. Our goal is to provide you with a reliable timeline, so that you can be confident that your wedding photography is taken care of. For more information, read a complete description of our process.

About Our Photography and Printing

A: The answer is simple: Digital photography offers equal quality and faster turnaround vs. 35mm film — all at a lower cost.

Here are just a few reasons why digital photography is our method of choice:

1. High quality photographs

Digital photography provides crisp, vibrant images, and gives the photographer a higher level of control during the development and printing process compared to 35mm film.

2. Unlimited photography

All Bella wedding photographers use high-capacity digital storage media that requires much less frequent re-loading than film. This allows your photographer to capture every moment of your wedding day in true photojournalistic style, without missing a beat.

3. Digital negatives give you total control

Digital proofs are ready quickly in a secure online gallery, where they can be easily viewed by you, your family and friends. All of our packages include your digital negatives on DVD, so you have ownership of your wedding photos.

4. Affordable quality

With digital, there's no additional cost to taking each photograph, so our wedding photographers are free to take as many pictures as it requires to tell your story. That means you have a greater selection of images to choose from when it's time to assemble your album and order prints for yourself, your family and friends.

A: You will not meet your photographer in person before your wedding day. Selecting a photographer on your own is not easy, and we want to simplify your wedding planning by taking the guesswork out of the process. With Bella, you tell us about your preferences and style, and we'll match you with a Bella Certified Photographer that's best-suited to tell your story — the way you want it.

Three months before your wedding, you will receive the photographer's biography page which contains a sample of your photographer's work. If after viewing their work, you decide that the photographer is not a fit, we'll work with you to find the perfect match for you.

A: Most photographers only show you the work they want you to see. When we evaluate a wedding photographer, we see all of the shots they take — not just their favorite few.

Almost every competent photographer is capable of making a great picture some of the time. But what's much more important is how consistently they can take great pictures, and how well they work under the pressure and challenges of an actual wedding. That's why a prospective Bella photographer must complete a rigorous certification process.

If a photographer passes our stringent initial portfolio review, they become an Associate Photographer, and must complete a minimum number of weddings alongside a Bella Certified Photographer. Their work is then critically vetted by our photo coaching staff, to assure it meets strict standards of quality. Only then can they be certified to photograph weddings for our clients.

We are so confident in our approach, we guarantee your satisfaction.

A: We realize there is a lot of conventional wisdom out there that says your chemistry with the photographer is important. The value of the Bella approach is that we take the risk out of choosing a photographer, so you can be confident that we will match you with the best possible wedding photographer for you.

If you think about it, our approach is similar to a five-star restaurant. The person actually cooking your meal doesn't matter as much as who is the head chef. It's the chef that develops the recipes, sets the quality standards and hand-picks, trains and supervises the kitchen staff. Our chief photographer plays a similar role, making sure that you'll have great photos, no matter which one of our photographers tells the story of your wedding.

A: Many of our packages include the option to have a second photographer at your wedding. This is option is valuable, because it means there will be another photojournalist at your wedding to capture more of your special moments.

Post-Production and Other Services

A: Yes - any color photograph can be printed in black and white. Our album designers have a great eye and can help make suggestions about which pictures look good in black and white. Ultimately, you have total control over the printing style of your wedding photos.

A: Our standard print prices are for full-frame prints. Minor cropping can be done for an additional charge.

A: With our staff of highly trained digital artists and access to several high-quality photo labs, you have an incredible range of services at your disposal. If you have something specific in mind, please ask. One of the more popular custom options for wedding photos is pastel effects, sometimes called colorization - this consists of a black and white photo featuring a specific object, such as a bouquet, rendered in color.

Absolutely. We want you to be thrilled with every part of your story - that's why we offer digital retouching as an important part of our photography services. Our professional retouchers focus on creating your perfect wedding photos. Whether it's helping you look your best or creating a style for your photos that's as unique as you are, we're always working to create wedding photos you love.

All retouching is done to a copy of your photograph, so your originals will always remain unaltered. Once the retouching work is complete, you can have as many prints as you want, and your digital negatives will include copies of both the original and retouched photos.

Learn more about our retouching and customization options

A: Within 28 days of your wedding, your photos will be posted to a password-protected area on our web site. You will be able to view your pictures and order prints instantly via our easy-to-use online ordering system.

You'll be given a separate code to share with friends and family so that they can also view and order photos directly from Bella Pictures. You'll have the option to share 100% of your images, or choose specific photos to share.

All of the selected prints will appear in your shopping cart and will reflect the discounted pricing included in your package. Friends and family also enjoy the same pricing. When you are ready to place your order, simply proceed to checkout.

All of our packages include a DVD of the original high-resolution digital negatives of your photos.

All photos are provided in an industry-standard file format, without color correction, scaling or cropping. These files provide a great degree of control over the final print output and maximum compatibility with a wide range of digital printing systems. In this format, the files are viewable and printable, but not necessarily "ready-to-print" - they may require some manipulation to get the best results. Most digital-ready photo labs can provide this service, but may assess an additional charge. If you plan to print the photos with your home computer, you will need an image-editing application such as Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements to alter or edit the pictures.

A: If you purchase the digital negatives from your wedding on DVD, you can make reprints at anytime. If you want to order albums or reprints through Bella Pictures, you are welcome to do so.

A: All prints are made on quality Kodak photographic paper using an archival process and are backed with a lifetime guarantee. As long as you take reasonable precautions in caring for your prints, they will last 100 years or more without any noticeable loss of quality. If you do wish to hang framed prints where they will be exposed to sunlight, UV protection glass is recommended. This type of glass is available as an option from any quality framing shop.

How Payment Works

A: We offer a risk-free reservation policy and straightforward payment schedule. Here's how it works: