FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

+ How long has Milk + Honey been in business?

It is crazy to believe that we have recently surpassed another anniversary! We have been in business for four amazing years, and have loved every minute of it.

+ How long have you been doing this for? Did you go to school to become a photographer?

I have been a professional photographer for four years. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Business from California State University Dominguez Hills, an MBA with an emphasis in Marketing from California State University Dominguez Hills, and as well a ton of photography education and courses under my belt from different sources such as WPPI, Click, Creative Live, and some of the highest sought after professional wedding photographers in the business! I am a life long learner, and even though I have already spent over 4500 hours perfecting my craft, I still continue to push myself to become a better photographer everyday.

+ Have you ever been featured in any wedding publications?

Well, you are going to make us blush! We have, and are so very proud of our features. So far we have been recognized and published in Southern Bride, Borrowed and Blue, Burnett's Boards, Southern Celebrations, BUSTLD, The Carolina's Magazine, Luxe Mountain Weddings, Two Bright Lights, and Charlotte Brides. We absolutely love to submit our wedding and engagement collections, and would just love the opportunity to submit yours!

+ What kind of equipment do you have? Do you back up our wedding photos

Yes, and double yes! We have not one, but two Nikon D750's, and a ton of amazing lenses that we will be using to capture your day, 70-200 mm 2.8 Tamron lens, 24-70 mm 2.8 Tamron lens, 35 1.8 Nikon lens, 50 mm 1.4 Nikon lens, & an 85 mm 1.4 Sigma lens. As well when it comes to your reception, off camera lighting is a must for creative and beautiful night photography, and I have all of the above! Last, we back up your images, and take every precaution to protect them, because we know how priceless these images are.

+ Do you photograph couples from all different religious backgrounds?

Yes! We love everyone, and respect all different religions, backgrounds, and personal values. We would love to photography your wedding, and who you are.

+ Are you a legit photographer? Are you insured?

Oh heck yes! My camera and equipment are insured to the max, which not only protects myself and my gear, it also protects my clients. If you are working with a venue that requires any proof of coverage, or additional coverage for your event, we are more than happy to take care of that, and to give them that information. If any additional coverage is needed for any reason, please give us at least a month heads up, and we will make sure that is taken care of before your big day!

+ Do you work with same-sex couples?

Of course we do! Love comes in a million different versions, and we love them all! We can't wait to tell your story in a fun, beautiful, and authentic way.

+ Are you dog friendly?

Furry friends are always welcome in front of our lens!

+ Who is "we" referring to? Who is part of Milk + Honey Photography Co?

Hey there! My name is Megan Cantrell, and I am the Owner, Lead Photographer, and Editing Artisan of Milk and Honey Photography Co. My husband has worked alongside me for most of my weddings over the years, and he turns "I", into an "us." We have a little guy now, so Brad cannot always be my second shooter these days. I still have an amazing team that I love to work with, and our top priority is always bring our clients the most amazing experience and images for their wedding and portrait sessions.

+ Why is an engagement session not included in the wedding price?

We know there are a lot of photographer's who do include a "complimentary" engagement session in their wedding pricing, but trust us that the session they will offer you is not actually complimentary. They definitely upped their fees to include it, so whether you want or not, you are paying for it when you work with them. Here, we know that one size DOES NOT fit all, so we make engagement sessions an "a la carte" add on for you.

+ We want you to shoot our wedding, but do we really need an engagement session?

Engagements sessions are not just great because they preserve that special chapter in your life, but they also give you a trial run in front of the lens before your big day. When we look back on our own engagement session, we remember the day we photographed them as well as that amazing time in our lives before we committed to marriage. We love our whole story, and seeing those images today reminds us of the dating phase, and how amazing it was to be freshly engaged. All in all, we wouldn't trade those images for the world... however, do YOU have to have them? Of course not, but we do highly recommend getting them done not only for the memories, but also because it is a really great trial run to be in front of the camera before your wedding. You will feel more comfortable, and confident on your wedding day if you have an engagement session done prior, which is always great thing!

+ Will we get every single image that you take?

Believe it or not, you would not want every single image or frame that we are going to take. Some frames are just throw away images that are taken while setting up our lighting, and you know there will be a few that capture somebody mid-sneeze! As well, we know you don't actually want to look back on that awkward face you made when you weren't quite ready for us to take that one photo, and we took a few extra images that all looked exactly the same during traditional photos because we wanted to make sure no one blinked in the final ones we are going to edit. Do you know how hard it is to capture more than 12 people at one time, with no one blinking?! Oh man, it's tough! Sifting through all of these images is part of the job you are investing in, and a part that you wouldn't want to do. Trust that we are going to be give you ALL of the best images from your wedding and your portrait session. We are skilled, and have an eye for this, and that is why you are going to hire us! So when it comes time to see your finals, you can be confident that not only did we give you every amazing image there was to see, but that your finals will be absolutely gorgeous.

+ Do you get to keep all of your images even if you decide not to purchase prints?

You get to keep all of your final images in high resolution format, end of story. You are not forced to buy prints, however we strongly encourage you to do so. If you keep all of your wedding images living purely on social media, hidden in the archives of your laptop, or unseen in a desk drawer on your USB, then you will never see them... unless of course Facebook is reminding you that you were married xx amount of years ago. Seriously though, can you imagine if you NEVER saw any of your parent's wedding images?! You should definitely print at least a few of your favorite memories from your wedding or engagement, and have an album made so you can easily share and look back on this amazing time and event in your lives.

Also when it comes to prints, no other company holds a flame to ours... seriously. These are going to be your family heirlooms, so print them through your online gallery to not only have an amazing and easy experience, but to also get the highest quality there is. After all, these will be around your home for the next 50+ years!

+ If we do decide to purchase prints or have an album made, does it have to be through you?

We always give you the choice to print how you want to print. However, our printers are hands down the absolute best there are not only because they have unmatched quality, but because your digital files are actually calibrated to be printed on those printers. What does that mean? It means that the colors you see when you look at your images, will look the same when you print them through us. Cheaper prints and printers often over saturate and change digital file colors in their print processes, which can make your images look lesser than when printed. Not to mention, our exclusive paper options like our Artisan Matte are AMAZING, and you don't want to miss out on them! We guarantee all of our prints and albums, so if they don't turn out perfect for any reason, you will get them remade for you complimentary.

+ If you make our album, do we get to have a say in the pictures you use, and how it looks?

Yes! When you print an album through us, we have a process that is super easy and simple where we make an album that is not only perfect for you, but also gets your stamp of approval before it is printed, hooray!

+ Can I create a custom collection for our weddding?

Absolutely! We can create a custom collection for you that can include anything you like. Just let us knowing what you are dreaming of, and we can make it happen!

+ If you make our album, do we get to have a say in the pictures you use, and how it looks?

Yes! When you print an album through us, we have a process that is super easy and simple where we make an album that is not only perfect for you, but also gets your stamp of approval before it is printed, hooray!

+ Can we have a second photographer for our wedding day?

Absolutely! We don't automatically include a second photographer in our packages only because we want you to have more flexibility to build the package that is going to work best for you. Having a second photographer for your wedding day is an amazing thing, and we do highly recommend having one available. Getting that second perspective during your cocktail hour, ceremony, and reception can be priceless, because at the end of the day one person can only be in one place at a time. If you are even considering a second, we definitely recommend just adding it in to your package for that complete coverage and second perspective... you definitely won' regret it!

+ Do you recommend the 6 hour wedding package for smaller intimate weddings, or to lower the expense of our package?

The six hour wedding package was originally intended for very small intimate weddings of 50 people or less, and elopements. If you have a very small wedding or an elopement being planned, then six hours of coverage can be a great fit. If you are having a larger wedding than 50 people, but are open getting less coverage from a photographer on your wedding day to make it fit in your budget, then this could be a great option for you as well.

+ How far in advance do we need to book?

We always recommend booking as soon as you have picked a date, possibly even before if you want to guarantee availability! Between life and business, days can book up quickly, so if you are even considering, inquire now! After all, it does take just a quick email to inquire (easy capizzy). If you are getting married next month does it mean it is too late to book now?! If we have your date available it doesn't matter if you are getting married next week or next year, we will do our best to be super flexible so we can photograph your big day.

+ How many images will we get?

You can estimate to receive 75 final images per hour that we are there documenting your special day or portrait session.

+ Do you take candid organic images? Do you always include traditional type photos as well?

We love to capture your day authentically as it unfolds, but we also know that your parents are expecting some formal images of you all so they can frame them to look back on forever (and of course to brag about you two, to all of their friends). We always include time for traditional images at every wedding, because they are so important to have. Your family will be over the moon that you want to include them, and we will be right there making even your Aunt look just as great as the two of you (wink, wink)!

+ Will you be Photoshopping our images?

We mostly do our best to stay out of Photoshop by taking amazing images "in camera." Our editing and post production is done in Lightroom, and by posing you in the most flattering and authentic ways and knowing how to always control the light, gives us consistently beautiful photos.

+ Will you give any tips for how to dress and look great for our Engagement Portrait?

Absolutely! Once you are all signed up for your engagement portrait session, we will send a VIP link your way where you can get some great tips to help get you prepare for the perfect session.

+ What if you don't feel like you are very photogenic?

Did you know that most people don't feel like they are very photogenic? We feel that way too, so you are definitely not alone in this category, but guess what?! We specialize in organic images that do still start from a pose (shhhhh). This means that we will start shooting from a pose where we will line you up, set you up, and always make you look your best! We will still get organic laughter, happiness, and movement in our images, but will start you always from the most flattering position. Our mission is to always photograph the best you, and if you have any special requests, we will always oblige (like having a favorite side of your face).

+ How long do we have to wait to see our finals?

You should expect to see your portrait finals in no more than two weeks, and your wedding finals six to eight weeks from the day of your wedding. We aim to complete your portrait images as well as your wedding images in the least amount of time possible. We know that waiting on final images can seem like forever, so we do our best to give you your finals as soon as possible.

+ Can you provide us with any other vendor recommendations for our wedding day?

Absolutely! Whether you are getting married here in the Mid to Western North Carolina region, or you are getting married in any other destination, we would love to send some recommendations your way for anything you might need: Hair, Make-Up, Catering, Florists, Bakeries, Venues, Planners, Day-of-Coordinators, DJ's, Musicians, etc. The wedding industry is large, but small at the same time, and we have lots of friends! So if you are stuck finding something and need a little help, please don't hesitate to ask.

+ Could you provide us with a wedding day timeline?

Actually, that is one of the first things we will do! After we have locked in your date, we will create a custom detailed Wedding Day Timeline just for your event. We will send it your way as soon as it is ready, and then we can make any changes needed to make it perfect for your day. We love making Wedding Day Timelines not only because it ensures that your wedding will be stress free and will run smoothly, but as well because it ensures that we will set aside the time needed to capture the most amazing images for you all!

+ Do you travel for weddings?

We love to travel for weddings, and have a few options that are very budget friendly. Just let us know your dream location, and we will let you know what options we have.

+ How do we know if you are a great match for us?

We believe that a great photographer and client combo comes by a few different things, personalities blending, expectation and budget lining up, and of course you must love our style! We love to not only work with our clients, but also to surpass your greatest expectations with heartfelt kindness and absolutely stunning photos that you can go wild over! Because we have been there too, we do our best to not only create the most genuine memories for you all, but to as well to make this experience an amazing and easy one that you two will never forget. The best way to see if we are a great fit is to first do some exploring through our portfolio and website, then to inquire to make sure that your date is available. We would love to meet you all over a cup of coffee or tea in a local coffee house, or through a Skype or Facetime chat so that we can get to know each other. Also, don't worry, we know life can be so busy, so even if you are local to us but would prefer a Skype or Facetime meeting, we would love that too!