Frequently Asked Questions

How soon do we need to book?
We tend to book up to 9-12 months out. Our slower months are January and February, so those dates don’t book quite as quickly. My advice to brides is once you have your date and venue, book your photographer immediately following. Lucky for our brides we have not just 1 but 2 main shooters! So that allows us to have more availability and book 2 weddings a weekend.

Speaking of 2 main shooters, will Maura be my photographer?
Possibly! There is a chance that one of our amazing associate shooters, Sarah, will be one who is available on your date. You will know before you book who is available, so do not worry, no surprises here! However, she has been working alongside Maura for years and her work embodies our signature romantic, timeless and whimsical style. Also, all of the editing goes through our studio for a completely seamless look and feel! And don’t worry, you can still have 2 photographers as Maura and Sarah are our lead shooters and we have many 2nd shooters that work alongside us.

Do I need 2 photographers at my wedding?
Our smallest package has only 1 photographer and an assistant as it is geared more towards elopements and intimate weddings. We recommend having 2 shooters if you have over 50 guests or a large bridal party. The advantage of having 2 photographers is of course you get more photos totals, but you also get more angles and more photos of your guests. While the main shooter is focusing on the bride and groom during toasts, the second shooter is capturing your mom crying or your grandma laughing.

Do you travel outside of Santa Fe and Albuquerque?
YES! We have a package specifically designed for out-of-state weddings. We specialize in weddings in Cancun but have been all over the world! Just ask!

Can we remove the engagement session from our package?
The engagement session is complimentary. We feel it’s a disservice to not do one and feel it’s the best way to get to know your wedding photographer before the big day! It also works as a dress rehearsal for the wedding so you can become comfortable in front of the camera. Live out of town? We can squeeze your engagement session in when you come to town for your tasting. We have also done engagement sessions the week of the wedding! We will work with you to figure it out!

Can I give you a list of specific shots we would like?
We will send you a questionnaire with a checklist for posed family portraits that you can add or subtract from. We also ask if there you have any special request photos we wouldn’t know to capture, like a picture of the inside stitching on your dress that your grandmother did, or a group shot of your sorority sisters at the reception. We do ask that you don’t give us a long list of requested shots. The reason for this is we find when we are staring at a list it causes us to miss other important moments of the day.
We are good at what we do and love to document every moment as it unfolds.

Do you charge a travel fee?
We do not charge travel fees for weddings within an hour of Albuquerque or Santa Fe. We do charge a travel fee outside of this. The travel fee covers gas and time, and we use the IRS rate of 55₵ a mile. If you are getting married out of state, we have a package specifically for this!

How long after the wedding will we see our photos?
We post a sneak peek or a blog post within a few days following the wedding. The rest of the photos take 3 to 4 weeks to be delivered. Engagement sessions are 2 weeks!

What is your refund/cancelation policy?
A $1000 retainer is due the day of booking. This is nonrefundable. This payment does go towards your package. The final balance is due 90 days from your wedding date. Once this is paid, this becomes nonrefundable. We allow you to reschedule within the same calendar year, however, if you need to push your wedding to the following year, we charge a reschedule fee.

Have you ever shot at my venue before?
If we have, we will share photos of it with you! If we haven’t, don’t let this hinder your decision. We are traveling destination photographers and shoot at new venues all the time! If we haven’t been there before, we always plan to go before the wedding happens to scout your venue and have a game plan. Sometimes it’s nice to have a fresh perspective at your venue so your photos differ from every other couple getting married there.

Do you offer video?
We partner with an awesome video team! We love working alongside Southwest Wedding Films. They do beautiful work, are professional, and so much fun! If you let them know that you booked us to be your photographers, there is a discount to have them be the video team on your day.

Do you offer albums?
YES! We LOVE when our couples add albums to their package. If you add it at the time of booking, it’s discounted! The wedding albums we offer are 8×8 or 10×10 in size. They are 100% customizable to your liking and come with 20 pages, but you can add up to 50!
They are built to last and are carefully constructed by a team of skilled artisans and are printed with thick paper. They also come in an array of cover options featuring genuine leathers, fine linens, velvets, and more.
Want to see more? Click here!

Do you offer raw files?
We do not offer raw files. We feel sending you beautifully edited photos is part of our artistic process and we want you to have the images in their best form possible.

Do you photograph LGBTQ+ weddings?
YES! We feel love is love at MJP and would be more than honored to capture your day.

More questions? Fill out our contact form and we can chat!