Frequently Asked Questions

I started Amanda Matilda Photography in 2012! Before that I second shot under some pros to get a better understanding of what went into documenting weddings. I fell in love with it immediately!

Yes! I cull through all the images and retouch them to my style (I like to call it vibrant and timeless!) and deliver the final images in an online gallery.

I started Amanda Matilda Photography in 2012! Before that I second shot under some pros to get a better understanding of what went into documenting weddings. I fell in love with it immediately!

For weddings and elopements, my retainer fee is $1,000, with the final payment due 30 days before the big day. You can make small payments along the way to chip away at it through your client portal, if you wish!

Portrait retainers are 50% with the final payment due the week before.

Yep! I have lots of couples who enjoy smoke bars at their receptions, or share unity joints as part of their ceremony/celebration.

Having been the primary photographer leading wedding days for over 10 years now, I have seen just what having an experienced photographer does to help so many parts of your day. We've likely worked at your venue before and know all the great spots. I have a proven system for family photos to make sure it is quick and efficient while also suggesting combinations you might not have thought of but will deeply cherish. I have navigated drunk guests, big family opinions, hours-behind timelines and I know how to work well under pressure so that you don't feel any of the stress that might be happening behind the scenes!

I am lucky to live in Grand Junction, Colorado! We're blessed with incredible locations to photograph right in our backyard, but also just a short trip into the Rocky Mountains or over to the desert of Moab!

Wedding couples usually book me 9-18 months in advance. If you're wanting to work with me, I suggest booking as soon as you have a venue and date secured!

Elopements are typically booked anywhere from 1 week before to a year or more in advance! There is no right or wrong here, but weekdays are much more likely to be open than a Saturday.

I do require a retainer fee to save your date - this comes out of your final balance and isn't an additional fee - this reserves your big day in my calendar! 

YES! I travel for many of my elopements and weddings each year. I have learned in order to best serve my couples, I do not travel outside of the Grand Junction and Moab areas from December-April so there's no chances of highways keeping me from getting to you. I frequently spend summers traveling to Ouray, Crested Butte, Telluride, and Aspen!

Another big YES here! Grand Junction is such an under-appreciated area, but is quickly becoming a destination for couples eloping in Colorado. I love showing you around the best spots of my backyard!

A bonus session can be an engagement photo shoot, coverage of your rehearsal dinner, or a day-after adventure session! These sessions are 50% off with a wedding booking.

I include an album with every full wedding collection because I believe in providing tangible products and creating imagery that will last a lifetime. Helping you create and keep your first family heirloom that you will pass down to your kids is something so awesome about my job, and I love to see my couples relive their wedding day as they flip through its pages weeks after the event!

It’s ultimately totally up to you! Save the dates typically go out 6-10 months ahead of the big day, so if you want engagement pictures to be part of those announcements, you should consider that in timing the engagement session. Other than that, if you have a favorite season you could do them at that time of year. Similarly if you are having a fall wedding and wanted a change of scenery for your engagement photos you could do spring blossoms for that session! It all depends on what you want for your images.

While I shoot almost all of my weddings alone, I do have a few photographer friends who will second shoot if that is something you want to add-on!

I will work with you through the wedding planning process to get a list of family members you want in your family formals. From there I will help by creating the perfect workflow list of groupings, and get your final approval and edits on that list! This really helps take the stress off you - I don’t want to give you one more thing for your to-do list when I could easily create the list based on my hundreds of weddings worth of experience! For portraits, if there are specific poses you want I’m happy to see your inspiration, but I don’t work off of a set shot list for that part of the day since I want you to be focused on the experience of the day and will guide you through prompts to help you look your best!

Absolutely! I love spending my free time checking out new hikes and areas, and have quite a few ideas stockpiled for elopements and sessions. You don't have to know your exact location(s) before booking! Many couples will book me for my expertise, style, and weird fun personality, then we'll hop on a Zoom call to go over your options based on what you're looking for!

Yeah! However, I am not the best hiker (lol) and cannot do super long hikes (even 6 miles can kick my butt ... *hides face*). If you're looking for someone to hike 12 miles or climb a mountain with you, there are way better photographers for your vision!

I am a bit of a couch potato - so I get it! While I love to hike, the older I get I am honestly not into the crazy adrenaline-seeking activities most elopement photographers seem to be. BASE jumping is super cool, but I won't be jumping with you lol! Regardless of what is your favorite way to spend a day, eloping is for anyone. I work with ordinary couples and your elopement day should be tailored to the two of you! 

Of course! Elopements can always have guests along. Typically couples will choose no more than a small handful of guests to make logistics as easy as possible and keep to the heart of why you're eloping. If you feel pulled to bring more, you might opt for a micro wedding at an intimate venue.

I always encourage embracing the weather, as it's a unique thing about your day, and as much as I wish I could, I can't control the weather! Plus the wind blowing in your hair or dress or veil, looks pretty dang cool in pictures! If the weather is terrible enough that it would super ruin things, we can usually reschedule or readjust though, so don't sweat it.

First of all, there is no should with elopements (or weddings, if you ask me!) You can literally do whatever you want! Feel like exploring a ghost town and ending the day at your favorite brewery? Sweet, let's do it. Hate hiking but love taco trucks? Why don't we get dinner at your favorite spot? Always wanted to share your first dance and a champagne toast on the side of a cliff in the desert? I got you.

Sure thing! I help with location ideas specific to what you're looking for, permit requirements for those spaces, how to get and sign a Colorado marriage license, tips for bringing your dog along, to fun activity options and vendor recommendations. You're not in this alone!

You'll get sneak peeks within 24-48 hours! None of those horror stories about waiting one year to see any of your images. Your full gallery is completed within 4 weeks of the wedding as well.

For designing your wedding album, I'll start by creating a first draft for us to work off of. I've found this is a much less overwhelming start than asking you to choose a number of images or design it yourself from a program. Who has time for that? From the first draft I'll get your feedback in an easy proofing system and make the edits for you. You'll have your finished album no more than 3 months after you receive your online gallery if you're quick to proof your album!

Every wedding and elopement is totally unique, so I don't guarantee a set number of images. I work hard to document every candid moment and decor detail of the day to tell the full story of your day! On average, though, I deliver around 50 images per hour of coverage for events.

No. The editing process is like putting together the ingredients of a cake and baking it til it's cooked! I would never give you raw ingredients when you ordered a full cake from me.