+ How long have you been a photographer?

I started when I was 12, shot my first wedding at 16, and am now 28! So I've been shooting weddings over a DECADE!

+ Is photography your full time job?

Yes! I’m lucky enough to edit in my pyjamas all day long and play dress up on the weekends! But seriously, photography is my full time job and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Working with happy couples and getting inspired by their love for one another is the most rewarding pay cheque anyone could get.

+ Your packages include printing rights, what does that mean?

Short answer: these are your photos, you’ve paid for them. Go to Walmart, Costco, whatever, and print your little heart out.

Long answer: a large handful of photographers will charge you to print your images, and not release images bigger than social media size. This means you’re required to continue paying them, and cannot print anywhere else other than through them. Though I do give you the printing rights, please know I also provide professional printing services for those who want their images printed in a professional manner. This is recommend as Walmart doesn’t provide colour correcting, and could make a warm-Stonefields toned loft turn out very very red in print.

+ Where are you based out of?

I’m an Ottawa, ON based photographer! However, I actually live in the Perth area. This means that I travel to Ottawa, Kingston and everywhere in between without any travel fees. I love downtown Ottawa weddings just as much as I love backyard Perth weddings!

+ How many images do you include?

I promise to always include plenty of images of everything I capture. I don’t like to give a cutoff number as I don’t believe in withholding any images from you to get you to pay more, like some photographers do. These are your memories, I promise to capture them fully and give you more than enough images to remember this time in your lives!

+ What is your turnaround time?

Since photography is my full time job, my weekdays are dedicated to editing! Engagement sessions typically take 4 weeks or less and wedding galleries are 7 weeks or less. I try to get them back to you as soon as possible while making sure I give proper time to each and every image.

+ How many weddings do you (not your team) take per year?

Each year this changes, but for the 2024 season I’ll only be accepting 15. I do this so I can give my couples the best experience and photos possible and not spread myself thin. I focus on quality, not quantity. I’m not in this for the money, I’m in this for you and giving you the best experience while being engaged! For reference, I used to do 70 weddings per year (yikes!) but now that I have a family, they are at the top of my priority list.

+ When should I book my wedding?

I’m currently booking wedding dates 1.5 years out! This means, as of right now {August 2023} I am accepting all 2024 dates! However, I do have room for ONE more 2023 wedding!

+ What is your style?

If you can’t already tell my style, by making it this far into my website, it is a very light and romantic style, for the truly in love couple. My shooting style is to capture you + your partner living your best life, with real smiles. Smiling because you’re so happy in that exact moment, not because I told you to say Cheese. All editing is done with a very clean, light and romantic aesthetic!

+ You only have your favourite wedding photographs in your portfolio — is there anywhere that I can see a completed wedding from start to finish?

As I have so many wedding photographs, I try to only post my favourite shots on my wedding portfolio so I am not overwhelming anyone. If you would like to view my completed wedding galleries, please send me an email!

+ I love your style of photography, but you’re a little out of my budget/you’re already booked. Is there anything we can do?

Thankfully, yes! Here at Chelsea Mason Photography, I offer my associate photographers {my team} for a discounted package rate to those who are working with a smaller budget or have chosen a date that I’m already booked for. My associates have been photographing with me for many years and have a similar shooting to mine. Worried it won’t look like my work? I do all of the editing to maintain my style of work throughout their galleries! Don’t worry, I will also be the photographer for your engagement session, so we still get to go on a date together!

+ How do payment schedules work?

For Weddings: to be put into my calendar a 40% retainer and contract signing are required! Both of which can be done online. After making your deposit, the remaining balance will divided into 4 or 5 equal season payments {ie: summer payment, fall payment, winter payment, spring payment, final payment}. We can also agree on fewer or less payment dates if you prefer.

For Sessions: I require a 50% retainer and the remaining balance on the day of the session!

+ What do we wear for photos?

The question everyone has! Don’t worry, I’ll be providing you with my Engagement Style Guide to help with outfit suggestions, location recommendations, and so so so much more!!

+ Do you help us during the process?

HECK YES. I promise I won’t send you out into the wedding world on your own. I’ve had 400+ weddings so I have to say I’m pretty experienced in the industry! Each of my couples are given a copy of my Exclusive Bridal Guide to help with timeline creating, vendor recommendations, and the millions of tips + tricks that you can do to have the best wedding photos ever!!

+ How do destination weddings work?

Because of my love for travel, I’ll try to make this as budget friendly as possible! Some photographers do set travel fees, but I just have you pay for the bare minimum {flight, transportation, stay for myself + my guest} and I cover the rest. You’re not required to pay for my travel, AND the photography collection! This means you’re getting the full day wedding collection, for only the price of travel! For weddings held at a resort, the planner typically takes care of everything. Most resorts do a “book 10 rooms and get the 11th free” type of deal, so a lot of my brides have used this freebie for myself + my guest and actually didn’t pay a dime for us!

For non-resort weddings, I’ll book flights, stay and rental car on my own. I’ll make sure to get your confirmation on options + prices before booking anything to ensure there are no surprise costs on your end! Weddings in Italy + beyond are not required to cover costs for a guest.