These are the questions people are too polite to ask out loud, so here are the straight answers. Do you tip? Is a deposit required? What is actually included, and when do you pay? No hedging, no contact form. If you want the full rate card with real numbers, that lives on the cost guide. This page is about how the money works, and why we set it up to protect you.
Do you tip a proposal photographer?
Short answer: it is genuinely not expected, and you should never feel obligated. Photography is not a tipped trade the way a restaurant is. The price we quote is the whole price, and it already reflects what the work is worth. That said, a tip is always appreciated and never turned down, and plenty of couples do add one when they are thrilled with the photos. If you want to, 10 to 20 percent is a normal range, but a five-star review or sending a friend our way means just as much. The one thing you never have to do is tip to get great service. That is baked in.
Is a deposit required? (No.)
We do not take a deposit. Zero. You reserve your date, we plan and shoot the proposal, and you pay after it is done. After twenty years and 275+ five-star reviews, we are comfortable betting you will love the photos, so we do not ask you to put money down on a moment you have not seen yet. It also protects you: if life changes before the date, you are not chasing a refund, because you never paid anything. Most photographers require 25 to 50 percent up front. We think that is backwards for something this personal.
What is actually included in the price
One number covers everything that gets you the photos: the planning and scouting, the shoot itself, the editing, and your high-resolution digital gallery. No sitting fee. No per-image charges. No print minimum. The collections differ only by how much time you want and how many edited photos you keep: 15 in Coastal, 50 in Signature, and every edited photo in the Full Collection. The planning that makes a surprise proposal work is not a line-item surcharge on top; it is the product, and it is built in.
Watch out for the low quote that grows
The trap in this business is the low session fee that quietly balloons. A photographer quotes $350, and then it is $75 per edited image, or prints are extra, or the digital files cost more, and suddenly the real number is triple the quote. That is why the sticker price means nothing until you know what it includes. Ask one question of anyone you are considering: is this the all-in price, or does it grow when I want my actual photos? With us it is all-in, full stop.
When and how you pay
Payment is due the same day, right after the shoot wraps, and we make it easy: card, or a few other simple options. No invoice chase, no net-30 games, no money before the date. You will see a sneak peek fast and the full edited gallery not long after. If you decide after seeing the proofs that you want more photos than your collection includes, you can size up to a bigger collection and just pay the difference. There is never pressure to.
The thing worth spending on
Here is the honest version. Good Bay Area proposal photographers cluster in a similar price range, and the best ones publish their numbers, so price is not really where you should be comparing. Look at the work, and look at how much of it they will actually show you. Most show a highlight reel, a dozen perfect photos that are a fraction of one percent of what they really shoot. We publish hundreds of complete galleries, real full sessions from real clients, so you can see exactly what you will get before you ever book. That is what your money is actually buying: not a lucky twelve, but a whole gallery that looks like the samples.
Money FAQ
Do you tip a proposal photographer?
It is not expected, and you should never feel obligated. Photography is not a tipped trade, and our quoted price is the full price. A tip is always appreciated if you are thrilled and want to, with 10 to 20 percent being a normal range, but a five-star review or a referral means just as much. You never have to tip to get great service.
Do proposal photographers require a deposit?
Many do, typically 25 to 50 percent up front. We do not. We take zero deposit: you reserve your date, we plan and shoot, and you pay after it is done. It protects you, since you are not out any money if plans change before the date.
What is included in a proposal photography package?
With us, one price covers the planning and scouting, the shoot, the editing, and your high-resolution digital gallery. No sitting fee, no per-image charges, no print minimum. The collections differ only by time and how many edited photos you keep: 15 in Coastal, 50 in Signature, and every edited photo in the Full Collection.
When do you pay a proposal photographer?
With us, the same day, right after the shoot wraps. There is no deposit and no payment before the date. You will get a sneak peek quickly and the full gallery not long after.
Are there hidden fees or per-photo charges?
Not with us. Some photographers quote a low session fee and then charge per edited image or for the digital files, so the real cost ends up much higher than the quote. Our price is all-in. The one optional thing is sizing up to a bigger collection after you have seen the proofs, and that is your call, never required to get your photos.
Want the actual numbers? See the cost guide or the full collections. Ready to plan it? Start with a quick call. You pay after the shoot.