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Northern Virginia’s

Micro Wedding Photographer

Nicole is a natural light wedding photographer specializing in candid, detail focused & timeless images that capture the essence of each couple’s love story.  Nicole specializes in small micro-weddings to provide you with the best intimate photographer experience.

Nicole Cranford Photography, Meet Nicole

Micro Wedding Packages

Micro Wedding photographer packages start at $1000.

* Travel and accommodations are not included. Weddings within 60 miles of Ashburn, VA will have no extra travel fee.

Greetings, Bride & Groom to be

Over the years, I have grown my photography business and skills, developing a solid system to provide you with the best wedding photography experience.

I chose to focus on micro weddings because it’s pretty much what my husband and I did 18 years ago. I love a small, intimate, no-fuss wedding, allowing me to spend time with you and capture the essence of your day. I thrive in this creative space! I also am an equestrian who has experience with horses, so if you want to combine the two, I’m your photographer!

Please get in touch with me to discuss pricing packages.

What is a Micro Wedding?

Wondering what a Micro Wedding is? A micro wedding is an intimate affair, typically with no more than 50 guests, and lasts for 2-4 hours. They’re a more intimate wedding day but can still have some of the more traditional wedding elements of a larger wedding that can be done during an elopement.

With all of my packages, you get continuous coverage, print credit, and your images in high resolution with print release and a personalized mobile viewing app. Albums and engagement sessions are included with some packages but can also be added a la carte.

Micro Wedding Photography FAQs

How do we reserve you for our photography?

I limit myself to 4 weddings a year (one a quarter) so that I have enough time to dedicate myself to providing you with an amazing experience from the moment you contact me through to after your wedding. My other time is typically spent photographing equestrian, high school seniors, and family shoots.

What hours do you work on the day?

I’m flexible. In general, I can be with you from when you as the bride are getting ready and would normally expect to take my last picture sometime after your first dance.

I offer flexible packages so feel free to ask me about extra time to capture your family and guests relaxing and letting loose on the dance floor – some of your favorite images can come from this time!

Do you work with a second photographer?

I can, but not always!

You might be wondering “Do I need two wedding photographers”?

A second photographer is essential if you’d like groom as well as bridal prep photos if you’re both getting ready at different locations.

However, if you are both getting ready at the same location, I may be able to split my time between the bridal preparation photography and the groom prep. It’s important to remember that any time taken with groom preparation photography will reduce the amount of time available for bridal prep. We would need to discuss this during your wedding consultation.

Do you have backup cameras and equipment?

Yes, absolutely!

It’s vital that your chosen wedding photographer has backup equipment. Not only do I have a backup camera, but also backup lenses, lighting, memory cards – in fact, everything.

Fortunately, professional camera equipment is very reliable these days, but if it does fail you can guarantee it will be when you are exchanging your vows, or during the first dance.

It’s also important to note that backup equipment must be of an equivalent professional standard to your photographers’ main camera and lenses to ensure that all of the images you receive after the wedding have the same professional quality. So, make sure that the photographer you choose has this.

(I have, unfortunately, experienced equipment failure whilst photographing a wedding. Importantly, because I had backup equipment, I was able to continue taking photographs as if nothing had happened.)

I've been at weddings where the photographer took over. You're not like that, are you?

Absolutely not – I’m good with people and hyper-aware of where I need to be without treading on others’ toes – literally!

Do we have to pay for a meal for you?

No, you don’t have to feed me. Would it be nice – absolutely, but definitely not required. I always bring snack bars, soup or something very easy for me to eat discretely and quickly. It’s a very long day photographing your wedding and a proper meal helps to keep me going so that I have the energy to capture memories for you long into the day.

I won’t be sitting with your guests to eat my meal – a ‘supplier’ meal from the bar in a separate room (nothing fancy) would be plenty and hugely appreciated.

I’ll make sure to finish my meal in time to capture the speeches and toasts!

What is your dress code?

I dress smartly and according to the occasion. I’ll definitely be as smart as your guests, and you won’t find me turning up in jeans and trainers.

What would happen if you are unwell on our wedding day?

If I’m not well enough to photograph your wedding, or in the event of an ‘emergency’ I have forged strong relationships with other great wedding photographers that I can contact to arrange a replacement.

I’ve never missed a wedding through illness to date.

Do you have any travel costs?

If your wedding location is within a reasonable travelling distance from my home (near Ashburn Virginia) then there are no travel costs for you to consider.

If, for example, you are getting married in Maryland, DC or abroad there would be an additional cost for travel and accommodation. This could be included in my overall pricing or separately as you prefer.

How do you feel about people taking their own photographs?

It’s no problem at all.

Why hire a professional photographer? Why should we pay for a professional photographer when so many great images can be captured on an iPhone?

There’s no intrinsic reason why you shouldn’t do this, and I agree, the iPhone camera packs some amazing technology.

However, your friends have come to the wedding to be a part of your celebration. If you ask them to step up to the mark, it will be very stressful. They’ll miss things. It happens.

Investing in the services of a professional photographer means some key things:

You, your new life partner, your guests, everyone – will be able to relax and enjoy the day.

There will be stunning photographs that have captured every single special moment.

The iPhone camera packs some amazing technology. However, it’s no match for the abilities of professional camera equipment in the hands of an experienced photographer.

Are our photos edited/retouched?

Yes, they are fully edited to look their best for you including skin softening, eye enhancement and more where appropriate.

Do you have insurance?

Yes. I have public liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance and equipment insurance.

Do you post our photos on social media/your website?

Unless we have agreed otherwise, I might post some of your photos on social media or on my website.

This is often how engaged couples decide if they like my style and would like to have a wedding consultation (if you haven’t checked out some of my photos yet, please view my Portfolio).

Can we have photos taken at the ‘Golden Hour’?

Absolutely!

The ‘golden hour’ is that magic time of the day shortly after sunrise or before sunset, during which daylight is warmer and softer than when the sun is higher in the sky. This provides an opportunity to get some beautiful photos in a very flattering light.

I can let you know when the golden hour will be on your wedding day so that we can plan some gorgeous photos of the two of you at that time into your wedding day timeline.

There’s no guarantee of great weather and hence a Golden Hour, or you could be getting married in December, so it’s important that we’ve also planned an alternative time on your day to get some photos of just the two of you.

Who owns the copyright to the photos?

US law, copyright belongs to the person who took the photos. Although I retain the copyright, I allow you to share your photos as per my contract with you. After all, if you can’t share your photos, what’s the point in having me take them for you!

What format do we receive our wedding photos in?

You’ll receive your images in your very own online gallery with the ability to download all photos to your computer.

Are my wedding photos safe?

Even using professional cameras and memory cards for your wedding photography doesn’t mean they’re safe. That’s why it’s incredibly important that I back up your images.

When back home, I back up your wedding photos in multiple locations: a separate external hard drive that backs up my entire computer, a RAID enabled (makes two more copies simultaneously) external hard drive and an additional separate backup into the cloud in case of fire/flood.