Welcome to PerfectSentiments.Net, the web site for wedding photography by Perfect Sentiments and Gifts, LLC, West Monroe, Louisiana. Thank you for being our guest.

Would you like a wedding photographer who can meet your wedding photography needs at an affordable price? Does a wedding photographer who doesn't pressure you to buy a lot of expensive pictures sound nice? If so, you've come to the right place. Learn about our good prices and personal service, how we can help you to have a great experience with your wedding photography.

To learn more about what we offer to meet your wedding photography needs, click the tabs above. To see samples of our work from previous weddings and bridal sessions, select galleries from the right menu. If you live in Monroe or West Monroe, Louisiana or vicinity and would like to schedule your free consultation, or if you just want to ask some questions, click the 'Contact Us' link. We'll be happy to try to help.

SERVICES

OUR PRODUCT

We do not sell prints, which saves you money. Customers receive discs with the images on them, and are allowed to make as many prints as they desire. Photographers who depend upon selling photographs typically hold a copyright and prevent anyone from legally copying the photos, for at least a year. We do not claim a copyright, so you can make as many prints as you desire. at rates a small fraction of what photographers charge. In addition, there is never pressure for you to purchase prints, because we don't sell them.

WEDDING PHOTOS

* Consultation Prior to the Wedding - We will make an appointment for a time prior to the wedding and I will spend time with you talking about how to make the photo process go as smoothly as possible. Many details will be discussed so that you get exactly what you want.

* Up to 5 Hours Photography Time on the Day of the Wedding - I will arrive before the wedding to be sure that I am ready for everything. I try to make the photography process center around the wedding, not the wedding around the photography.

* DVD Data Discs with the Images from the Wedding - This will be discs that you can use to have prints made. No prints are included in my work. The DVD's will not be movies for your DVD or Blu-ray player, though you may be able to view images on them. They are inteded to serve simply as data discs with image files that can be printed or transferred to other digital media. I use DVD+R discs, which are compatible with most modern computer DVD drives. Discs are presented with full-color lables in a nice DVD case.

* 100+ Corrected Images - Due to varied lighting and other factors, the raw image files may need to be corrected so that they will print well. Minor improvements to images will also be made, such as cropping or removing facial blemishes. I will take care of at least 100 images and save them in JPEG format, or other formats you may desire. Due to time required, I will select the poses to be corrected.

* 3 to 4 Hundred Shots or More - That is a typical number of images captured, but the number will vary. You will receive all of the raw images on the discs, so that you can select from them and use Photoshop or a similar program to do any editing desired. You will also receive all images in JPEG format so you can have them printed, but these are not corrected and some uncorrected prints will be less than optimum.

* Traditional Wedding Photography - My photos wouldn't be considered trendy, just lots of good pictures of your special day.

BRIDAL PHOTOS

Many brides want a set of images in a unique setting that will enhance their gown while providing a serene atmosphere. These are usually taken weeks before the wedding, to include an image with newspaper announcements, to make a print to display at the wedding, or to enlarge and place in a frame at home. I have photographed at the Biedenharn Museum a number of times. Another location of your choice may provide an equally pleasing setting. I do not have a studio, so I cannot take pictures with a commercial background.

• Detailed Consultation 2 Weeks Prior to the Ceremony
• Up to 5 Hours Photography Time on the Day of the Wedding
• Unlimited Poses and Images as Time Allows
• DVD Data Discs (not a movie or slide show) Containing at Least 100 Corrected Images and All Uncorrected Images (no prints)
• Travel Up to 50 Miles One Way on the Day of the Wedding (longer distances extra)

We encourage you to compare prices, because you will find this is very reasonable. We do not sell prints. You will save money by getting the prints made yourself.

BRIDAL PHOTOS - $125
Bridal photos are optional. If desired, I will meet you at a location of your choice, such as Biedenharn Museum, for an hour to make photos for the newspaper or whatever use you may have for pictures in a special setting. Sorry, but I do not have a studio so I cannot make portraits with a commercial background. As with the images on the day of the ceremony, you are allowed to make as many prints as you desire. This price includes only local travel, in the immediate vicinity of West Monroe or Monroe. As with the wedding photos, images are supplied on a disc, no prints.

DEPOSIT - $200
Deposit is required to reserve the date of your wedding. Deposit is refundable up to 30 days prior to the wedding. 29 days or later, no deposit will be returned.

FINAL PAYMENT
Payment in full is to be made 2 weeks before the wedding.

SALES TAX
Prices do not include sales tax.

 SUGGESTIONS

When to Make the Pictures

Most people have some pictures taken of the couple separate from one another before the wedding. This allows them to make photos of just their families and friends separately. Then, during the reception following the wedding, everyone you want in pictures meets back at the wedding scene to make pictures with the couple.

Another option, which my wife and I chose for our wedding, is to make almost all of the pictures before the wedding. Yes, the couple will see each other, but the first sight of one another can still be very special. After the couple gets ready separately, the bride is left in her dressing room alone. Then, the groom goes in to her, and they spend a few minutes by themselves. It is a very intimate, meaningful, romantic way of first seeing one another on the wedding day. One couple enjoyed it so much I had to knock on the door to tell them it was time to take pictures!

Most couples choose not to see one another before the wedding, and I understand that. Just realize that you will miss part of the reception because you'll be taking pictures. Usually the number of pictures is kept to a minimum, because taking a lot a pictures will take so long that some people start to leave the reception. If most of the pictures are taken before the wedding, then you have time to take as many as you like, and you get to enjoy the entire reception. Also, it will be possible to include both bride and groom in images of family and friends. For these reason, I highly recommend this option.

People in Your Pictures

To determine which pictures to have made, think about what you want to do with the pictures after the wedding. Do you want to give them as gifts, hang them on the wall, leave them in an album, or maybe just keep most of them on your computer? Think about who you want to remember when you look at the pictures years from now. Then, make a list of people that you want to have in your pictures. Obvious choices would include your attendants, relatives, and friends. Think about whether you want them in groups, individually, or both. Will the pictures be made with the bride, the groom, or both?

How Much Time to Allow

The amount of time required for photography will depend upon the number of settings that you request and whether you decide to take them all before the wedding. We will probably need to be ready to start at least 2 hours before the ceremony time. It is important to emphasize to people you want in the pictures that they be on time. People being late can actually cause you to miss taking some pictures. In case that happens, it is a good idea to have a pleasing background set up in the reception area so that people can easily be gathered there for pictures following the ceremony. However, I recommend that only as a quick fix, because there is not usually as much space as there is in the auditorium, which limits things.

ABOUT US

Hi. My name is Stan Taylor. My occupation is Minister of Music at Highland Baptist Church in West Monroe. My faith in Jesus Christ is the most important thing to me. If you would like to read more about my faith, click here. (This is a page on my church web site.)

I have been doing photography as a hobby and semi-professionally for about 30 years. I photographed my first wedding somewhere around 25 years ago, and have made pictures for friends, family and clients occasionally through the years. I began shooting weddings with film cameras, but now use 10+ megapixel digital SLR cameras. I continue to do wedding photography as time allows.

Because I only do photography part-time, I usually have the product to the customer within 2 weeks after the the photography event.

 Select a wedding photographer with personal service and affordable prices in Monroe, West Monroe, and northeast Louisiana - Perfect Sentiments.