Archive for the ‘SDP updates’ Category

Hi everyone! Taking a break from feverish editing and blog preparation (coming later today: Cara and Ryan’s wedding and aviation-themed reception!) to give some updates from the portrait session side of my business. SDP has grown this year beyond my wildest expectations  - and with that has come VERY tight scheduling. Right now, I’m getting several portrait session inquiries per day, and obviously I have to find places to schedule everyone in. However, it is also wedding season – not only wedding season but the BUSIEST PART of wedding season – and with 34 weddings this year, I am one insanely busy photographer right now!

As of now, I am scheduling about 3 weeks out on portrait sessions. My June schedule is completely full now – with one exception which I’ll explain shortly. I’m now already scheduling sessions in mid-July. So, if you are interested in booking an engagement session, a senior shoot, or a family session, it might be a good idea to go ahead and get on my schedule. I anticipate as we head towards late summer that scheduling will get even tougher – as senior shoots will start picking up at that time.

A “policy” change on scheduling, effective immediately – I am available for portrait session shooting Monday through Friday during wedding season (April through November), and seven days a week during off-season (provided I don’t have a rare winter wedding scheduled on a particular Saturday). I have quite a few Sunday weddings coming up on my schedule, as well as Saturday weddings that involve overnight travel. Sunday portrait sessions are going to be too difficult to schedule in until the season slows down.

And with the above comes a tip for those of you who REALLY want to get scheduled in – it goes without saying that evening shoots go first. I shoot nearly every evening right now. If you need an evening session, that is where the delay in scheduling is going to exist. If you want to get in QUICKLY, psssst, got a secret for you. Morning light is JUST as gorgeous as evening light and my mornings are largely free. I do realize with work schedules, it can be difficult to schedule at this time, but arranging for it can pay off big time as often I can get clients in nearly immediately if they are willing to schedule outside of an evening shoot.

So….to sum up – scheduling is running about 3 weeks (sometimes 4) for evening shoots, but if you can swing a morning shoot, you will find yourself on my schedule MUCH sooner! And note the availability for portrait sessions during wedding season in Monday-Friday (Fridays except where Friday weddings are scheduled).

I appreciate everyone’s patience! I promise you the wait to get your session is worth it. :) Of course, no blog post is complete without a photo, so here’s a quick preview of Stephanie and Cole’s engagement session that I did last night in Hays, KS (yes, I got home after midnight, but I LOVED shooting out there!)

Thanks to EVERYONE for your business. – Sarah

Hays, Kansas engagement session - wheat field

Wedding update!

April 5, 2010

I’ve got a couple of newsworthy notes I wanted to pass along to everyone.

First, I am closing my books on Saturday weddings through December 4. That means, I am booked full on Saturdays this season with the exception of a couple of vacation Saturdays I’ve kept open for myself, through December 4th! I could not have done this without all of the wonderful clients I’ve been blessed with this year. I will still accept a handful of Friday or Sunday dates this season – but those will be limited in number as well to keep my workload in check. So if you have a Friday or Sunday date in 2010 and are still considering my services, hop to it! :)

Saturday dates from December 11 onward are still open for booking (if the date is open, that is!). 2011 weddings are already booking in at a good clip.

In other news related to booking weddings with SDP, we have changed our retainer amount, effective immediately, to a flat $500 fee. The old policy was to require 30% of the cost of the wedding package, however, we offer such a wide range of packages now that I felt it was more fair to institute a flat rate for the retainer. The balance due still remains due 7 days before your wedding date. Of course, you can pay any amount towards your wedding at any time, and with every payment received you will be sent an updated invoice showing the current balance due.

Again, thank you all SO much for your support and I am so incredibly excited for 2010, which officially kicks off with a vengeance April 24th!

-Sarah

A few pretty large announcements to make this evening!

First and foremost, our pricing has JUST adjusted for 2010. All of our online price and product guides (found under the information/investment tab here, and the investment and pricing tabs on the main sarahdickersonphoto.com site) are now updated and uploaded to reflect this change. These prices are effective immediately (March 5, 2010). For those of you that have a copy of my old price sheet but have not yet booked a wedding or portrait session - whether you met with me for a consult, at a bridal show or have been in contact with me regarding my services via phone or email, I will honor the old, quoted prices for 90 days – which is June 5th, 2010. (This doesn’t mean you have to have completed your shoot by then, it simply means you must book your session or wedding by this point to take advantage of the older rates).

Brides and clients who are already booked with me – what does this mean to you? Absolutely nothing. Disregard! :) You booked in under our previous rates – so the rate sheets and product guides in effect when you booked your session or wedding are the rates that will be in effect for you all the way through your wedding or session and ordering. You’re good to go!

You might have also noticed a bit of “housecleaning” around the SDP blog and website. I hope you like the changes!

And while we are on the subject of houses, our studio is moving into a new home effective June 1st. This is SUPER exciting news and deserves a post of its own – which it will get in due time! Sarah Dickerson Photography will be located inside of Shana Vaughn Designs and Salutations in Briarcliff Village and I am SO excited to share the news! We will be building out a workspace and are already using the meeting space inside Shana’s shop for client consults. Look for much more on this to come – photos, updates, and perhaps an invite to an opening reception?? :)

Our phone number has changed!

February 21, 2010

Everything is being changed over including our printed collateral as we speak, but here’s a new way to book Sarah for a shoot!

816.560.6412

Give us a jingle, and update your contacts!

Also, while I’ve got you – two more places to follow us for updates. Show your support and be a fan on our facebook page at our Kansas City Wedding, Senior and Engagement Photography fan page! Also, follow along for all of our little day-to-day updates on Twitter at @SarahDickerson!

Topeka Bridal Fair

January 24, 2010

We just literally finished unpacking all of the booth materials from 94.5 Country’s Bridal Fair at the Topeka Ramada – after caravanning back to Kansas City looking like the Beverly Hillbillies with booth walls, tables and chairs piled (way too) high in the bed of the pickup – yeah, I’m paranoid and used 5 miles of rope to secure it.

But you don’t care about that. Unless you were behind me on the Kansas Turnpike, in which case you might have been a leeetle bit scared that one of my now-famous zebra chairs was going to launch itself into your windshield. (no they were secure, remember? :) )

The show went well, despite having a booth that was in a bit of a difficult spot in relation to the traffic flow, but that’s partially my fault – live and learn, right? :) I’ll be announcing the winner of the engagement session drawing on here hopefully tomorrow – have to draw the name and notify the lucky bride-to-be first!

Here’s a few shots of our setup from the weekend. Our short bridal fair season is OVER, ’til next January! Now time for engagements and WEDDINGS! The year is VERY full. If you are still thinking of booking, do not delay. Absolutely, do not delay. I can only take a handful more bookings for 2010 before I will be closing the books on the year!

XW1L2617 copy

XW1L2606 copy

Again thanks to Shana Vaughn of Shana Vaughn Designs for the GREAT table centerpiece! :)
XW1L2626 copy

Topeka Bridal Fair

Topeka area brides! Stop by our booth this Saturday and Sunday, January 23rd and 24th, at the Topeka Ramada (downtown) and introduce yourselves! It is the annual 94.5FM Country’s bridal fair, Topeka’s biggest and best bridal show. We’ll be situated in a big (end cap) booth in the ballroom. Yes, the zebra chairs will be there, so look for them! :) Be sure and enter to win a COMPLETE engagement package, same as we offered two weeks ago at the KC Weddings Bridal Spectacular show – this is a giveaway of not only an engagement session, but ALSO a DVD of your edited images AND…wait for it…a custom guestbook for your wedding day, designed around your e-session images! So stop by, fill out an entry form, drop it and take a look at our great e-session work as well as a sample guestbook album. And while you’re at it, snag some info on our wedding photography! :)

Congrats to 2011 bride Candace Ellsworth, whose name was drawn as winner of the complete SDP engagement session! Candace and her fiance win an engagement session complete with DVD of their session images and a custom guestbook album built around their session, with room for guests to sign right into the book. Stay tuned in a few months to see a blog with their images! :)

Topeka Bridal Fair attendees – listen up – because I’m doing this contest AGAIN for you! Stop by my booth and enter a drawing for a chance to win another COMPLETE engagement session! (shoot, DVD of images and guestbook album!) We will see you at the Topeka Ramada this weekend – more to come about that! :)

Sarah

Bridal shows are odd. It’s quite possibly the only time I’m in a dress one moment, and jeans and boots the next in the bed of a pickup tying down a bunch of furniture. :) It’s exhausting, but it’s a blast – everyone is so happy and excited to be there. It’s a nice pick-me-up in the middle of an otherwise dreary, COLD winter. I enjoyed speaking with all of the potential clients that stopped by to find out more about my services, I enjoyed meeting with vendors and meeting new vendors, I enjoyed the compliments I received on my booth and especially my zebra chairs, I enjoyed seeing my 2010 brides that were in attendance, and I enjoyed the compliments on my WORK!

Here’s the fruits of our labor. Thank you to Lori and Audrey for your help staffing the booth and answering questions, to my uncle Robert who is a super talented carpenter and built the entire booth structure, and to Shana Vaughn of Shana Vaughn Designs for the great centerpiece. Next, it’s on to Topeka for the Topeka Bridal Fair sponsored by 94.5 FM Country in Topeka, held at the Topeka Downtown Ramada. Come see us! 

What a great winter it has been. The first half of 2010 is nearly completely booked full, and the second half of 2010 is filling FAST. The 2011 inquiries are ALREADY starting! I’m so excited for what’s to come…

XW1L2587 copy

Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2009

To each and every one of you – no matter what you celebrate – have a GREAT and safe holiday season and a fantastic 2010! Thanks to all of my clients for a 2009 that exceeded every expectation of mine – and for building a 2010 that already at this point in time will be even better – and there’s more to come!

Here’s the Christmas card that my husband, Jim, and I sent out to friends and family. We set up this shoot on a COLD evening a few weeks back with our airplane, a 1947 Cessna 120. 

2010 Christmas copy

This will be SDP’s first bridal show! Come see us in booth 928. Offers and goodies galore. We’re in a pretty prominent spot – when you come into the exhibit hall through the main doors, our booth is immediately to your right against the front wall! Easy peasy. Stop by and say hi!

KC weddings post

Also, coming up (more soon!) we’ll be exhibiting at the Topeka Bridal Fair January 23-24 at the Topeka Ramada. More to come!