WELCOME TO MARILYN RAY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Marilyn Ray Photography is located in Columbus, Georgia but travels a lot between Indiana, Tennessee, North Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. There is not a destination I am not willing to go. I purchased a 1970 VW bus in hopes to one day become a traveling photographer and hit the road. In 2015, I won the"Favorite Photographer" award with Muscogee Moms before moving away for a couple of years. When I returned to the area in 2018, I won Readers Choice awards "Favorite Photographer". I was nominated for that same award in 2019. This year, for 2020, I have won the "couples choice" award with wedding wire.
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“A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.”
Weddings are so joyful for everyone involved. I become the shadow of the bride on her wedding day and make sure to capture all the wonderful, tearful, heartfelt moments that happen within. I enjoy watching the pure joy escape the faces of the bride and groom. There is nothing better than catching the raw emotion of true love and happiness seeping from a person. I will cry at your wedding at some point or another. It never fails. I always seem to be moved by such happiness and love. It is such a touching experience to be part of. |
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BELOW I ANSWERED SOME COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS FROM BRIDES THAT I HOPE HELPS YOU WHEN DECIDING ON A PHOTOGRAPHER. I ALSO SHARED SOME REVIEWS FROM RECENT BRIDES AND PICTURES FROM RECENT WEDDINGS. STICK AROUND AND SCROLL THROUGH TO SEE IF MARILYN RAY IS A FIT FOR YOU.
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Questions Commonly Asked by Brides:
1. How do I pick a good photographer when there are 100's in the area
A. Pick one that appeals to your style. Once you have found a few photographers you like, narrow it down to a couple and meet with them in person or talk to them over the phone. It is extremely important you like the photographer. You will be spending a lot of hours with them and trusting them to capture moments you weren't aware were even happening. I am someone who adores those candid moments. The real laughter and the real genuine smiles are everything to me. I let you be yourself. Those are the things you need to know when finding a photographer. Do you want to be guided and posed through most of the day or do you want some posed and most genuine shots? Do you like very vibrant coloring or do you like a more subtle look to your pictures? Find what it is that you like and what you are looking for and find a photographer that best fits that.
2. How many photo's do I get?
A. Wedding Photographer's typically deliver anywhere from 50 to 100 pictures per hour. That may seem like a lot and can be a tad overwhelming when looking through them but I promise you will be extremely happy once you realize not one single moment was missed. Some photographers may only give you samples to look through to purchase later, while others let you have them all, like myself. That is something you need to talk about and understand when choosing a photographer.
3. Why is wedding photography so expensive?
A. This is the question that I see and hear most. Wedding Photography seems like easy money. I work for one day and rack in the cash. But Most Full time wedding photographers carry around at least $5,000 worth of equipment and work at least 40 to 60 hours a week. Remember the pictures we talked about in question number 2? It takes days to edit all of those and get them to you in a timely manner. The job doesn't end when we leave the wedding. We still have 1000's of pictures to go through and edit. Not to mention most of us have insurance we have to pay for, an assistant, software, marketing, shipping, etc.. All costs that most don't understand we have.
4. You can photoshop that right?
A. That depends. As a photographer, I want to get everything as perfect as possible on camera. Posing, location scouting, and camera settings can "fix" most things before I even click the shutter. If your uncle photobombs you, I'm going to retake the photo — it's much easier to get the photo right than to fix it with photoshop. Many photographers charge for extensive editing in Photoshop, because it can be very time-consuming. I don't typically use photoshop at all. I work very hard at making sure that picture I take on my camera is perfect. Again this is something you need to ask a photographer before hiring.
5. Do I give the wedding photographer a tip?
A. Well.... The big secret is... There are zero rules on tipping your wedding vendors. I always tell my friends this, If you loved them and really felt connected and wanted to show your appreciation, then absolutely tip them. Otherwise, we are not expecting it, so you are not going to be the "terrible human" you think you are by not giving a tip. It's always appreciated, Never expected. Also, Tips don't have to be in the form of cash either, Small trinkets from your wedding, a heartfelt thank you note, or a good review all work well with showing appreciation for your vendors.
A. Pick one that appeals to your style. Once you have found a few photographers you like, narrow it down to a couple and meet with them in person or talk to them over the phone. It is extremely important you like the photographer. You will be spending a lot of hours with them and trusting them to capture moments you weren't aware were even happening. I am someone who adores those candid moments. The real laughter and the real genuine smiles are everything to me. I let you be yourself. Those are the things you need to know when finding a photographer. Do you want to be guided and posed through most of the day or do you want some posed and most genuine shots? Do you like very vibrant coloring or do you like a more subtle look to your pictures? Find what it is that you like and what you are looking for and find a photographer that best fits that.
2. How many photo's do I get?
A. Wedding Photographer's typically deliver anywhere from 50 to 100 pictures per hour. That may seem like a lot and can be a tad overwhelming when looking through them but I promise you will be extremely happy once you realize not one single moment was missed. Some photographers may only give you samples to look through to purchase later, while others let you have them all, like myself. That is something you need to talk about and understand when choosing a photographer.
3. Why is wedding photography so expensive?
A. This is the question that I see and hear most. Wedding Photography seems like easy money. I work for one day and rack in the cash. But Most Full time wedding photographers carry around at least $5,000 worth of equipment and work at least 40 to 60 hours a week. Remember the pictures we talked about in question number 2? It takes days to edit all of those and get them to you in a timely manner. The job doesn't end when we leave the wedding. We still have 1000's of pictures to go through and edit. Not to mention most of us have insurance we have to pay for, an assistant, software, marketing, shipping, etc.. All costs that most don't understand we have.
4. You can photoshop that right?
A. That depends. As a photographer, I want to get everything as perfect as possible on camera. Posing, location scouting, and camera settings can "fix" most things before I even click the shutter. If your uncle photobombs you, I'm going to retake the photo — it's much easier to get the photo right than to fix it with photoshop. Many photographers charge for extensive editing in Photoshop, because it can be very time-consuming. I don't typically use photoshop at all. I work very hard at making sure that picture I take on my camera is perfect. Again this is something you need to ask a photographer before hiring.
5. Do I give the wedding photographer a tip?
A. Well.... The big secret is... There are zero rules on tipping your wedding vendors. I always tell my friends this, If you loved them and really felt connected and wanted to show your appreciation, then absolutely tip them. Otherwise, we are not expecting it, so you are not going to be the "terrible human" you think you are by not giving a tip. It's always appreciated, Never expected. Also, Tips don't have to be in the form of cash either, Small trinkets from your wedding, a heartfelt thank you note, or a good review all work well with showing appreciation for your vendors.
Stephanie was ABSOLUTELY wonderful! She pays attention to the details in the day. Its the small things to me that really stood out about her. Her personality was so great to be around. She laughed with me and cried with me even though she barely knew me. She likes to communicate and be very personal. She wanted to get to know me as a bride and as a person. It was as if she was a best friend I never knew for the day. We had some bumps on that day and she just went with the flow and helped me get through them. I appreciated having a photographer there that also could relate, help, and have fun. She is one of a kind. I highly recommend booking with her. -Jessica Wiggins |
Stephanie is perfect. We had a very special, last minute ceremony (3 days of planning) for my Husband and I. My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer, so we decided to have a ceremony that he could be a part of since our plan was to wait until our 10 year anniversary to have a ceremony. Stephanie never hesitated to help and go with the flow of everything moving around us. She is so good at what she does, and you feel her passion of being behind the camera. She is patient, caring and so kind. My heart doesn't have enough words to thank her for everything she did on our special day. She captured everything so perfectly. Every time I scroll through our pictures I am taken back to that day and those moments. It's everything I wanted and needed, plus more. Especially since I have now lost my father. I have so much love for her and what she does. - Ariel Hensley |
Stephanie (Marilyn Ray Photography) was an awesome piece to our wedding puzzle. She fit right in exactly where it was needed. I am so blessed we found her. She was like an old friend I had never met. I adored her. The pictures turned out amazing and everyone in the wedding party gave her such compliments. She danced with us and laughed with us and made us feel so comfortable. I couldn't of asked for a better photographer. I highly recommend her. - Alicia Green 
Stephanie is an amazing photographer, Will be using her for any photography session I need. she has an amazing personality and wonderful vision to take outstanding portraits. I used her for my engagement, wedding pictures, and even my trash the dress pictures. Would recommend her to anyone! - Christina Welch 
WE LOVED HER ENERGY! A LOT OF FUN TO WORK WITH. I HAVE ALREADY PASSED HER INFORMATION ON TO A COUPLE OF OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE GETTING MARRIED NEXT YEAR.- APRIL GONZALEZ 
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Where do I even begin! Thank you so much, Stephanie for capturing our special day. The photos of us are greater than we ever could’ve expected. From capturing the before, during and after, not one special moment was missed. We are blessed to have these memories to look back on for the rest of our lives. 
I needed to find a wedding photographer last minute for my daughters wedding. I was hoping to get a response from someone who lived on or was familiar with Ft Benning. The first response I got was from Stephanie. I called her quickly once I received a response. She was very pleasant and polite. She had dealt with a lot of these types of military weddings. She was extremely flexible with the date and time as it was a weekday. She suggested we hold the wedding downtown Columbus, Georgia on the river walk along side the Chattahoochee river. The day of the wedding she had a ton of great ideas for pictures and locations. She is very experienced with these type of weddings. She delivered on time as promised. Stephanie is a true professional and I highly recommend her. We live in Atlanta, Georgia but will absolutely drive down to Columbus to have future photographs taken by her. - Mike Huening 
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Covid-19: We are booking sessions and weddings! We are following guidelines. Our equipment allows us to social distance and still get those beautiful photo's. We never have to be in your space. If the session/wedding/reception is indoors we will wear a mask while maintaining 6 feet distance.
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