Ashley Renee Studios
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Frequently asked

Where do you film?
We are located in Salem, Oregon and do NOT charge travel fees for filming within a 100 mile radius of our business. We LOVE travel, though we do ask for reimbursement of hotel stay and airfare should they be required for destination events.

What is required to book?

For our weddings/elopements, we kindly request an initial $500 non-refundable retainer applied toward your total package cost and a signed contract in order to reserve your wedding date. The second and final payment of the remaining balance is typically collected on the day of the event (or anytime prior to, if preferred). If you’d like to set up a payment plan leading up to the event, we can make that happen!

What is your availability/turnaround time?
Scheduling is first come, first serve with a retainer required to reserve your wedding/elopement date (as we accept bookings up to 18 months in advance). We currently limit ourselves to about 10-15 films per year for a few different reasons. First and foremost, we feel very strongly EVERY client deserves our undivided attention. The truth is, I work as a full time physical therapist and my husband Erik works as a general manager for a rental construction equipment company. Due to our work hours, we generally only accept filming Friday thru Sunday. We do our best to ensure we do not become overcommitted, so set a cap to offer our best service. To complete a project, we give ourselves up to 12 weeks by contract, but typically deliver the final film(s) within 6 weeks.

Why does video seem so expensive?
I have found most people understand the value of a professional photographer —- I mean, we can all imagine what a crappy picture looks like — but not nearly as many know the value of a professional videographer. I thought I’d share some considerations that may help you in your search for a wedding filmmaker.

The first consideration is the equipment being used (speaks to quality and resolution), but another important variable is all the effort that goes into post production services. For example, I will spend anywhere from 25-50 hours editing a standard wedding/elopement film based on my skill level and my desired level of attention to detail. This includes scanning through clips, organizing, syncing audio, correcting audio, adding licensed music, and color grading. Post production effort is usually a key difference between a home video experience and a more professional looking product.

Our current base package breaks down to about 45 dollars per hour between hours spent filming as well as editing, and this is the number that will vary most according the experience of a filmmaker, and why video prices have a pretty wide range in the real world. For reference, the Wedding Wire reports, "The cost of a wedding videographer does vary widely depending on your pro's experience and level of expertise, in addition to your wedding's location. The average cost of a wedding videographer in the U.S. is around $1,799 with most couples spending between $1,000 to $2,500." Click to see what The Knot had to report on whether that is worth it!

​What equipment do you use?
We are the excited new owners of two Sony A7siii cameras and RS2 Pro gimbals!! We also have two monopods, two tripods, and two video fluid heads. For audio, we typically use two Tascam DR-10L's as lav mics with a Zoom H1 for backup. For lighting, we have three LED light towers available, though stylistically aim for as much natural light as possible. You might see us hauling around a variety of prime lenses. Our main "go-to" stationary ceremony mount is the Sony G-master 70-200mm. With adventurous couples including hiking-style elopements, we love our pelican case modified with backpack straps, the Manfrotto Pro Light Redbee-110, or the Manfrotto Advanced2 backpack. We also use Final Cut Pro for all editing, and the Phantom 4 Pro for our aerial footage.

Who chooses the soundtrack?
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Due to strict laws that govern copyrights for artistic/intellectual property, we will ONLY use properly licensed music within our films. As a perk to our clients, we carry at least two paid annual subscriptions each year to large catalogs of music from which we choose our material and this is factored into the package cost. Many people are surprised to learn that most commercial radio songs are not available to license, or when available, may cost upwards of $15,000 per use. A huge part of our approach is the importance we place on matching the proper pace, rhythm, and cadence of the audio to the visuals of the film. Selecting the perfect soundtrack is a huge part of our creative process and we really enjoy doing that work for you! Naturally, we base our picks on the genres of music you love as it is always our aim to provide a film that fits YOUR style.

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Where can I find client testimony?
Our main source of formal client feedback has historically been the review section of our Facebook page. Our Instagram page is another great place to check out the interactions we have with our fellow wedding vendors, clients, and followers! Google and Yelp are newer to us, but are additional options. For a more complete film portfolio, check us out on Vimeo.

How can I contact you for questions?
For the most specific and accurate answers to your concerns, we would definitely encourage contact using a brief intake form on Our Pricing page, or for more general questions, we can also be reached via Facebook, Instagram, or e-mail.
  • Welcome
  • Our Work
  • About Us
  • Our Pricing
  • FAQ'S
You make the moment — We’ll make it last

Based out of Salem, Oregon