99.9% of you this will not apply to, but for the .01% that this won’t… this is for you!
Corey Talks: What Should I Know Before We Meet?
There are a few things that will help your meeting with a prospective photographer go a lot more smoothly if you have the information before hand. You absolutely may schedule meetings without these items, but it really helps both of us out if you know beforehand what you need and I’ll be able to help you select what suits you best based on this!
1. Date of your wedding – this is the most important information that is needed before we meet! If you do not have a date, I can still book you however if the date you get your heart set on at a later time is already booked, I cannot bump another couple once their date is confirmed. If you have your date we immediately know if we can meet or if I’ll need to refer you to someone else.
2. Location of your wedding – this is also very important. If you are within my (or your photographer’s) travel area then there are no additional charges but if you are outside of my service area, you will need to know if there is going to be an additional travel fee to factor into your budget.
3. Budget – this is another important factor in your wedding day. I am not here to tell you what you SHOULD spend your money on. To each bride the ‘most important’ vendor for their day will vary. To some the food is important, to some the flowers and to others it is the photography that is the most important since it is one of the few items that is a lasting tangible item from your wedding day. Each couple is different and will have different opinions on what is important. It helps both you and I if you know ahead of time roughly what you are willing to spend on your photography for the day. It doesn’t do either of us any favors if you decide that the top package is what you want but then you have to settle for something else because it wasn’t in your budget.
4. Must Haves – to some brides, having pictures at the salon is a must-shoot item and to others it isn’t. There are various parts of each wedding that some people feel have to be shot by a professional and some parts that you will feel that will be amply covered by friends and family. It helps when you have an idea in mind of what you definately want me there for and what you don’t mind letting your friends take charge of it also helps me figure out the big final point of this list….
5. Time – even if you do not have your time of day nailed down, it really helps to have an idea of how long you are looking for a photographer for. Let’s say you are having a Catholic Wedding with full mass and you KNOW that will be an hour – 2 hours with recieving line. If you add on an hour before and an hour after for picures you are already looking at about 4 hours or so for pictures and that’s without your reception. However if you are having a bare-bones ceremony with just close friends and family and a grander reception afterwards, those 4 hours would not only cover the ceremony but probably a good part of the reception. So having an idea of time can help tremendously when trying to choose a package that is right for you.
- The Christy House Wedding with Ashley and Stephon - March 11, 2024
- Peninsula Wedding with Colleen and Eric - March 10, 2024
- Winter Inn Walden Wedding with Julia and Walter - February 29, 2024
woman!! you have a way with words, thanks so much for all the advice you give throughout your blog! i know it helps your clients but it also helps us photographers. 🙂
xo