Stemming of the blog post where I listed out 5 Things to Ask Your Potential Photographer In Your Initial Inquiry, I mentioned I would also give you a few pointers on things that you will be asked so you can be prepared and have any information you need to provide ready to go. As much as you need questions answered, your photographer is going to need information in order to help you as much as possible so you are taken care of in your photography experience. Here are a few questions I always ask before I can create your custom packages and why:
Have you fully booked your venue(s) yet?
This is going to be important for a few reasons. I need to know if your date is truly solidified and also the distance of where things will be taking place.
Will there be separate locations throughout your wedding day for getting ready (for the both of you), the ceremony, potential portrait locations, and the reception?
It will give me a good idea of how much time each aspect of the day will need to be carved out if additional travel time is required.
Have you talked with any other photographers at this point?
If you have talked with any photographers before, this will determine how much explaining needs to go into what things mean or if I need to take more time and explain in more detail.
Do you have a good idea of what you are looking for in your photography coverage or do you need additional assistance in narrowing down your options?
Some couples know exactly what they want and don’t want before talking with a photographer, but others have never had to think about it before and don’t really know for sure. Its my job to make sure you know what your options are and help narrow down to what you truly are wanting or needing for your wedding day so you can feel confident you don’t need to worry about a thing on your wedding day ( and leading up to it)
Have you had your portraits taken before together?
This is very important to me. It will tell me if you’ve had previous direction and if you’re comfortable or not in front of the camera. There’s no bad answer here either- If you have never had portraits taken then I get to mold you and teach you my tips and tricks from the start. Either way, during the engagement session I will go through some of the core poses and i’ll never just leave you to figure things out for yourself. It should be as stress free as possible.
Do you have an idea of your timeline yet- for your ceremony start time and reception start + end time?
This will help determine, along with the potential travel time needed, how much time I will need to capture the important aspects during the getting ready part of the day and how much time it will take into your reception to have everything captured that is important to you. We can start to narrow down about how many hours of coverage you might need at the bare minimum and to compare your options and possibly help you make other decisions, like if you want a grand exit or not.
Have you considered videography coverage and/or a photobooth?
Since we offer multiple services, I always ask if that is something you have previously thought about yet or not. I already talked about why you should consider adding a videographer in this blog post here, so I won’t get into that again now. Since we are creating several custom packages for you, if you’d like to see what your options are with and without a particular service, this is a great way to have the information laid out to really sit down and compare for what is going to fit best for your wedding day.
What are you most excited about when looking forward to your wedding day?
I love hearing the answers to this and it lets me in on how you imagine the day and something I know you’re really going to cherish. Often times I hear the first look so my nerves can be put at ease before the ceremony or seeing my person walk down the aisle, eating our amazing dinner we have picked out, and once the dance floor opens up how you can’t wait to dance your heart out.
Are you keeping things traditional/have you talked about doing a first look?
This is very important to gauge what traditions you want to uphold or if you are more flexible with what you are planning. We always love a first look for obvious reasons and that it can alleviate so much stress from your timeline and leave you with more time to enjoy your reception. This is going to play a bit part into your coverage and timeline either way.
Is there anything I can do to make you feel at ease during the planning process or on the wedding day itself?
Of course, I want to make sure we are the right fit for your wedding day and if we can make you and your partner feel at ease to capture your best likeness. I can also address any concerns that you have or give you information on any lingering questions you have. I truly want to get to know you both and make sure your experience with us is everything you could imagine and more.
We hope that makes you feel prepared and what to expect as we are going through your potential wedding day, overall inspiration, and key aspects of the day. Of course, this isn’t the final time we will discuss these things, but it certainly helps narrow down the options and keep things on track for you to make your wedding planning a little bit easier when it comes to your photography, videography, and photobooth services.
