Bridal Consultation
July 18, 2013
filed in Weddings
Interviewing with anyone can be a scary. Especially when you run your own business and are looking for bride and grooms who support your brand. Here are a few tips I have found along the way to be very helpful.
For Brides + Grooms :
Come prepared Every bridal magazine out there usually has a check list of things to ask your vendors. It's a great idea to bring this list as a guideline. Your photographer should already have a list of important points to chat with you about, but don't be afraid to come prepared with your own questions.
Don't ask your photographer to do things you don't see on their website A pet peeve of mine is when a bride and groom meets with us and asks us to change our style to something that we simply don't do. Everything you see on our website and blog are all images that represent our style of photography. We love natural light when photographing outside. Flash photography is not our style when photographing outdoors. No matter how much you want a studio look outside, this is not our style. If you don't like what you see on the website, it's probably a good idea to keep looking.
Be familiar with your photographers website and blog. I love when a bride comes to our meeting familiar with the work we have done. It makes me smile when a bride says something along the lines of "I loved the recent wedding you posted and all the pink details." It lets us know that you as the bride and groom have invested time into exploring our work. It helps us know that you are interested in the work we have done and can visualize yourself in our photographs.
Trust us If you do decide to book us, we ask that our clients trust us. The worst way to start a relationship is feeling uneasy about whom you are hiring. Be sure to feel confident in their talents and way of shooting. This will help with a beautiful outcome :)
To Photographers :
Be confident- This is something that I believe every artist struggles with. It's SO hard to be vulnerable with your work especially when aiming to gain approval from the people sitting in front of you. Before heading to a meeting, lay out your strengths on a note pad and showcase them. One thing I have on my website is an FAQ section. Over the years I have received numerous questions about our business and what clients can expect when they book us. I feel that answering these questions on my website and in person will help my client gain confidence in me. I want to ASSURE them we are knowledgeable and understand their needs.
Build Human Chemistry : I like to start our interview by asking how the bride and groom met. I really do want to know their story because watching someone talk about how they fell in love really allows them to be vulnerable as well. It opens up a door to get personal. It's so important to build a relationship with your clients so that you know how they work as a couple. It's important to help them feel comfortable so they feel comfortable with YOU documenting their engagement and wedding day. Be relatable and friendly!
Educate : From my experience as a bride, it's not the easiest to know where to start with planning. I like to walk through an entire wedding day timeline with a bride and groom so they understand how the day will flow. I provide a sample schedule for them to look over with a complete break down of the photo time. I make sure to give them suggestions on things that they can avoid that may contribute to a stressful day. For example, I always tell my brides to never go last for hair and makeup. Makeup artists and hair dressers may dislike me for saying this because they want the bride's hair and makeup to be the most fresh. However, if your makeup artist is running behind, that means you are too. It's so important to be on time when following a photo timeline. Don't assume that your clients know everything.
Remember you're interviewing too Don't forget that you are also interviewing the bride and groom to make sure you guys are a good fit together. You will be working with a bride and groom for months until their wedding day as well as after the wedding day until they receive all that you have promised them. If you have the feeling you two are not a good fit from the start, it may not be a good idea to continue the relationship further. It is ok to say no.
These are a few suggestions and questions are of course welcomed! Hope everyone is having a beautiful Wednesday :)
July 18, 2013
filed in Weddings
I
nterviewing with anyone can be a scary. Especially when you run your own business and are looking for bride and grooms who support your brand. Here are a few tips I have found along the way to be very helpful. For Brides + Grooms :
Come prepared Every bridal magazine out there usually has a check list of things to ask your vendors. It's a great idea to bring this list as a guideline. Your photographer should already have a list of important points to chat with you about, but don't be afraid to come prepared with your own questions.
Don't ask your photographer to do things you don't see on their website A pet peeve of mine is when a bride and groom meets with us and asks us to change our style to something that we simply don't do. Everything you see on our website and blog are all images that represent our style of photography. We love natural light when photographing outside. Flash photography is not our style when photographing outdoors. No matter how much you want a studio look outside, this is not our style. If you don't like what you see on the website, it's probably a good idea to keep looking.
Be familiar with your photographers website and blog. I love when a bride comes to our meeting familiar with the work we have done. It makes me smile when a bride says something along the lines of "I loved the recent wedding you posted and all the pink details." It lets us know that you as the bride and groom have invested time into exploring our work. It helps us know that you are interested in the work we have done and can visualize yourself in our photographs.
Trust us If you do decide to book us, we ask that our clients trust us. The worst way to start a relationship is feeling uneasy about whom you are hiring. Be sure to feel confident in their talents and way of shooting. This will help with a beautiful outcome :)
To Photographers :
Be confident- This is something that I believe every artist struggles with. It's SO hard to be vulnerable with your work especially when aiming to gain approval from the people sitting in front of you. Before heading to a meeting, lay out your strengths on a note pad and showcase them. One thing I have on my website is an FAQ section. Over the years I have received numerous questions about our business and what clients can expect when they book us. I feel that answering these questions on my website and in person will help my client gain confidence in me. I want to ASSURE them we are knowledgeable and understand their needs.
Build Human Chemistry : I like to start our interview by asking how the bride and groom met. I really do want to know their story because watching someone talk about how they fell in love really allows them to be vulnerable as well. It opens up a door to get personal. It's so important to build a relationship with your clients so that you know how they work as a couple. It's important to help them feel comfortable so they feel comfortable with YOU documenting their engagement and wedding day. Be relatable and friendly!
Educate : From my experience as a bride, it's not the easiest to know where to start with planning. I like to walk through an entire wedding day timeline with a bride and groom so they understand how the day will flow. I provide a sample schedule for them to look over with a complete break down of the photo time. I make sure to give them suggestions on things that they can avoid that may contribute to a stressful day. For example, I always tell my brides to never go last for hair and makeup. Makeup artists and hair dressers may dislike me for saying this because they want the bride's hair and makeup to be the most fresh. However, if your makeup artist is running behind, that means you are too. It's so important to be on time when following a photo timeline. Don't assume that your clients know everything.
Remember you're interviewing too Don't forget that you are also interviewing the bride and groom to make sure you guys are a good fit together. You will be working with a bride and groom for months until their wedding day as well as after the wedding day until they receive all that you have promised them. If you have the feeling you two are not a good fit from the start, it may not be a good idea to continue the relationship further. It is ok to say no.
These are a few suggestions and questions are of course welcomed! Hope everyone is having a beautiful Wednesday :)
