What to expect when meeting your photographer for the 1st time?

The wedding planning process can be very stressful, and you must be prepared for every single thing. You chose your venue, what’s next on your list? Is it your photographer? Let’s say it is, do you know what to do when you have the opportunity to actually meet in person.

In this day and age, not everyone has the chance to meet their photographer until the engagement session, or worse, the actual wedding day. But some lucky few will get the chance to meet up at their studio or at a local coffee shop.

So how do you prepare for it. You’re probably thinking: I’m meeting with my wedding photographer and I’m not sure what to expect. What do I do, what do I say, what do I ask?

1.     Do you mesh?

Your photographer will work with you more than any other vendor. The closest one would be the wedding planner, but I believe the photographer will be there with you from the booking process, to the engagement session, the wedding day, and even post wedding when you work together on the final image selections. There are 3 P’s when it comes to the wedding photography. That is the Portfolio, the Pricing, and the most important, the Personality!!! You and your fiancé will need to make the decision, not just on the photography portfolio, but on his personality.

2.     Learn the Process!

One of the biggest decisions to make is knowing the whole process from start to finish. From the whole contract, to knowing whether there is an engagement session, to the wedding day timeline, you have to know every single detail and know whether your photographer will be there for you, day in and day out. Some photographers will send you the contract, and you will not hear from them till the engagement session or even the week of the wedding.

3.     Discussing Packages

Most photographers have packages and pricing sheet and there is plenty to talk about. They’ll talk about their most popular packages that most of their other clients have purchased, what comes with it, as well as any other add ons. By having multiple packages and offerings, this gives you both time to converse just how much coverage is needed and of course how much it costs. If you have an idea of when you want key things to happen throughout the day the photographer should be able to create a rough timeline for you on the spot.

4.     Open discussion

One piece of advice is be ready to talk about yourselves, a lot. Think of this like a very informal interview. There will be storytelling and questions going back and forth. But the reason the photographer prefers to meet up is because photographers want to hear all the juicy details of your love life between the two of you! Its their job to capture all the memories. But they can’t do their job if they don’t know all of the juicy details of how you two met, how the relationship blossomed into love, and all of the inside jokes and quirks you both have for each other. That way when it comes to the engagement session AND especially the wedding, they can capture this story in the best way possible.

5.     Ask questions about the photographer!

The photographer will ask you questions along the way as you tell your love story. But make sure it’s a two way conversation. This is the time to ask all of your questions! If you have any issues or concerns, bring it up now. Whether its about packages and what they offer, or its about the pricing. Below is a list of questions to help you out if you’re stumped or ran out of. This will ensure that the one you ultimately choose is a good fit for you and your wedding:

a.     How would you describe your photography style

b.     What do you think distinguishes your work from that of other photographers?

c.      Do you have backup equipment? What about a backup plan if you (or my scheduled photographer) are unable to shoot my wedding for some reason?

d.     Can I customize a package based on my needs?

e.     How long after the wedding will I get the proofs? Will they be viewable online? On a CD?

If there’s anything else for you two to chat about you can call it a day and take the time you need to decide if they are the right photographer for you.

I hope this article has helped you feel more prepared for what to expect when meeting wedding photographer! It can be daunting and unknown territory I’m sure. If you have any questions, feel free to contact KartheekPhoto or check out more advice for brides and grooms on the blog.