Happy Thursday everyone! Today I want to discuss something a little more business related than last week and go over one thing that I find very, very helpful in wedding photography.
Simply put, the photographer and the couple must have a comfortable and satisfying relationship. At the very least, the photographers of PPS meet with the bride and/or groom and get to know one another on a personal level. This time is also used to go over the different services and style of photography the couple would like.
I cannot stress enough how vital it is to have an understanding between the photographer and the couple to ensure the product is what the customer is looking for. Of course this may mean that we meet and they don’t see what they are looking for, which is totally fine! The purpose of the meeting is not to pressure, but rather to showcase our work and all that we offer.
The personality of our company as well as the customer is more apparent when having a face-to-face meeting, rather than email and phone correspondence. So, while it may be difficult to plan around various schedules it is something we must insist on. It really just boils down to us getting to know one another and feeling comfortable. We understand that this is a very intimate event in which you should be surrounded by friends and family and we prefer to blend in to get the most genuine pictures. Therefore, the only way to get these high quality images is to have a connection between subjects and photographers.
In addition to a meeting, doing an engagement shoot gives a chance for us to work together. Sitting down and having a conversation helps, but can only do so much. To model and interact with the same photographer prior to the big day benefits the couple in that they can feel more relaxed with us and in front of the camera.
After the meeting and the engagement shoot there is one more step that really aids us in making a plan specifically tailored to your venue, and the types/styles of images you are looking for. This final stage of preparation of course is the rehearsal! It is literally a run through of what the next day will be and provides us with an opportunity to be fully prepared. Our most recent bride, Victoria allowed us to sit in on her rehearsal which made things much smoother on the big day.
One major thing in photography is light, so even though it may not be at the same time and the weather will change between rehearsal and day of, it is still crucial for us to make many adjustments based on the light.
Also we can get familiar with the important people. We give all our brides a checklist of what specific pictures they would like, but we need to know WHO the key players are. (I love that Victoria provided name tags for everyone too!) So, at the rehearsal Heather and I were able to meet all members of the bridal party and family members. Thus the next day we already knew who to pay close attention to.
Sorry for all the reading but here’s some pictures!
An image from the rehearsal of Victoria’s Mom and Dad in the background with groomsman on the left
Bridesmaids! Again knowing who to keep an eye on,
the order of the program and lighting.
Black square covering the Bride? Heather’s flash! This would have been a big issue had we not practiced beforehand and been able to fine tune our positions.
The images and videos of your wedding are things you will cherish for many years, so keep in mind how much prep time it takes to get the best documentation of such a special day 🙂
~Kim