It’s comical what people think we do as wedding photographers. We show up to the wedding venue when the bride says so, leave when the contract ends, press a button and WHALA … wedding photography done! Sure, that sounds easy but then my bride and groom would not get the full experience of their wedding day. Why? Because I would be asking them questions left and right in the middle of the wedding and not know what anticipated moments/details there are. Yes, it’s great to ask questions but why not take care of that before the wedding so you know every single detail and expectation written down for reference. Do you know that this changed the way I photograph weddings? Absolutely! I went from photographing my first wedding just asking for an itinerary of the wedding day to having my own customized itinerary with every detail and scenario written out. This not only puts me at ease but also my bride and groom. The plus side? I also have the time to educate my couples what happens behind the scenes and add any little pieces of advice I can share. You have no idea how many times I have had my couples thank me up and down for our “final meeting”! Maybe it’s just the planner in me that thinks I have to do this, but then I’m thankful for being the over-planner I am because it has been one of the best changes for my business! 🙂
So what exactly do I do to prepare for my couples wedding day? The first Monday of the month prior to their wedding day, I email my couple asking to schedule a “final meeting”. This meeting typically takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on how much they want to talk about their wedding. 😉 It takes place in my office or over the phone in case scheduling does not work out. We go over not only the itinerary of the wedding day, but also talk about the details that will be seen and possibly hidden. This ensures I know what to capture if something isn’t so obvious when I arrive. We make a time for the bride and the groom to be dressed and establish times for when the wedding party photos will happen. I love helping my bride and groom with their customized photography timeline because generally they won’t know what to expect going into their wedding day. If I can help make decisions to ease their timeline, it’s worth the final meeting! 🙂 Besides the itinerary, we go over family formals, prepping details I want to photograph and have ready, special surprises, possible letter/gift exchange, prayer time, any expectations and everything in between. Once the questionnaire is filled out on my end, I send the PDF form to the couple for their records. They have between the time I send it over to the week before their wedding day to make any changes necessary on the questionnaire. They can also fill out a 5-10 must have shot list so they can write out any specific group shots they want during the reception time. SUPER helpful!
The day before the wedding day, I plug in the directions into my phone so it is all set and ready to go. That way I know what time I need to head out of my house to ensure I’ll be there early enough to scope out the venue (especially if it is new to me). I’ll sit down with the questionnaire, family formal list and the DJ reception itinerary and create a customized photography review of the entire wedding just for myself. It’s a great review for me so then it gives me time to study the day before it happens. Again, it’s the planner inside me. 😉 Why is this so helpful? No two weddings are exactly the same! Different personalities, details, moments, timeline, lighting … I have to take in consideration EVERYTHING. And this solution helps me get through the 8-10 hour day! 🙂
What does my personalized review look like? Here’s an example!
I’ll admit it isn’t the prettiest design (especially being a graphic designer), but this is personal use only. 🙂
Once I have my directions set, personalized itinerary laid out, second shooter is in check, I will then ensure my equipment is good to go! I’ll clean every lens, top off the charge on my cameras and laptop, insert the recharged batteries into my flashes, format all of my cards and put everything together so it is ready to go out the door in the morning. Once my equipment is set and ready, I’ll put together my outfit because I believe it is important to look professional and put together on the wedding day. 🙂
I’m all set and ready to go! If you are interested to see my questionnaire I hand out to my couples, I will be publishing the form this winter season! I hope this gives you an insight of what really happens behind the scenes before the wedding day. 🙂 Speaking of which, I’m all set and ready to go for Chris and Hayley’s beautiful wedding day TOMORROW! So excited!!! Happy Friday everyone!
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