What to Expect When We Meet For Your Wedding Photography Consultation | Annapolis Wedding Photographer

The Importance of Wedding Photography

So your engaged! Congratulations! Your brain is now preoccupied by so many different emotions – from exhilaration to uncertainty. So much love. So many memories had and so many memories to make! And now, so many things to do, and plan, and buy, and organize, and ask, and cry, and smile, and debate who to invite, where to get married, where to have a reception, what your budget is, and how to get the best wedding day without breaking the bank! And you just clicked on this post as part of your effort to search for an exceptional Annapolis Wedding Photographer.

Having been a wedding photographer for many years, I am often asked by recently engaged couples, “What are the most important choices couples have to make”? Simple enough question, right? I mean, they’ve never been married before! So how would they know what they don’t know

As it turns out, two of the leading wedding websites in the country, namely WeddingWire and TheKnot, have already done this research. Over the course of the last few years, they have queried and surveyed thousands of couples, asking them things like: What is your budget? How do you rank the most important budget items in your wedding? And so forth. As you can imagine, the answers vary for each couple, but these websites found patterns and averages that were clearly indicative of what most couples want and what most couples actually do.

I just want to discuss only the top two items most soon-to-be-wed couples felt were most important and important enough to spend the largest portion of the wedding budget. Know what they are?

The first, and most obvious, is the coupled budget item termed as “Venue/Catering”. Although not always the same provider, it is certainly one and the same for most venues. When you sign a contract with most of the desirable properties, they often require that you also use their catering services. Make sense.

So what is the second ranked budget item for couples?

Well, if you didn’t see this coming, here it goes: The Photographer! Yes. Wedding photography ranks #2 on most couples important and spend list. More important and budget allocated than the wedding gown, the DJ, the honeymoon, the videographer, and so forth. It only makes sense because after all that planning and all those dollars spent on your wedding, the only real memory you have that is easily viewed and shared are the wedding photos. And with social media and the enduring nature and thirst for good photos, wedding photography is now more important than ever. This is not merely my own conclusions! These are the synthesized and amalgamated results and insights from the country’s leading experts at WeddingWire and TheKnot.

Trans4mation’s Wedding Photography Consultation Process

And so begin the process of meeting me during your FREE Wedding Photography Consultation. While I am available to meet with any couple to discuss their needs, it is always best to schedule an appointment only after a contract has been signed with the venue. This will help ensure my availability on your wedding date. We plan a consultation date and time that is mutually convenient to the couple and myself and anyone else in the “decision making” process. This is important so that everyone hears the same information, has an opportunity to ask  and hear the same answers to any questions. If your mom, or dad, or grandmother, etc, is part of selecting which and how much to spend on a wedding photographer (pick me! Hehe), then its important to have those people join us.  For the consultation, please plan on about 1.5 hours (or a bit more if you elect to sign a contract that day). I work really hard at accommodating my clients and (since I am a full time photographer) am willing to meet just about anywhere on weekdays, weeknights, or weekends, so long as my schedule permits. I can meet you near your work, home, or somewhere in the middle, so long as we have a quiet space with an area to spread things out.

Here’s what I do during our consultation:

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1. I start by giving you a personalized packet with tentative information about you, your wedding, my photography, work-flow, planning guide, and several other collateral materials including packages and prices. I’ll encourage you to stop and ask me questions at any time during our meeting. I want the best for you!
2. If I don’t already know, I’ll ask you about your story – how you met, where you met, how long you’ve date, how and when you got engaged – all in the interest of learning more about your story, your personality, etc. in order to begin creating mental pictures of capturing your wedding with your personality in mind.
3. Before I launch into the formal part of my presentation, I ask a question that most photographers simply don’t ask: What are YOUR EXPECTATIONS! Really, what do you want from a wedding photographer? What kind of photos or effect or feel or style do you prefer? Candid? Photojournalistic? Staged? Posey/Formal? Creative and artsy? Few black and white? Or something else?
4. I’ll ask you some basic information in order to complete the Wedding Consultation Questionnaire – Click Here for a Preview
5. I’ll show you a collection of 20X16 images that are not only stunning images in their own right, but also take the time to explain to you what technical means I used to take each photo, what I was aiming to achieve, seek your feedback on what you see and like (or not) as a way or discovering your “taste”. Each photo I will show you has a story and is specifically selected by me in order to tell you something about my style: Ability to direct people, how I select locations for shoots, which lenses and when I use them, what aperture and shutter speeds I use to create certain effects, etc. Unless you are already versed in fundamental photography skills, I want to help educate you a little so you know what you’re getting for your investment! I’ll keep saying this: I’m not just a guy with a camera who presses the shutter in hopes of capturing photos. My technique is methodical, well planned and rigorous. I want to leave nothing to chance.
6. Together, we’ll review several fine art wedding album samples that I have personally designed. I’ll show you several sizes, cover styles, leather colors, design techniques, album quality and attributes. I want you to see sample final products, touch them, feel them, and begin thinking about what you may want for you and for the parents (if your budget permits and/or the parent REALLY want an album). Click Here to see a Video about my Fine Art Wedding Albums
7. I will review my work flow. Here again, most photographers either don’t have a work flow, or for those that do it is not a very intelligent and mature work-flow, and for the few who have a mature work-flow – they elect to not share it with you and keep it a “secret”. For me, I’ve learned that when I want to purchase something, I want to know what I am getting and how well it is put together. My work flow, which I call “24-Point Peace of Mind Work Flow” should slam-dunk convince you I know what I am doing, how I do it, what steps I take to help ensure nothing is left to chance. You don’t want to miss hearing about my work-flow! Click Here for a Teaser of my Work Flow.
8. We review packages and prices. I offer several “standard” and popular packages that are reasonably priced (I know my competition). I also am able to customize packages that specifically meet your needs and or budget. Check these Package Price to get started – Click Here.
9. If you’re ready to sign a contract for a specific or customized package, we can do that at our meeting. If however you wish to give it more thought, we can sign a contract using my electronic signature service I subscribe to. So you know, in order to guarantee my services for your specific wedding date, a contract must be signed and a 50% deposit made. Understandably, my services are provided on a first-come-first-serve basis.
10. For other related and helpful answers to your questions, please check out my FAQs page Here.

So now that you know, drop me a line to set up your consultation! When can we meet?

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