The last few weeks, I have not only been thinking about how to better serve my clients as a photographer, but also thinking about how to have my clients really think about what they should do to ensure their wedding day photography experience will be positive, joyful, and memorable for years to come.
If you own a small business of any sort, then you can understand that the customer experience is everything and a bag of chips (chocolate ones of course)!
As a wedding photographer, I am looking to capture the emotional moments throughout the day because I want to tell the wedding story through my own eyes by way of my lens; however, I can only do that if the client and I at least have somewhat of the same vision.
The question now is… how would you know if you and your photographer have the same vision, or as a photographer, if you and your client are really a good fit?
The answer is, if you are a couple looking for a photographer, then you need to find your “ideal” photographer, and on the flip side of that, if you are a photographer that has been contacted by a possible client, you need to only consider taking on the client if you can determine that they are “ideal” clients.
That’s right… as harsh as that sounds, not every photographer is right for every couple’s needs, and unfortunately, not every client is a good fit for every photographer.
So, think about this for a second…. You wouldn’t hire the neighbor’s plumber to rewire your house just because he/she gave your neighbor a good price and did a great job at fixing the leak under their sink, would you? I’m going to go out on a limb here and just say no!
I am also guessing that the plumber would not want to subject himself to the electrical dangers of rewiring a house if that is not his area of expertise.
This same principle goes into hiring a photographer and as a photographer, taking on a new client.
Okay, okay, enough on the analogies. Let’s talk about the how-to.
First things first. As a client, it is important to review the photographer's work online to ensure the photographer’s style is what you are looking for.
For instance, you simply cannot expect a photographer that has a dark and moody style to be prepared to shoot your wedding day with a light and airy feel, or vice versa.
Once you’ve done your research and found a few photographers with the style that matches what you love, it’s then time to prioritize what you are looking for.
So remember, when choosing a photographer, you should select someone who understands and can accommodate your specific needs.
As a photographer, it's important to get to know your client before you ever take the first photo. A few ways to do this is to schedule in-person meetings; however, sometimes that is simply not possible.
If that in-person meeting seems impossible at the time, then schedule a phone conversation. It simply is a must to build trust between you and your client.
Issues can arise during the wedding day if there isn’t enough time allotted for photos, so you want to ensure that there is an appropriate timeline created to incorporate the photos that are important to the couple and the couple’s family.
I normally send out a sample timeline to show the couple what kind of time is needed for each section of photos throughout the entire day of photos.
A great way to get to know the couple and for the couple to get to know you is to have an engagement session. The 1 to 2 hours it takes to photograph a couple during the engagement session is a great time to get to know each other and discover things your client likes and dislikes. I once shot a session and after the images were delivered, the bride-to-be told me that the groom-to-be was disappointed that he didn’t smile more. That was perfect for me to know before the wedding day so I can make sure that he smiles while having photos taken.
I will say that it is impossible to please every single person, for every single wedding that you photograph.
But it is important to learn from our mishaps when they do arise and push to improve in the future.
One way to make improvements is to send the client a review questionnaire after the wedding day, ask questions such as: What did you enjoy most about your day? Did my photography match up to your expectations? If not, what could have gone better, and what could I have done to serve you better?
So in summary, whether you are the client or the photographer, it's important to understand that you can never ask too many questions.
