One item I’ve had on my blog to-do list for the past several months and have just been waiting for the off-season to implement, is to blog a series where I go through each part of the wedding day (and some of the process beforehand) and give tips based off of what I’ve learned to make the most out of that part of the process (or part of the wedding day) when it comes to your wedding photos! I’m excited to finally start this series and I’ve got SO much info I want to share!! And because everything is so much cooler with an official name, I’m going to call this series, “Making the Most Out of…” and I’ll fill in with whatever the topic is for the week. :-)

But first, before I cover anything that has to do with picture taking, I want to briefly talk about what comes before that with my wedding clients: the booking process. Keep in mind that every photographer does things differently, and I don’t think there’s any ONE way that things should be done. What I’m going to share is how things generally work for me/what I’ve chosen to do…

When a client first contacts me, I try to gather as much information as possible and give as much information as possible about me and my approach to wedding photography. Why? Because that can save the both of us a lot of time in the long run! I want a potential client to be able to figure out right away if I’d be a good fit for them and vice versa. Hopefully they’ve gotten a good idea about me and my style from my website and blog before they’ve contacted me, but that’s not always the case. The wedding date is also obviously important for me to be able to tell if I am available or not, but beyond that, location, as well as what the couple is looking for in their wedding photography are some of the first pieces of information requested.

Location is super important because my availability on a particular day may be different for a wedding that I have to travel to versus one that’s here in Indy, based on what I have scheduled the day before or after the wedding, for example. It’s also super important to me to not only find out what the couple is looking for in their wedding photos, but also to get to know more about them personally as well, to know if we’d mesh well together. If, for example, a potential client mentions that they LOVE selective coloring and would like that in a lot of their photos, then I know that I would not be a good fit for them since I do not do that (I’ve never actually gotten a request for that, but you get the idea). :-)

Because most of my inquiries are referral based now, from either a past client or friend, many are ready to book after they know I’m available and have seen my info and pricing. At that point we’ve either chatted back and forth via email or phone and have determined that we’d be a good fit for each other. Other times, I’ll meet with a potential client in person or via Skype (which is AWESOME for out-of-town clients) before a contract is signed. Either way is cool with me–what happens depends on circumstance and the client’s preference! What’s cool about the contracts we use is that they are completely internet based! It’s super simple for clients to fill out their info, read the fine print, and sign their contract electronically. It saves a lot of paper and time. Once the contract has been signed and the retainer fee has been received, I officially mark the client’s date as being booked on my calendar!

One thing I’m really excited about for next year is that we are in the process of converting a part of our home to use as a meeting space with clients!! I’m excited to say goodbye to Panera (although I do love their broccoli-cheddar soup) and say hello to a legit meeting space! It’s been a long-time coming. :-)

Well, this is just the very start in the “Making the Most out of…” series, and hopefully it gives you a little glimpse into how the booking process works for me. Next up: Engagement Sessions.

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Patrick and Lori booked us after seeing me work my magic at Katie and Brandon’s wedding (ok, so it’s not really “magic,” but I like that phrase). She said she knew she HAD to have me as her wedding photographer. Funny thing is, when I met them at that wedding I knew I HAD to have them as clients (they are SO fun!). :-) 

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