What Hollywood Can Teach a New Wedding Photographer (and no, it's not storytelling)

Issue #49

[Read Time - 8 Minutes]

Hello, new wedding photographer. I’m Chris, and this issue can be considered a “heads up for you.”

You typically say, “Heads up” to people who aren’t paying attention to where they’re headed to prevent them from getting clonked in the head.

I’ve been clonked. You’ll be clonked, too, but hopefully not as many times as I have. And that’s why we’re here today.

When you’re starting out, the list of places you HAVE NOT shot is unfortunately longer than the list of places where you HAVE.

One easy way to remedy this lack of locale experience is to check out the ceremony or reception venue BEFORE the wedding.

Consider this location scouting outing like a Hollywood movie director would before making their film.

With a director, they will take a special trip to find the perfect location for the movie or scene. They’ll gauge the time of day, the path of the sun, the background and even factors like airport flight paths, nearby train crossings or traffic that might get in the way of the perfect scene.

As a wedding photographer, you don’t get to decide much about the location of a church or venue, but you do get to be informed about things that may or may not affect the bride’s plans.

Here’s what you CAN do.

Stop by the locations and even and check out the “lay of the land.”

Pop in, say hi to the staff, and introduce yourself. Most venues have a designated point person. Knowing who that person is and making sure they know you gives you a HUGE advantage on a wedding day.

Let’s start with the church or ceremony venue (if it’s different from the reception site)

Like Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men, you want answers AND the truth, so questions like these will get you started off right:

• What’s the best route to the ceremony site? - This may sound like a no-brainer, but getting lost as you start your day is not much fun the rest of the day...not that this has ever happened to me three times.

• Where are you going to park that gives you easy access in AND out? - Never underestimate easy access to your car when you’re in a hurry and trying to beat the couple to the reception.

• Where will the sun be when the couple arrives or leaves the ceremony? - You can’t change it, but you can be prepared and avoid any bad situations by positioning yourself in the best location possible.

• Where are the best places to get photos of the couple together? - Also helpful in knowing where the light and scenic places will be before or after the ceremony. Often, there’s a private courtyard or scenic part of the church for moments like a First Look or Bridal Portrait. You might not see it unless you ask.

• Where are the bride and groom going to get ready? - When you’re running back and forth from one room to the other, knowing the shortest path is invaluable.

• What paths will everyone be taking when the ceremony starts? - Again, it’s all about knowing what and where BEFORE it happens. To use a sports analogy, if you want to get a photo of someone stealing second base, you start by positioning your focus ON second base, not the batter or even the runner at first. Planning ahead is the key.

• Are there any special rules here at the church/venue? - This could be your biggest gold nugget of the day. By knowing “the rules,” you’ll add a level of trust to your relationship with The Church Lady (yes, they are real). Trust = Referrals

• Ask if there is anywhere they’d prefer you NOT go during the ceremony. - Like the rules, showing respect to the rule-makers makes the day go SO much smoother, and this one is the one that annoys the church planners the MOST!

• Ask if there is anything you can do to make things easy for them. - This is kind of a dumb question, but it shows you care...even if the answer is “Obey the rules!”

• Are there any photos the venue would like from the wedding? Now you’re showing your value. Making a small gesture like this can lead to a great relationship. Plus, when they hang a 30x40 framed gift print from one of YOUR weddings, a LOT of prospective brides and bridesmaids will see this.

Navigating the ceremony site is essential for your comfort, and when you’re a comfortable photographer, you do your best work.

Before we move to the reception, there is one quick thing to mention about the ceremony site.

When the couple is planning their wedding, the ceremony venue typically gets booked first, even before the wedding photographer or the wedding planner.

If you need a good reason to cozy up to the people who run the church or ceremony sites, THIS is a really good one.

The church coordinators can be somewhat territorial. They want to be assured that the people who will be working with their couples will ALSO be good to work with. (Remember: Trust = Referrals)

They’ll almost always ask who the photographer is (because new or out-of-town photographers are the biggest headache for them.)

Imagine the bride saying, “We haven’t chosen one yet. Do you recommend anyone?” and the venue recommends YOU!

When you earn the trust of the ceremony professionals, you also gain a positive referral or a coveted confirmation if they hire you first.

If you get in good with the pros at the venues, they’ll be MORE than happy to refer you to their couples. And that’s a REALLY big part of becoming a profitable wedding photographer.

On to the reception!

The reception site is an equally important locale, but it’s also a little more challenging because odds are, it won’t look the same when you make your pre-visit.

The biggest benefit of this site is meeting the person coordinating the day for your couple.

Mentioning to your bride that you’ve been talking to the planner and you’re both really excited about what they’re putting together shows that you are prepared for THEIR day and you both actually CARE.

This is also a super pro-level move, so please consider this at every stage in your business.

At this reception venue, you’ll want to know things like:

• Where will the couple be arriving at the venue? - It might not be the same as for the guests, so that’s good to know.

• Where are the good places for shots of the bride and groom? - This will likely be the place for your “sunset shot” or more casual post-ceremony photos, so knowing where to go ahead of time is a big plus.

• Where will the couple depart at the end of the night? - Sure, you can find this out later, but the more you know early, the more you can help your bride as she finalizes the wedding plans.

• What are the necessary timeline details? - When is the first dance? When is the cake cutting? Are there any surprises (confetti canons, special guests, etc)? What’s going to happen at the Big Farewell?

Like the ceremony site, the value of scouting out the reception location in advance is all about knowing what to expect and minimizing any surprises.

I can’t emphasize this enough. Planning makes you more comfortable, and a comfortable wedding photographer shoots better wedding photos.

“But Chris, I have things to do. I don’t have time to visit two places before the wedding day?”

That’s a valid concern, but let me ask you a few questions to help.

What would a BELOW AVERAGE photographer do? Would they visit the sites before the venue? (You’re probably shaking your head from left to right, am I right?)

Do you want this wedding day to be as great as possible?

If you could do something to help make it great, AND make your work better, would you do it?

Preparation is a very small price to pay for success, and the best part is that you only have to do it once!

If practice and preparation are good enough for professional athletes, it’s certainly good enough for professional wedding photographers.

Visiting new venues do a few things that, in my opinion, are extremely valuable and worth the effort.

• You build rapport with the people in charge of the venue. (big win)

• You show respect for the people in charge of the venue. (bigger win)

• You show the people in charge that you care about your couple so much by making this special visit. (really big win)

• You get familiar with the venue. (a super huge win, especially for bigger churches that are built like catacombs right out of the DaVinci Code)

• And here’s a priceless bonus win - When you meet with the venue and chat with them, the odds that this conversation will get back to the bride are extremely good. This makes you look good in your bride’s eyes. And because the venue coordinator now knows YOU and knows you care about your couple, they can confidently refer you as a wedding photographer they trust and one who is WORTHY of their referral.

Bottom line, these visits are what Martha Stewart would call “good things.”

And yes, you can even do it for destination or out-of-town weddings. You’ll just have to do it as soon as you arrive at the destination.

By knowing the rules of the realm, the lay of the land, and the keepers of the keys to the kingdom in advance, you’ll build rapport.

This rapport turns your arrival from “Oh great, another new photographer!” to “Hey, good to see you again!”...and this, as Mastercard used to say, is priceless.

“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”

Arthur Ashe

Location scouting the wedding sites is one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography.” THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

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If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something to help.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.