Considering the importance of the wedding day, and the trust my clients are giving me to capture the essence of that day, I am always looking for ways to please my clients. I try to make the wedding planning and wedding day even better than expected. Here are four special touches I do to encourage a positive experience for my clients:
The Initial Interview:
Right from the early days of their engagement, I try to remind the bride and groom of the big picture, the reason they are planning their wedding day. In our initial interview, I ask them to think of their fifth wedding anniversary. I ask them to imagine curling up on the couch together and looking through their album. I ask them to tell me what they see as they turn the pages. They love this question because it helps to elicit the moments they are most looking forward to, and the relationships that are most important to capture. It also helps them to think about the emotion (expressions, glances, exchanges, etc.) they will likely share with each other and their family and friends that day. This in turn helps them become even more excited about the day they get to share with their nearest and dearest. As their photographer, if I know what is most important to them, I can capture that for them.
Before the Wedding:
A few weeks before the wedding, I get together with the bride and groom for a practice session. Ideally located in an outdoor natural setting, this portrait session gives my couple a chance to practice being photographed, to see how fun it can be and how quickly it moves. It also gives me a chance to study the way they move together. That way on the wedding day we are all very comfortable around each other and the formal portraiture part of the day moves much more quickly, giving my bride and groom more time to enjoy their cocktail party.
On the Wedding Day:
During the wedding day, I find a quiet moment where I ask the bride and the groom to write a letter to each other. I slip them a piece of stationary and ask them to write a quick note to their beloved to explain how it felt to marry that person on that day. I then ask them to seal the envelope. About a month after the wedding, I deliver the sealed notes back to the bride and groom, which are protected in a sealed outer envelope that has one of my favorite photographs from the day. There is a note attached to the outer envelope that asks them to open the notes to each other on their first anniversary. This is a little touch that helps a day that is "famous for going by too fast" to slow down for just a few minutes, and gives them a written record of their emotions that day. What a wonderful accompaniment to a beautiful set of photographs.
After the Wedding:
Right after the wedding I get to work designing a beautiful Artist's Album for the newlyweds. I pick the best photographs from the day, including lots of beautiful details and moments, and I create a design to fit the style of album they chose beforehand. I ask the couple for copies of their wedding invitation, service bulletins, and speeches. I then scan these documents and blend the key parts throughout the album. That way they have a beautiful record in their wedding album of the vows they exchanged and the lovely thoughts expressed during the speeches.
In Summary: On a wedding day, I have the privilege of being able to tell a story through a series of natural, thoughtful and emotional photographs. These photographs will show a great deal about the spirit of the bride and groom's personalities, their love for each other, and the love among their family and friends. For me, it isn't about the grand sweeping portrait, the fashion edge or the over-romanticized scene. It is about a real love story where the couple commits to a lifetime together in front of their family and closest friends. What an honor for me to be able to capture that for them!
