As a wedding photographer, you see many engagement sessions and weddings happen each and every year. Your clients, on the other hand, may not have the same experiences as you. Because there are so many questions brides may have for you, preparing answers can help you quickly eliminate any of their concerns. Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer, Leeann Marie, creates templates, guides, workbooks, and newsletters to answer questions brides often have about their wedding day. So you can communicate clearly with your clients, Leeann is sharing 6 important questions your brides may ask, and ways you can respond to them.
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1. Handling Weather Concerns
Bride’s question: What happens if it rains for our engagement session?
While I cannot control the weather, I have a great response for this one that sets my clients at ease. Everyone’s schedules can be difficult, so it is important to help them feel comfortable with the potential for a reschedule or less-than-ideal conditions for their shoot.
This is an email template I use:
“Not to worry! If it rains for your session, we have two options:
1) Reschedule. We can find another date in the near future that would work for both of us. This is a good idea if you’re looking for a certain vibe and the weather is just not cooperating.
2) Shoot at a couple of places I like that work with the rain. These places are more indoors and have a bit of a “city” feel to them.
Of course, we don’t really know what the weather will look like until close to the date of the session, so we will stay in touch as the date nears if the weather looks variable.
Related: Sick of writing out every email to your clients? Here’s 49 free email templates!
2. Confirming Venue Experience
Bride’s question: Have you ever worked in my venue?
There are so many venues in just Pittsburgh alone, and new ones coming on the market every day. If your business if anything like mine, you’ll see the same places frequently, and be more than excited about new venues and the opportunity they bring.
This is a response I provide to my clients:
Don’t worry about whether a photographer has shot at your venue before. Instead, hire the person who can get the job done. A skilled photographer will adjust to any situation. Besides, the opportunity to shoot somewhere new really sparks my creativity!
I also keep on hand a Pinterest board I created with some of my most popular venues. I can send clients to this board to view images from their venues, to help with planning, and it drives traffic to my site as well!
3. Planning the Wedding Day Timeline
Bride’s question: How do I plan my wedding day timeline?
I have found that mapping out a timeline, and creating a list of the photos my brides want in advance, can prevent a situation in which they are annoyed at Aunt Bettie who took over the portrait session with her own ideas. But, more than anything, I want them to have fun, and know they have a timeline planning expert on their side!
When I’m asked this question, I let my clients know two things:
1) I have an entire webpage on my site dedicated to helping them plan a little bit of their wedding timeline and see sample timelines.
2) I will send them a questionnaire 6 weeks before the wedding asking them for all of the details, and will draft a suggested timeline for them based on my past experience.
Related: Are you carefully creating your wedding day timeline?
4. Dressing for the Shoot
Bride’s question: What do I wear to my engagement session?
This question comes up ALL. THE. TIME, and so it is best to just preemptively strike with solutions for your client! In the initial engagement-planning email, I provide them with links to Pinterest boards I have put together. Pinterest is full of content!
When asked this question, I send my clients link to relevant Pinterest boards:
2) Fall Style
5. Choosing a Location
Bride’s question: Where should we shoot my engagement session/wedding portraits?
For this, you are the expert! Take control and help them to choose a location you know will fit their style, and have great light at the time you will be there. I always help my clients with locations on the wedding day because we are often traveling between two locations.
When asked this question, I answer:
I respond with suggestions if I know exactly where we need to be on the wedding day. I also send my clients my photo locations tool to help better gauge their style, and help with engagement session locations. This tool is a page on my website using an embedded Google Map.
6. Deciding on Other Vendors
Bride’s question: Who do you recommend for DJ/Band/Makeup/Any Wedding Vendor?
For brides that are not working with a wedding planner, we are often their go-to people to help with nailing down the vendor list. I think this is flattering, and I am always more than happy to recommend other wedding professionals I love to work with!
When asked this question, I answer:
For a while I was responding with a list in email-format, but I have recently made the switch to having a dedicated website for my vendor list. Not only does it reinforce my brand and visuals, but it’s also a nice way to showcase our favorite team!
All in all, it is important to remember that a frequently asked question should have an easy-to-access, perfectly crafted response. Help your clients through these questions in a professional way and you’ll always be viewed as the expert!
Because the slower season allows you to work on additional projects, such as making changes or outsourcing your post production photography needs, use this time to create candid responses to eliminate any of your client’s concerns. Make additional adjustments to your business by downloading our Making the Most of the Off-Season Guide!
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