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

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This issue can be considered more of a "heads up."

You typically say, "Heads up” to people who aren't paying attention to where they're going 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 me. And that's why we're here.

When you're starting out, and the list of places where you HAVE NOT shot is longer than the one where you HAVE, one easy way to remedy this inexperience is checking out the ceremony or reception venue BEFORE the wedding.

Consider this location scouting outing like a Hollywood movie director might do before they make their film.

Stop by the location (preferably around the same time you'll be there) and check out the "lay of the land."

Pop in and say hi to the staff and introduce yourself. Most venues have a point person in charge. Knowing them 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 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:

• How do you get to the ceremony site? - This may sound like a no-brainer, but try getting lost to start your day and see how much fun the rest of the day will be...not that this has ever happened to me.

• 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.

• 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.

• Where are you going to park that gives you good access in AND out - Never underestimate easy access to your car when you're in a hurry.

• 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.

• 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 kinda of a dumb question, but it shows you care...even if the answer is "Obey the rules!"

• Are there any shots you can take for them? - Now you're showing your value, and a small gesture like this can lead to a great relationship. Plus, when they hang a 30x40 framed print from one of YOUR weddings, there are a LOT of prospective brides and bridesmaids that 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, before either 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 good one.

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

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.

The reception site is an equally important locale, but it'll be a little more challenging because odds are, it won't look the same when you make your 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 really excited about what they're putting together shows you are prepared for THEIR day and you 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, the more you can help your bride before the wedding.

• All 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 in scouting out your location in advance is all about knowing what to expect and minimizing any surprises.

Again, this makes you more comfortable, and a comfortable photographer is a successful photographer.

"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, 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.

Visits to 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 you care about your couple so much to make 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 bonus win that is priceless - When you meet with the venue and chat with them, the odds that conversation will get back to the bride are very good (this makes you look good to your bride). 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 get there.

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.

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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Questions? Shoot me an email at [email protected]