Anyone want to play 21 questions?
I was cleaning out my inbox and ran across this email from a bride a few years ago. She apparently had emailed several of us photographers here in Sacramento the same question list. I thought it was pretty funny so I thought I would post it here:
Hi, my fiance and I booked the “XYZ” Senior Center and Park for our ceremony and reception. The ceremony will be around 2:30-3 pm with reception immediately following. We are probably going to do the majority of our pictures before the ceremony. My fiance and I are on a tight budget, yet we obviously still want great photographs. We have thought a lot about this and feel that our best route will be to get a photographer to shoot the entire ceremony and reception and all our posed shots, and just receive our negatives. We do not feel that we need any albums at this time. I personally love to scrapbook and am looking forward to playing with the arrangements of my photos myself. I would greatly appreciate your taking the time to answer some of my questions, if you are available on my date and willing to travel.
1. What medium do you use to take pictures? If you use digital, will the prints be archival quality?
2. Is your flash camera mounted, or held by an assistant?
3. What is your philosophy and approach to wedding photography?
4. What is the shooting schedule during the wedding? From your arrival, to the order of shots?
5. What balance do you strive to achieve between posed and candid shots?
6. What is the number of exposures you normally take? Do you limit the number taken?
7. Do you bring backup equipment? Do you provide for backup photographers?
8. When would I be able to visit your studio to review your albums? When I come, will I be able to meet with the photographers who will work our wedding? Can I review a completed proof album?
9. What are the criteria you use when choosing what you photograph at a wedding?
10. What are your policies regarding proofs? negatives? delivery times?
11. Specifics: We will have a small wedding party 4 attendants and three children. We have no step-relatives and only one grandparent still with us. Based on this, how long do you estimate it will take to do pictures before the ceremony?
12. What is the cost for the time from your arrival through the end of the reception (8 pm, estimate)?
13. Is there an additional cost for a second photographer, what is it?
14. Does this cost include travel costs, if not, what are those?
15. What is the cost to purchase all negatives immediately?
16. What would be the cost for copies of all proofs?
17. What is the deposit required to hold the date?
18. If we were to later decide to add albums, what do your prices run for these?
19. What made you decide to get into photography?
20. What are strengths? Weaknesses?
21. What would be different that you would do at my wedding vs your other weddings?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to address my questions.
BRIDEZILLA
