During a typical Chester County wedding photography season, I receive dozens of inquiries from brides and grooms, most of them via e-mail. I encourage my clients to click the “contact” button on my site and fill out the query form, because it suggests the basic information that I need to tell you whether I’m available to shoot your wedding and give you the correct pricing.
However, even with this failsafe in place, inquiries still slip through that are missing key information. If I’m able to understand your needs from the get-go, everything will go more smoothly for both of us.
Necessities
Your date. Booking your photographer early is a great idea, but you should always book your venue before booking any of your vendors. This means you’ll have to have your date selected.
Your venue(s). Be specific! Most photographers charge if they have to drive long distances,
– Contact information. Include your e-mail address, obviously, but more importantly, leave your phone number! E-mails can fail to send or get stuck in the spam folder, so you should leave me an alternate way to contact you. Give me an idea of when is a good time to call, as well.
– Your name, and the name of your future spouse. I can’t tell you how many times I meet a couple for the first time, only to realize I have no idea what the spouse’s name is!
Bonus Items
– Why me? This isn’t a requirement, obviously, but I’m always curious to hear feedback about my work from my Chester County wedding photography clients.
– Your budget. You might not have a full idea of what you can afford yet, but give me a rough estimate, if you can. This is a good idea for two reasons: I can inform you about which of my packages is best for you, and if you decide I’m out of your price range, I can refer you to other photographers.
– Special requests. Do you have specific shots you’d like me to take? As long as it’s within my ability to execute, I’ll do everything I can to make you happy.
– Details. Things like the ceremony time, whether or not you want a first look, or how many guests you expect to attend. If you don’t know much beyond your venue and the date, it’s no big deal, but if you know anything else, pass it on!
