Why Does Service Matter So Much with Wedding Photography
I have been preaching about good service with weddings and vendors for years.
And now I just got married to the love of my life, Melodie, after 11 years of being together.
And I could not feel any more adamant about this topic.
Wedding vendors need to provide superior service to their clients on the big day; it doesn't matter where the wedding is, what the couple's income level is, their style, the weather that day, their in-laws, none of it.
Stephanie & Tradd in Newburyport
Nowadays I am a full time wedding, commercial, corporate, gourmet and documentary photographer, but this wasn't always true. I started off in the service industry at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, AZ. just two days after I turned sixteen and I stuck with the restaurant biz for many many years.
I paid my way through college with restaurant and resort work, I spent six summers on Nantucket managing, bar tending and running large catering events. All this helped pay for my annual travel trips for a few years building my photography portfolio and style. I even worked abroad, not only in the restaurant business but teaching English in several different countries; a year spent in Japan was one of the highlights.
Along the way I kind of fell in love with proper service and communication and giving your guest, client or student the best experience you can provide.
This has been essential in our growing photography business and in maintaining proper ethics with all our clients, their relatives, and their colleagues.
Now, of-course we believe that all of our photo sessions are important and that our clients deserve a high level of service no matter what style of shoot it is, but let's face it Weddings are Really Really Important.
I Really Really Know this after getting married and planning our perfect day a little over a month ago.
You folks getting married have put your hearts and souls into your special wedding day; trust me we did. Melodie and I created a 75% + DIY wedding on the southwest tip of Martha's Vineyard with most of our family coming from CA and AZ. it was a logistical nightmare for transportation, food, housing, etc. And it only reinvigorated my belief in using and referring awesome vendors that believe in great service.
We got the short end of the service stick from two different vendors, I'm not going to mention any names here, but lets just say its not much fun to get an altered and or increased bill or a nasty letter from a vendor 6-8 days after your wedding.
We learned a simple lesson from all of this that I want to share. It may not pertain to all venues and all circumstances but its important none the less.
The big simple lesson is Always Always get a Contract.
Chris & Jeff's rings at Alden Castle
We were on Martha's Vineyard and dealing with some pretty lax folks when it came to contracts. I asked for them over and over again but two vendors said they simply didn't do them. "Don't worry about it, we always deliver and deliver well."
I'm going to keep this part of the blog short and just say that communication, and delivery of goods and or services, and the final billing did not go well.
When some of our other awesome vendors heard about these negative circumstances they were appalled and almost laughed about the "no contract" idea. They all commented "Who in the world runs a business without contracts?"
Ok, so lesson learned.
As a wedding photographer with over 400 weddings under my belt I should have been more adamant about getting a contract.
As a photographer I love what I do, what we do, not only capturing our couple's amazing wedding days but also how much a part of the functioning of their wedding day we are.
I am not saying that we make or break our couple's wedding days, that would be very boastful. But we are around for almost the whole thing and we really see how other vendors work. We generally end up communicating a great deal with these other vendors and passing that info on to our clients or vice versa.
Most often we end up becoming the key contact at the reception dealing with the on-site coordinator, DJ or Band, catering manager and much more.
I'm not going to lie, I kind of relish it. I really enjoy helping time-lines work and doing anything I can to make our couples have the best wedding they can.
On occasion it can be eye opening, to say the least, to observe some pretty shady service standards in the wedding industry. If you are in the business you know how much gossip photographers, dj's and bands spill about the food they receive at different venues. Sub-par food for vendors is just one of those things that needs to end. But that's just me sidetracking.
Let's get back to the real topic at hand, SERVICE!
Cru Nantucket
What do I mean by good service and what does it mean to be a wedding vendor that provides great service to their clients.
First off is simply put - communication. We don't want our clients to feel like we are hiding anything, why should we?
Why should any vendors. They should explain their services, products and prices in real terms.
We chose a pretty expensive catering company for our wedding, but you know what, they were super realistic and honest from the get go and they provided awesome food and great service. We got exactly what we wanted; it was amazing. And the pulled pork was to die for.
As a wedding photographer providing wonderful photographs that really capture the essence of your wedding day while providing great information and service before, during and after the big day, all require time and a professional level of service and delivery.
The same is true with the florist, limo driver, videographer, coordinator, lighting company, etc. etc. And all us vendors should be on the same page when it comes to making sure that the couple on that specific day is having the best wedding experience they could hope for.
I have a few videographers that I refer like crazy not because their work is good, its really good, but because they work really well with me and my team and with other vendors. And they have a good time.
This is part two by the way, vendors should be having a good time.
What is up with the negative function manager or the limo driver that wants to complain about the tardiness of a wedding.
Its a wedding folks, time-lines change, things happen, we work together to adjust anything and make it all work for the couple and their families.
I carry a crazy amount of Wedding Day Stuff in my big camera bag and sometimes other vendors are blown away when I pull out a pair of pliers or superglue or mini tie clips for the dudes.
My Stuff List keeps getting bigger but it comes in super handy at 50% or more of the weddings we photograph.
I've been known to fix a veil with superglue, help fix a torn bustle on the dress with safety pins, do all the guys ties and so much more.
Its important to remember that wedding days fly by for the folks actually tying the knot and for their special loved ones. Us vendors are on the sidelines helping and observing.
Melodie and I knew this going into planning our wedding, so we purposely had a longer reception than most. And you know what, it still flew by. I can barely remember all the incredible moments from our wedding day 6 weeks ago.
My point is that as vendors we need to understand how much goes into making this very special day happen and how important it is for us to empathize with our clients and how over-the-top their brains are firing away during this whole thing.
They are so focused, as they should be, on having the best time possible, trying to see all their guests, listen to toasts, dance with parents and so much more.
And then we vendors come along with questions such as "Do you want to try and make that 2nd Cousin photograph happen now or after the cake cutting." Be there in the moment with your clients. Understand if they get frustrated, understand if they don't want to go back out for another mini photo session at dusk. And especially understand when they are having important or intimate moments with each other or with their guests. Don't butt in, give them a minute.
We recently photographed at one our new favorite locations in CT, Harkness State Park, and I was obsessed with getting the couple out into this fiery gold and red field at dusk. I told them about my idea at the beginning of cocktail hour and they were totally psyched about it. The storm held off for us, and after I spoke with the coordinator and the band, I approached them just before dusk about taking them outside for 5-7 minutes for the shoot. They flat out said they simply didn't want to do any more photos outside, they just wanted to have fun with their guests for the rest of the night. And they did, I didn't push the subject, and they had an amazing time. The bride left me one of the sweetest phone messages I've ever received the next day thanking me for helping make their day run so smoothly a become everything they wanted it to be.
All I am really trying to say with all of this is that excellent service is really just helping your amazing clients have the most amazing day they can. Let's do this, let's work together to make this happen for our clients and make the whole industry better.
A recent quote from one of our awesome couples that got hitched at LaBelle Winery in NH.
"Just got back from our honeymoon and it is time to regroup. I wanted to send you a quick email just thanking you from the bottom of our hearts. You were truly amazing to work with. Our wedding day went so smoothly, mainly because of you. You took control of all the bridesmaids, groomsmen, parents and family, and they are a wild bunch, so Tony and I appreciated it. With any other photographer, things could have definitely gone astray. You were much more than a photographer, you were a do-it-all wedding connoisseur! I just want to say that Tony and I will recommend you to ANYONE we know. We can't wait to see you again."
Stephanie and her Bridesmaids at LaBelle Winery, NH
And now for a few photos just for fun:)
Three Tides at dusk, Belfast ME
Our Studio Style Photo-Booth
Sashimi at the Nautilus, Nantucket
Jessica & David in Copley Square
The Lobster Roll at Cru on Nantucket
Family Portrait Session at Chatham Bars Inn
Young girl in pop up medical clinic, Northern Haiti