Original subtitles

So this particular lesson we're going to be

focusing on how to prepare your clients for

a wedding day.

So if you guys are following the pattern,

I'm all about preparation.

My mom used to say this thing when

I was a child and it really annoyed

me and now that I'm getting older I

say to myself I'm turning into my mom

because she used to tell me if you

fail to plan you plan to fail and

it's so true like after all these years

I can finally say you know what mom

you might have said one or two right

things in your life.

So having said that if we find ourselves,

if you find yourself in a situation when

you're dealing with clients and you're not getting

the results that you want or you always

feel like you're playing catch-up on a

wedding day I would venture to say that

it's less of your clients fault and more

of your own because you have been and

done more weddings than the bride.

She will have one or maybe two in

her lifetime so give her grace and bear

more of that responsibility.

So when it comes time to prepare your

clients it's important to bear in mind that

the closer they get to the wedding day

the more stress is in their lives.

So I know that it becomes a huge

production for them and their families and I

also know that about one month before the

wedding happens it gets crazy.

There's a thousand different emails, a thousand different

invoices, a thousand different bills.

There's so much going on that I started

noticing it's that four-week mark that I

have a tendency I have the probability of

losing a client when I need her full

attention.

Because of this I now decide to handle

all of my business six weeks before the

wedding.

I want to get a jump start before

all the other creative team and vendors.

What I've noticed is that my clients appreciate

this because I know what's coming at that

four-week mark and they don't know what

that's coming at the four-week mark.

So if I can jump ahead of it

and all of a sudden our interactions are

all taken care of I'm one less person

they have to think of on that wedding

day.

So from the previous lesson you know how

I prepare my clients for their engagement session.

Now I follow the same idea when it

comes to their wedding.

So you can kind of follow the pattern

and I keep patterns because we all as

creatives are very busy and so if we're

gonna try to create a certain will for

one client and a certain will for another

we have so many multiple wheels in our

life why not keep one will and then

apply that wheel to every single interaction.

So I send an email to the bride

six weeks before the wedding happens and it's

an it's a template email.

Because I send the same type of email

it's a simply copy and paste into what

I want to do.

Now emails these template emails make your inbox

less daunting and in this particular email I

request as much information as possible.

We're gonna walk through what that email looks

like.

So here's a list of things that I

request to help me get prepared for my

clients wedding day.

What I want is an exact wedding address.

Please use the word exact.

You guys know from my past experiences you

could probably end up in a different location.

The exact reception address.

I have received many inquiries with say oh

we're getting married here and it's easy to

assume that the wedding the wedding and the

reception are there and then all of a

sudden you know a day or two before

the wedding they're like oh we're so we're

gonna get married at st.

John's and then we're going here and I'm

like oh okay in my first couple years

I was like I should probably know I

should have known that it was a church

wedding but it was my responsibility to actually

do the work for the client.

You want exact addresses to any other location

you're expected to be at.

So when brides inquire they will say oh

I'm getting married here at this venue and

then it might be a difficult situation for

you to find out just a day or

two before the wedding that she's actually preparing

at her mom's house and you then don't

have enough time in your time schedule to

actually get to where you need to go.

So ask these types of questions in advance

and then talk to her about the timeline.

We're gonna get to there in a second.

I also ask for emergency contact numbers.

I ask for her cell phone number and

her fiance's cell phone number but then I

also ask for the best man and the

maid of honor.

Those people are going to be around them

the entirety of the day and if I

need to contact them chances are I will

not be able to contact the bride or

groom because they will be very busy.

At this point in time I'm asking for

a photo shot list six weeks prior to

the wedding because this takes time.

I don't want to add another thing for

her to do.

However as any photographer can probably agree we

don't like shot lists.

They're really limiting.

So what I say to her is please

send me a photo shot list of things

that you would want documented.

However what we do as creatives and what

we do as professionals is fully document your

day.

I will absolutely get your first kiss and

your dad walking you down the aisle.

I will get the exchange between parents.

I will get every formal and important photo.

What I need a list from you is

things that I might not know are important

and or people who are important that you

want candid photos of.

When I get shot lists back in the

rare times that I do get shot lists

after I explain you don't need to tell

me how to do the job just tell

me things I might not know.

I get back maybe three or four shots

that are important.

Sometimes there was a thing that I wouldn't

have noticed like a bride had her grandmother's

chandelier placed above their sweetheart table.

I may or may not have shot all

the chandeliers in the room because there were

multiples but I needed to know that that

chandelier was specifically special to the bride and

I wouldn't have known that otherwise.

So those are very helpful.

At this time I am also requesting the

family shot list.

Again it comes with an explanation.

I don't need every familial combination.

You will get photos of just you and

your mom and just you and your dad

and just your parents.

Understand that that's the dynamic of how we

shoot.

However if there are certain family dynamics I

need to be made aware of.

Are your parents divorced?

Is any parent deceased?

How are the how's the relationship with in

-laws?

I don't ask all these questions but I

say are there any particular family dynamics I

should be made aware of?

That one question can itemize exactly what you

need and how the bride will give it

to you.

I also ask for the creative team information.

This is the time that I'm asking the

bride.

I mentioned in a previous course that I

get all of the creative team information.

This is happening about six weeks in advance.

So she will send me a list of

the florist and anybody else and then I

will do homework on my back end to

go to their website, see their work, see

their portfolios, catch their vision and also get

their Instagram and or Twitter information so that

I can tag them on the wedding day.

Also at this point in time I'm asking

for a timeline.

I ask do you have a timeline?

Now I think that asking for the timeline

this far in advance is beneficial because if

a photographer is contacting the bride like a

week or two before the wedding asking for

the timeline, a week or two before the

wedding is too short of time to make

changes to the timeline.

It's already locked in stone.

But six weeks you can maybe wiggle out

an extra five minutes or an extra ten

minutes here and there throughout the day and

then recraft the timeline so the entire creative

team can be on the same page.

So if the bride does, now all of

those questions I had asked the bride, I

am functioning on the assumption that she does

not have a wedding coordinator because for years

I was in my business not being able

to work with that type of clientele.

So essentially as much as I hate admitting

it, photographers become the coordinators.

So everybody's nodding because it's not just me,

right?

Like you know that if you don't do

it the day will be a hot mess.

So this is me standing in control and

standing in the gap.

Now when there is a wedding coordinator we're

gonna get to that in a second.

Okay so if she emails me and she

says, caveat, not all my clients have wedding

coordinators.

I would love them for them to.

It makes my job easier.

But I would say that there is a

chunk of my clients who still to this

day invest in other parts of their wedding

day.

So I am still a wedding coordinator.

This conversation that I am having with you

just happened with me and an August bride.

I created her timeline and I'm so happy

I did.

So we're gonna talk about how I did.

Okay so if the bride does not have

a timeline, I offer to make one up

for her.

Now this is an ideal situation for the

bride because how she feels is, oh somebody

is here to help me.

How we feel as professionals is, amen.

I get to create the day so that

I get the time that I need.

So if I if I said do you

have a timeline in that first email, do

you have a timeline?

And if she says no, I said would

you like me to make a timeline for

you?

If she responds affirmatively, I then send her

an email and ask her the following questions.

Where are you planning on getting ready?

I need to know if she's getting ready

at the venue.

I need to know if she's getting ready

at her apartment, at a nearby hotel, or

at her parents house.

Then I ask how far is the prep

location from the wedding location?

And if she says, oh it's a quick

drive, it should be 15 minutes.

I always add to the timeline 25.

Always add an extra 10 minutes.

I mean if she says she's an hour

away, then I would add an hour and

a half.

Because we've been at weddings where we're literally

stuck in, like myself, the bride, everybody's stuck

in traffic.

So I like to pad timelines.

And as a caveat, all these questions come

in one email.

I ask what time is the ceremony?

What time is cocktail hour?

Now cocktail hour could be listed at 630

and then it'll be a traditional cocktail hour

in that it will go from 630 to

730 and then guests are seated.

Or it could go 630 to 715, guests

are seated at 715 so that they're actually

in their chairs at 730.

Those tiny small questions really change how much

time you have to photograph the reception details.

So in light of that, I ask her

in addition to cocktail hour, what time are

guests being seated?

And lastly, are you planning, is the bride

and groom planning to have a first look?

Once I have all of those questions answered,

I can then create a timeline that I

feel really good with and I know that

she will feel really good with.

Now, here are some of the requirements.

Because once I have answers to the questions,

I will respond to her with a timeline

and I outline my requirements.

And my requirements before I actually say, here's

my timeline, I tell her what I need

first.

And the reason why I'm telling her what

I need first is because I would make

a timeline and then she would say, oh

well we don't need that much time for

bridal portraits.

We don't need that much time for family

portraits.

And the back of my mind I'm just

like, based on what?

You've never been married.

Like how would you know how long family

pictures should last?

Because sometimes a bride will think 30 minutes

for family pictures?

No, we can get it done in 15.

Well, based on our experience, so in light

of that, because we know better, I tell

my clients what I need and I encourage

you to tell your clients what you need.

So if you want a baseline of what

time I need and what I request my

clients, this is what's going to unfold.

So what I need is 60 minutes for

the bride and groom prep.

I will be with the bride, my second

shooter JD will be with the groom.

I tell her that I need 60 minutes

for that.

I need 30 minutes for bride and groom

photos.

I, excuse me, 30 minutes for bridal party

photos.

30 minutes for bride and groom photos.

I need 30 minutes for family photos.

If she has a very large extended family,

I will need more time, but 30 minutes

is what I normally request.

I need 15 minutes for reception photos and

that's 15 minutes undisturbed.

I cannot be in two places at once.

I need you to know in the timeline

that I'm going to be unavailable in your

reception for those 15 minutes and I need

10 minutes for ceremony decor.

So once I list this is what I

need in the same email, I send her

the sample timeline.

I say feel free to amend the timeline

however you so choose, but please do not

limit the amount of time that I have

requested because if you deliver on your end,

I know I will deliver on my end.

Nine times out of ten, I have a

bride who says this is great.

I take it.

I want it, which is fantastic.

So one thing that I want to point

out is the common question is don't you

want more time?

30 minutes for bride and groom on a

wedding day is not a lot of time

and the answer is yes.

I always want more time.

I would love more time to shoot especially

reception, but what I also know is I

have to temper my desires for more time

with my bride and groom with the fact

that it is not my day.

That everybody is vying for time from my

bride and groom.

I am but one piece to this well

-oiled machine and so I can't say that

I deserve more time than the coordinator.

I can't say that I deserve more time

than the videographer.

I can't say I deserve more time from

the bride and groom because they want to

enjoy their party.

So that is why I say give me

30 and I must deliver on that end.

So in actuality, happiness and managing their experience

is far better than any amount of time

that I can get on their wedding day,

but I'm going to share a little secret.

I request 30 minutes for bride and groom

photos and I request 30 minutes for bridal

party photos, but I know because JD and

I have a system and we work fast

and you will see this actually happening at

the knot wedding is I asked for 30

and I really only need 20.

So I've padded that extra time so that

if mistakes happen then I will take the

full 30.

If somebody's running delayed or something I get

the full 30, but in the case that

everything goes well, if I can shave off

five or ten minutes from bridal party, five

or ten minutes from family, I'm picking up

anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes extra with

the bride and groom.

And then all of a sudden I have

40 or 45 minutes with the bride and

groom, now we're cooking on fire.

So that's kind of like how we're padding

it and so the bride can't mess around

with the other numbers.

So if you would like to see what

a sample timeline looks for me, you will

see it here on the screen.

Based on eight hours of coverage, our collections

come with eight hours.

If a bride would like to add more

time to her day, especially if she's having

a split venue, we can absolutely do that,

but we charge an additional hourly fee charged

in 15-minute increments.

Because after eight hours, if what you need

is eight and a half, I don't want

to stay for nine.

I will charge you for the 30 minutes.

So our timeline is based on 15-minute

increments.

So I don't know if it would be

beneficial to walk through this because this is

going to be on the screen and you

guys will get these in the keynote that

comes with the boot camp, but you will

see that I have listed when the bridesmaids

should get dressed.

Because if you are acting as the wedding

coordinator, you need to know set expectations in

advance.

The bridesmaids should not be getting dressed the

same time the bride should.

They should already be dressed.

Mom should already be dressed so that when

the bride is getting dressed, everybody isn't in

their PJs, robes, looking messy.

We're thinking about those things in advance.

I list when the groom should depart for

the first look because I don't want the

groom and the bride crossing paths, right?

So I sync up with JD and I

say the groom should leave at this time,

I will leave at this time.

Then we text each other right before.

I'm like has he left?

Is he in position?

Great.

Then I follow out with the bride.

I also list when the bride, if they

have opted, in my pseudo situation, most my

clients opt to see each other before the

ceremony.

The ceremony, if it's slated for 5 p

.m., I need to back up 30 minutes

from that point and know I cannot work

with the bride and groom because early arriving

guests.

I learned from my mistake is that for

me, I happened to see my husband before

we got married and if I saw my

guests at our wedding, I wasn't like, oh

you can't see me.

But there are brides who are so like

conscious of that and I learned that it

was ruining their experience.

So if it's a 5 o'clock ceremony,

the bride gets texted away at 4.30.

So all my photos must be done by

that time and then that 30 minutes allows

me to go down.

I shoot the ceremony site uninterrupted.

Guests usually start sitting around 15-20 minutes

before, like you know the grandparents, the neighbors,

they just get there early.

And so because we get there 30 minutes,

we shoot for 10 and then we start

doing is we start shooting guests as they're

there.

We set up portraits, we'll shoot them, we

get to know early arriving family members.

Then we talk about if they want the

option of sunset photos.

I tell my clients in the timeline when

the photos end.

I want them to know, like I'm setting

the expectation after this time, it's a party.

So don't don't feel the pressure.

Like I want them to see the finish

line because on the wedding day, because they've

never experienced this before, it's very overwhelming.

Everybody's hugging and kissing and they have to

look their best and it's a very emotional

during the ceremony.

Once we get to that point, be like

guys, the rest of the night is party.

Just ignore us, enjoy Dan's drink.

And they're like, great.

So when they can see that, they know

we're all on the same page.

Then the rest of the day kind of

just opens out with a listing of events.

And then I also list when we leave

so that we're all on the same page.

That's my timeline.

It will be included in in the course.

Now I want to bring this now to

a real life scenario because the not dream

wedding is happening rather soon.

I've had to have conversations about what the

date looks like and set expectations.

So when the not asked me to be

the dream wedding photographer, I was so excited.

I was so honored.

I did not know the wedding date.

I did not know the location.

I did not know the clients and I

did not know who I was working with.

I just agreed because I was like, it

sounds like fun.

It sounds like a great opportunity.

So let's go now in a stroke of

amazing luck.

And I will say that this year something

has shifted in my business.

I can't really explain it, but this is

one such opportunity.

The dream wedding coordinator was announced and we're

neighbors.

She lives in Orange County.

We have lunch together a couple times a

year.

We worked on quite a few weddings together.

When I saw that, I was like, oh,

like it's working.

Like, so I was like, she had called

me the day before they made the public

announcement.

So they had talked to each of us

independently and she calls me and she's just

like, hey, I have some great news.

We're working together.

I was like, oh great, when?

She's like, the not dream wedding.

I was like, I cannot believe this.

I cannot believe this.

Like, I trust you and you trust me.

Now we know at the end of the

day, if there's a bride and groom, the

day is going off.

Like, boom, done.

We're in it.

I was so excited.

Now, I don't have to give Jeannie, her

name is Jeannie Savage of Details Details.

I don't have to give Jeannie my request.

You know how I list 60 minutes for

prep, 30 minutes for family.

Because we've already worked together, she knows what

I need and I know what she needs.

So I don't have to have that conversation.

But because we have worked together before in

the past, she sends a finalized timeline to

her creative team about a week or a

week and a half before each wedding.

I'm anticipating the same thing to happen in

this wedding.

Now, on her timelines, which is what I

love, she lists the entire creative team.

So for instance, this is important to me

because once I see who's involved, it changes

my approach before I get there.

So on her list, is she including a

videographer?

If they hired a videographer, I know that

if I get 30 minutes for photos of

the bride and groom, that will be minimized

to at least 20 because I'm working with

a second party and I can't be the

point of focus 100% of the time.

Although I would like to be, we have

to play fair with video.

So I have to give them time.

So if the videographer takes first position, I

take second position, JD takes third.

So these are the slight modifications that we

have to take and knowing that going into

it, it leaves a lot of stress.

Secondly, I can find out if there's a

band or a DJ.

If there is a band, the flow of

events changes, then there is, then there, then,

somebody help me out.

What am I trying to say?

Then there what?

Yes, then there would be.

Thank you, you guys.

Man, wow.

I was like, help me finish my sentence.

Then there would be if there was a

DJ.

Case in point, traditionally, if there's a DJ,

and I'm talking about that maybe this is

specific to geographic locations, but in Southern California,

at a lot of the weddings or the

weddings that I happen to shoot, they will

do the bridal party entrance with the DJ.

Then they will do the grand entrance with

the bride and groom.

Then they will go directly into the first

dance.

The couple sits.

Father, the bride, or an officiant will say

a prayer or a welcome.

That's the flow if there's a DJ.

Now with the band, the band likes to

party.

They like to set the tone in a

very different way.

So the bridal party enters, the bride and

groom enters, they do the first dance, and

then they go into a 10 or 15

minute set.

That changes where I am and what I

do and the lenses that I carry.

So knowing that in advance really helps set

the tone.

Also, I find out on the timeline that

she sends if there's going to be a

grand exit.

If there is going to be a grand

exit, I then must inquire of the coordinator

or the bride, do you want that grand

exit documented?

And if you do, this is how much

it's going to cost.

So based on that timeline alone, that's why

I find them very valuable to be getting

them from a coordinator.

Now in Jeannie's timelines, she also includes the

flow of the ceremony.

And this is information that I might not

get otherwise, which I find very valuable.

So she will list things that I find

valuable like the parents' names.

It's nice to call them by their first

name.

When I shot Michaela's wedding, she's here, talking

to her mom, it was a first formality

just because I was grown that way to

talk to other people's parents by a Mrs.

or Mrs. Barkman.

But then at the end of the night,

it was Risa.

It was really nice to kind of have

that first name basis.

And that relationship, if it can start earlier,

is always better.

Also, it also lists how many people are

in the bridal party.

That is helpful because I know how many

people I'm working with in advance.

And lastly, I know how traditional this ceremony

will be if on the timeline, she says,

a fishant does a candle lighting ceremony.

They release doves.

They take communion.

They do, you know, seven different prayers.

The bride walks around the groom.

If it's a Jewish ceremony, there's a lot

of different things.

And having that timeline itemized is always so

helpful.

So, now let's talk about how this plays

out for me in relation to the Nocturne

wedding so that I'm bringing you guys along

with me.

So, I should probably note that the wedding

location has been announced.

It will be in Sonoma, California at St.

Jean Chateau.

But, you know, like when I read it,

I was like, St. Jean Chateau?

Like, so, for now, we'll call it Chateau

St. Jean.

Whatever.

We'll say CSJ.

Now, I don't have all of the information

yet, but based on our experience, so JD

and I have been fortunate to shoot weddings

in various locations and we're very familiar with

the Sonoma Napa area.

I love Northern California.

I love shooting weddings in California.

It is amazing.

It is my target market.

Now, based on that experience, we know that

because Sonoma is so, and Napa, are so

filled with vineyards, that hotels have been relegated

to outskirts and into certain points.

So, I know that I'm going to be

from my hotel about 20 to 25 minutes

from the venue.

It's a safe guess.

It might be farther.

Now, what I wanted to do is get

to the venue before so that I can

walk the property.

Now, we do this for all our weddings,

but I had emailed Jeannie and I said,

hey, I'm going to CreativeLive.

I'm just trying to get things ready for

the course.

Do you, by any chance, know what time

the ceremony will start?

And she said, yes, it's going to start

at noon.

I was like, what?

This must be a typo.

She must have meant 5 and wrote noon.

And so, I followed up.

And it made me a little bit nervous

because what I was thinking was, of course,

they're going to want beautiful photos.

Like, that's what I was like, isn't this

about the photos?

Which is so wrong, right?

But I was just, I'm saying that that

was the weak part of me.

Like, you're putting on this free wedding for

this couple and the thing that they would

walk away with are their photos.

But then I was struck with the realization

that for the not, it's not about the

photos.

For the not, it's about the live broadcast.

And if they do the live broadcast at

noon, it hits more time zones than if

they were to do it at a later

point in day.

So, what does that mean for how all

of this changes?

Because y'all, up until this point, am

I not talking big game?

So we do sunset photos, they walk in,

yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, so let's change it.

Okay, so now that I know the time

of the ceremony, this changes everything in relation

to flight.

So my first thing is, I can no

longer fly in one day early, I must

fly in two.

And this is a personal decision that I

am making on my own because a lot

is on the line.

Here's why.

If I wanted to walk the property at

noon in Sonoma, I am flying that morning.

But the problem is, the first flight that

I can take puts me in Oakland.

You can fly into Oakland or SFO.

I chose to fly into Oakland because SFO

has crazy fog and sometimes you get stopped

or delayed, so I am like O-Town

all the way.

Flying into Oakland, I can get there at

1030, but I have to get a rental

car and I have to get my luggage.

And that's not accounting for any sort of

delays.

The airport is about two hours from Sonoma.

If everything goes well, I leave, you know,

let's just say we land at 1030 and

I'm out at 1045, which is not realistic.

I will get to the venue at 1245.

In all reality, we will probably not be

able to get to the venue until 130.

I will have missed the time that I

need to be there and walk the property.

I will not know what the sun is

doing.

So I talked to JD, I spoke to

the crew, I spoke to the not and

said, I want to fly in two days

early and if it's at any cost to

me, I will eat that because I want

to be prepared for what's in store.

Now, second thing that I am taking into

consideration, now be that it's a noon wedding,

is that there won't be a first look.

I'm not going to push for a first

look because I know Samantha has 12 bridesmaids.

They are starting their day preparation at close

to 5 o'clock in the morning.

If they did a first look, it would

be even earlier.

Like, I'm not going to request a bride

on her wedding day.

Can you wake up at 3.30 to

start zhuzhing?

Like, you know, if we're talking about experience,

that is not it.

So, if the bride and groom want to

do it, I will oblige, but I will

not push it because there are so many

moving pieces.

Another thing that I have to take into

consideration is that if the ceremony is at

noon and if they do not have a

first look, bridal party pictures, family pictures, and

bride and groom pictures must take place, because

it's a live broadcast, under 60 minutes in

the harshest light.

Sonoma in June at 1 o'clock is

roofless.

I haven't been to this venue.

I'm googling.

I'm like living on Google, like on Google,

and I'm following hashtags on Instagram because I

want to see people's perspective that I can't

see until I'm there.

How many trees are there?

Is there a nearby field?

Like, what are my plan A and plan

B?

And I won't know plan A or plan

B.

Ideally, I would have open shade during that

time for family photos because it's just so

warm.

I don't want the family to be unhappy.

It makes my job harder and it makes

them resent the process of it.

So, I will have plan A.

I will have plan B.

When the cameras are there with us for

CreativeLive, we'll be doing the walkthrough.

So, hopefully, the team, all of you all,

will know exactly what we're doing and why

we're making those decisions.

So, because I know that and because I'm

just like, hey guys, isn't it all about

the photos?

I asked The Knot and I asked Jeannie

if it was possible.

So, the wedding technically ends at 4 p

.m. The broadcast will end a little bit

before that.

So, if the wedding ends at 4, I

said, do you think the bride and groom

would be okay to shoot photos after?

I'm waiting to hear back.

I really, really, really hope that that's what

they opt for because then I know that

I can deliver what I deliver.

I will try my best for family photos

and bridal party photos to look and feel

reflective of what I do.

I am praying for some sort of shaded

area.

That's what I'm hoping for.

And if those photos aren't the best photos,

but I could still salvage the experience with

the bride and groom by shooting them later

in the day in the vineyard because they're

getting married at a vineyard.

I don't want to shoot in a vineyard

at one o'clock in the afternoon.

I can, but it's not really what I

do.

So, if I can push them towards that,

then that's what I'll do.

I will keep you guys posted as things

progress.

Now, let's move into homework.

What I want you to do based on

everything.

Now, I feel like the energy kind of

went like, oh, in the room.

I'm so glad you feel how I feel,

okay, because I'm like sometimes it's nice to

know that it's not alone and it's nice

to know because in the back of my

mind, what I think of sometimes is people

say, okay, so Jasmine was nominated to be

the dream wedding photographer and then what they

see are the photos and they're just like,

eh, she's alright.

And I'm like, but do you guys know?

Do you guys know what I had to

go through?

Like, do you guys know I was shooting

family portraits at one o'clock in the

afternoon on a vineyard in June and Sonoma?

Then you guys might be like, alright, she

did a lot better.

So, now that you guys know what we're

dealing with and how we deal with those

situations, I feel a little bit better.

So, what I want you to try to

do is I want you to create a

calendar reminder to contact your clients six weeks

before the wedding and make that a pattern

in your business.

I want you to create an email template

to request the information that you need from

those clients so that you don't have to

do it again and again.

Now, if you would like to check out

and see and download my personal client preparation

email, you can find that at jasminestore.com.

Now, lastly, I want you to create a

sample wedding timeline to help inform your clients

so that they feel assured and that you

get the time that you need.

Now, having said that, you now know how

I prep my clients.

You now know what I am facing for

the Not Dream Wedding.

Do you have any questions in that regard?

Yes, let's get a mic here.

We'll go back there and then we'll take

it back third.

Thanks, Boo.

Okay, we'll go one, two, and then we'll

pass it back.

So, my question is when you're at the

wedding and you're going over the timeline, do

you print that out or are you viewing

it on a cell phone?

Because I'm always concerned if I'm on my

cell phone, I'm looking disinterested.

Great question.

I print it out.

I actually, I'm so old-school, I write

it out.

I do, but yes, I have I have

a piece of my stationery that I just

like rip off.

I actually just had a notepad printed at,

I'm not even going to say the company,

just simple company.

I get my logo, drag and drop.

I buy the pad for maybe like $7

.99. It just has my logo up top

and then I just write down the times

so that if that paper were to fall,

it still looks like it's branded.

It's not like some post-it or like

the back of a bill, right?

So, I take that and I think sometimes

if I'm looking at it and people are

just like, oh, that's your gas bill or

my address on the back, it's still branded.

I write it out, but yes, printing it

out or writing it out would be very

beneficial because the last thing you want, everybody

looking at you doesn't know that if you're

on Twitter or Instagram or if you're really

looking at the timeline.

Yes, so a question there and then we'll

pass the mic back.

Hi.

Hi.

So, I think we've, a couple of the

audience members have talked about this, but usually

like the family group portraits are like the

most painful part of the day.

How do you make that go easier, quicker,

and people still like you at the end

of it and enjoy that part of the

day?

Okay, thank you.

I start setting expectations and prepping my clients

during the initial client consult and if I

didn't touch it in the initial client consult,

I will definitely touch it in email.

So, if I were to role play with

you and I and you're the bride, I

would say the following because I can explain

it, but I could just talk through it

easier.

So, when it comes to family photos, we

want to make this as quick and easy

as possible for, what's your husband's name?

Nick.

Okay, I want to make this as easy

as possible for you and Nick.

So, instead of you, you know, standing at

the altar for an hour and missing out

your cocktail hour, you listen to the photos

that I propose to you and if you

approve of them, I can guarantee that I

would be done in 25 minutes.

We start off with you and Nick and

all of your family.

We're talking about godparents, cousins, great-grandparents, parents,

siblings, everybody's there and what we do is

we approach it like an onion.

We start peeling people away in layers.

So, we have that big group family photo,

which is what I call the legacy photo.

That's the photo that will be shared on

Facebook, that will probably be printed by your

grandma.

Then, what we do is we remove godparents,

aunts, uncles, and cousins so that we're left

with grandparents, parents, and siblings.

Then, we remove grandparents and we have parents

and siblings.

Then, we just shoot just siblings, just parents,

just grandparents because, and then side note, photographer

to photographer, I've already shot the bride by

herself with her dad and the bride by

herself with her mom during prep or at

candidly on another part of the day.

I don't want to put that when everybody's

just waiting there for pictures during cocktail hour.

So, if she says, okay, and then what

I say is then I get both sides

of your family.

I get both parents and siblings and you

guys.

Then, your entire family is done.

They can go to cocktail hour.

We're gonna do the exact same pattern for

Nick's family.

Now, if there are any other combinations, you

can let me know, but that would take

me about 25 to 30 minutes.

9.5 times, they're just like, yeah, let's

just do that and then we're done.

Awesome, thank you.

Here's the thing, my daddy is a Marine.

Well, he was a Marine, but in my

dad's vernacular, if you know, once a Marine,

always Marine, like hoorah, right?

Okay, so I have that personality and I'm

also Puerto Rican and so I just don't

take it from anybody.

Like, I will talk louder and faster and

move people with grace.

So, there's never, there's never an issue.

Most of the time when JD and I

walk into a situation, people always assume that

JD is a lead photographer.

It happens.

It's a gender thing and so in order

for me to kind of take control, it's

always me staying one step ahead.

So, we walk in like, hey everyone, nice

to meet you.

My name is Jasmine.

Do I raise my hand like a fool?

Absolutely.

I'm shorter and I wear flats and ladies

generally are taller than me in heels.

So, I'm just like Jolly Green Giant.

I have to kind of just like, wonderful

ladies, can I have everybody over here?

Everybody, I want to get you to cocktail

hour faster.

The more you start drinking, the nicer you

think I am.

Can I have everybody here?

Can I have a big large group?

I am talking the whole time.

Don't let anybody meander.

Kind of just keep it light and then

move on.

You'll see me do it at the wedding.

We're going back to that third question.

So, my question is like looking at this

streamlined process that it seems like you guys

have to where your timelines are pretty tight

and you both are so confident that you

can get all the shots that you need

with all the diversity for all the vendors

and everything.

So, I was wondering if you could just

talk about the process of getting to that

place and yeah and what that was like

and maybe any advice for everybody else.

You know, I got an email from a

photographer who was so frustrated because that the

coordinator didn't let her have an hour for

shots of the bride and groom and she

went on to say how frustrating was because

isn't it isn't it about those photos that

that is what the day is about and

at the end of everything they don't have

photos they don't have anything and I read

the email and my thought was well yeah

we all want an hour but we don't

get it.

There are times that I literally get 20

minutes and so to answer the question of

how do you get better it's unanswerable other

than you get better like if I if

you are given 20 minutes you must make

it work like the more you make it

work under those really harsh circumstances the easier

it becomes but I won't say it's ever

easy I don't know why I don't know

why but I have this feeling that something

is going to happen at the knot wedding

something's going to shift in such a way

that I'm going to have to adapt in

a way that's going to make me physically

ill I don't know why I just suspect

this so you will be able to see

how that is not an anomaly something like

that happens every single wedding and so for

you to say okay you you get the

shots well you have to work faster you

have to know what your plan is going

in which is why we arrive early on

the wedding day we create a photo map

I tell JD this is where the first

look will happen this is where bridal party

pictures will happen tell our family members to

eat to eat to meet on the upper

patio at 3 p.m. I what you

guys will see is a very very driven

and focused quasi mean person and that embarrasses

me a little bit but JD knows that

the person I become is not the person

I am in totality I I'm less with

my pleas and thank yous on that day

get the bag flash go I need you

in 10 can you please I and there

are times that the camera will probably catch

me if you are my second shooter and

you have me in JD's situation I will

give you a look at death if you're

not doing what I need so it's like

family that right now I never thought whoa

when I say that because I have to

understand that I am still a reflection of

my brand I can't be like I'm so

honey bear can you get okay I can't

be that person but at the same time

I can't be like um why are you

talking I need help right so it has

to be the very subdued family like that

means get the family you're not working fast

enough we're running late and he knows that

when it comes to actual applications in your

mind this timeline for prep an hour for

prep is very tight I go in and

I arrived 10 minutes early that's my norm

because I don't want to use 10 minutes

of my precious time saying hello getting the

things that I need because that's going against

the bride so I will arrive on my

own time to say hello get what I

need so that I am starting my shoot

and that sample timeline that I listed at

2 p.m. I'm arriving at 145 I

drop my bag I go in at 150

I say hello I said please give me

everything that you need photographed I go in

that gives me about 25 minutes undisturbed just

for details I come back in I say

ladies can you please get dressed when I'm

shooting the details I know that I need

three or two four frames of her shoes

I need three to four frames of her

dress I need to shoot details independent and

then together independent because I don't know if

she wants the handkerchief purse and her bracelet

all in one frame but that would work

for an editor right an editor is not

gonna print three photos when she can print

one so I'm having a list in my

mind of what I need to shoot before

I need to shoot it and so that's

why I'm that's why the homework was make

a shot list it is so less daunting

going in knowing okay in the prep section

of the of my personal shot list that

you can download it is everything's listed and

so if you were to say I have

two minutes for this I have two minutes

for this I have two minutes for this

it all of a sudden lets you lets

you breathe a little bit more I don't

think that that's the answer you're looking for

and I don't think it's a very good

answer but it's kind of like let me

talk to you about riding a bike let

me talk to you about riding a bike

I will explain the theories of riding a

bike but girl until you get on that

bike and you ride it a long time

that's when you start picking up the pace

now take a step back if you're hired

for eight hours and you know that you're

like that is stressing me out on your

own time arrive early leave late add time

so that you are you find your cadence

it is not a loss to the business

you're playing the long game at that point

in time awesome well great so we're gonna

pass the mic here and then we'll go

back awesome so what kind of secret things

do you keep in your bag like double

-sided tape or bobby pins or things that

you've had to use in a pinch that's

a great question that's a great question it's

actually gonna be a great lead-in for

a future course because in the future course

we're gonna talk about our gear and we're

gonna talk about what goes in our bag

so I'm gonna answer it in that section

so can you ask me that same or

you might have to ask me that question

because I'm gonna show you what goes in

the bag but a short answer would be

water bottles if it's a hot day bobby

pins safety pins a tide pin a tide

stick or those wipes and tape yeah yeah

we're gonna pass the mic here we'll take

this question and then the mic will be

passed there awesome okay so I am getting

to do my first destination wedding I'm really

excited the wedding is at 11 on the

beach which is really exciting but my one

issue is sometimes with destination weddings their packages

come with an hour worth of photography and

in this situation she has a venue photographer

that'll be there for an hour and she

can't contact them they don't talk they don't

speak they don't have timelines so I'm hired

there as a photographer so how do I

I guess come do I just provide my

timeline and roll with it when I get

there and then just have them follow my

lead or yeah I mean exactly so your

guess is as good as mine but if

I was in your shoes this is how

I would deal with the situation because we

cannot contact and this has happened to me

before we shot a wedding in Mexico and

they had their photographer and it was an

amiable relationship like he was hired and he

was getting paid by the venue far be

it for me to be like this is

my rodeo like I introduced myself I said

hello now the best part is if he's

showing up to shoot the ceremony that's probably

a great time to have a third shooter

they're probably not gonna be in your way

as long as you say wherever I'm standing

can you just make sure that you're not

in my line of view and when it

comes time for the first kiss can you

just remain either on the side or if

you shoot it can you just stand right

behind my left or right shoulder that's the

only thing I ask for you I made

two requests people can deal with two requests

now if you went in and said X

Y & Z and I need this and

I need that and did and I was

hired I think it'll create bad blood I'll

ask don't be in my way don't be

in the line of the over the first

kiss and then we all rotate so we

stayed out of each other's way and I

brought a second shooter JD was with me

so three shooters and we still managed just

fine treat them with respect make two or

three requests at most and I think you

should be okay okay thank you yeah there

was a question oh no we'll go here

and then the mic goes there so I've

always been really nervous about having the bride

and groom pictures last because I would worry

that my time would run out can you

talk about your thinking about that as far

as the schedule of the day goes absolutely

well let me take a step back to

be a hundred percent transparent I am NOT

getting paid for the not wedding everybody who's

participating is not getting paid we're doing it

on behalf of a great couple and behalf

quite honestly it's a wonderful marketing experience it's

gonna be great and I believe that good

but gets good so I want to do

something good for somebody and I believe that

at some point it will come back to

either me or somebody that I love so

that is why on a regular day I

you have two options you can just explain

that the photos that traditionally are seen in

my portfolio are not done in full Sun

bright light and so I will try my

best and then I will leave it the

decision will be the clients now in this

particular situation if I had been paid and

if I had a camera crew and it

was a learning experience I would stay beyond

what I was commissioned to pay for now

as you're starting your business it might be

more advantageous for you to stay an hour

on your own time and I'm so that

you complete your portfolio so that in the

long run you're getting pieces that really push

you forward instead of just by principle staying

I'm staying here eight hours I get what

I'm paid for okay but there are opportunity

costs by you leaving early so in this

particular situation if I was getting paid I

would stay on my own time maybe in

another situation if I felt like maybe I

wasn't as valued as much or maybe they

just didn't care about photography I might just

say this is what you're going to get

it is not my typical work but if

you're okay with it this is what's gonna

happen just those two situations awesome we'll go

there really simple question does JD help you

pick out the locations of where you're gonna

shoot or do you is it all your

own vision or how do you kind of

coordinate that with a second shooter so I'm

not lucky enough to have a spouse that

shoots with me so my I have different

second shooters and sometimes they throw out their

vision and it's great but it's so not

what I'm going for like how would you

manage that great initially how I would manage

that would be first and foremost to set

this to set the tone y'all know

how much I love email and over preparation

I would email whoever I and okay let's

apply this in a real-life situation then

not had requested it was contingent that I

would shoot they asked me to be the

photographer and they know JD and I work

together when I asked to see if I

could bring creative live to merge with the

not endeavors they said yes but they want

to make sure that they are covered and

the clients are covered they said we want

you to bring a third photographer and I

said absolutely so all of a sudden I'm

just like oh my god oh my god

oh my god who am I gonna bring

now I bring somebody I trust more than

I bring somebody who I think will provide

these amazing portfolio pieces even though I think

as a bipartite they will I'm not gonna

bring just any Tom Dick and Harry I

know that 14 cameras 40 cameras we're still

going to do what we do because creative

live is not my priority the knot is

not my priority Samantha and Taylor are my

priority I know we're gonna deliver but to

offer assurance to the knot I will bring

a third shooter now I invited a girl

that I actually met she was a student

here on one of my creative live courses

and she was quiet and she went under

the radar and she was about to leave

and I saw her getting a jacket and

I said we've just spent like three months

as part of this restart process and we

had she had emailed me before in the

past and I said we spent months and

I haven't spoken to you and you're gonna

leave and she's like I just didn't want

to interrupt you we started talking and we

have since developed a friendship largely online because

she's based in Chicago when I thought of

somebody I wanted I JD and I shot

a wedding in Chicago last year and it

was snowing and cold and completely out of

my element and I was just like JD

I want somebody with us it was a

really large wedding for a very affluent family

in Chicago I said I want a third

just to actually hold my gear to say

this is where we're going when I take

the bridal party outside I want somebody to

hold the jackets for everybody the better experience

I create the more they like their photos

so I reached out to her and have

since developed a really good relationship and I

like the way she worked when it came

time to pick the third shooter I said

I want to work with her we're gonna

fly her in on our own dime to

this wedding I emailed her and I sent

out this is what I expect from you

I'm lead JD is second you will be

an assistant slash third if needed the vision

will be casted by me the vision will

be corroborated by JD we don't need somebody

speaking into that I will send you the

timeline when it's needed these are the expectations

if you do shoot how can you use

the images when can you use the images

who they belong to this email was so

detailed because at a later point in time

I do not want to come back and

have her just like me me just like

her or feel like she had the bad

end of the deal in your situation if

somebody's like I really see us climbing this

hill and there's this bride and groom and

they're offering ideas to you in front of

the bride and groom I'll be like I'm

about to shank you like I mean this

is not cool like that's not cool it's

to me that's like a level of disrespect

like they didn't hire you if your ideas

are so great they would have hired you

so but I have to say maybe somebody

just feels so comfortable and they're cool like

yeah yeah let's do this if you didn't

prepare them in advance to say I need

less talking more shooting if I need your

opinion I will ask your opinion does it

sound mean well yes but I would rather

outline the terms of that relationship than having

to do in front of a bride and

groom one time we had an assistant and

JD had relayed something to her and she

ran up to me and I'm with the

coordinator and the bride and I'm shooting them

and she says oh JD said X Y

& Z and I was like okay and

then we walked like we shot it and

I walked into the hallway I said anytime

JD says something to me do not repeat

it in front of anybody that conversations need

to be away from my clients they do

not need to know what you told me

and she was like I'm so sorry I

didn't think about it these are uncomfortable conversations

but it was my fault I should have

told her this far in advance and I

learned a valuable lesson that's the long answer

to a very simple question set expectations outline

them in detail do it either in a

contract or a very detailed email so my

question is if you were to work with

a new wedding coordinator how do you do

any tips for that so somebody you haven't

worked with you mentioned you're going to be

working with your friend or your colleague yeah

yes that's wonderful so if I had well

this happens quite often this happens quite often

I will be working with a new coordinator

in in July so when that happens I

will follow the same marketing protocol and tips

that we've discussed in a previous lesson I

will reach out to her initially after the

engagement session before the engagement session and say

hey by this time she knows that the

client has booked a coordinator photographer because she's

her coordinator she knows those things so if

I were to email her I'm like I'm

going to shoot the engagement session I'd love

to stay posted as a complete stranger just

emailing her saying I want to send you

photos it's already creating the tone and a

pleasant working relationship then I send her photos

from the engagement session okay six weeks before

the wedding I email the coordinator I need

60 minutes for this I need 30 minutes

for this is there anything you need for

me I work with my husband where a

husband and wife team will be arriving the

day before if it's a destination wedding this

is usually how it works we'll be arriving

the day before here is my cell phone

on a side note I'm a gluten-free

vegetarian if there are any combinations that could

be made to accommodate that combination accommodations that

can be made to make that happen that'd

be fantastic if not I will bring snacks

as as a side but just let me

know I'm not telling her I'm a gluten

-free vegetarian a day before there's nothing she

can do but she could still change the

accommodate the menu at that point in time

and I always say if there's anything that

I can do for you I'm more than

happy to oblige and please know if I

can get the Instagram handles because I want

to make sure that I'm sharing date same

day images and sending you sneak peeks people

are usually pretty like open when they receive

an email like that I meet them on

the day of and immediately to put things

at ease I just bring him in for

a hug thank you so much I'm so

happy to be here you let me know

and then after that you give them their

images and they're really happy and you prove

yourself I don't know if that's the answer

that you were looking for but that's all

I have until now I've primarily been doing

some of the coordination myself and this summer

I have some bookings with clients that have

a wedding coordinator so things are changing and

I'm just you know wondering if there was

anything I needed to think about you want

it if you really want to up things

send a handwritten note to say hi like

I'll see you in August just want to

introduce myself I'll be shooting their engagement session

in a few months and if they're not

like whatever but a handwritten note actually just

changes the dynamic send out good vibes initially

and it always ends up just being a

really a really good thing thank you cool

thank you I'd like ending it on that

note I appreciate it so thank you guys

so much I appreciate it I like forward

seeing how you guys prepare your clients in

the future