What is a 30-Day out meeting?

We like to meet with each of our couples to go over all the details of their big day 30 days before their wedding.  It’s REALLY important for all of us to be on the same page so we can do everything in our power to make the day go as smoothly as possible.  From working around weddings, we’ve observed LOTS of “what not to do” moments at weddings and we want our couples to have a beautiful day free from any AVOIDABLE issues.  Now we use the word avoidable here because no matter how much you plan your day, there will always be something that does not go according to plan.  Sometimes things do change on the day of, but the goal of the 30-day out meeting is to come up with the best possible “Plan A”. 

What should we bring?

1.) List of Locations (with addresses)

We ask our clients to bring us a detailed list (with addresses) of all of locations where we will be shooting.  This includes the places where the bride & groom will be getting ready, especially salons, or homes of relatives where the bride’s hair and makeup will be done.  Priority is generally put on the bride during this part of the day, but if the groom will be doing all or some of his preparation at the same place (generally the venue) then we will split up so we can capture images of both of you.  We ask for addresses just to make sure we have the correct location – there is always the possibility that there is more than one “Hair Salon” in the yellow pages and we want to make sure we’re going to be showing up at the right one!

2.)  Schedule for the Day

This one is OH SO important!  We ask our clients to bring a schedule for the day so we can walk through it together and make sure plenty of time has been left for the photos they have requested.  It’s really easy to forget how important these details are until it gets to the day of and you realize that we’re supposed to start shooting your portraits at 4:00 and the flowers aren’t scheduled to arrive until 30 minutes before the ceremony at 5:30.  This happens a lot so we encourage you to think through these details and make your family, friends and attendants who will be a part of the photos aware of the schedule as well.  If you’re wondering how long you need to allow for photos you can click here to download a sample timeline.

3.) Family Portrait List

We have a standard list of the family portrait groups that we will shoot at your wedding.  (Click here to download a copy.)  You will notice that our standard list is pretty short.  At your 30-day out meeting, we ask that you provide us with any additional groups as well as the names of those family members that will be involved.  From experience, we know that the family portraits are almost always the couple’s LEAST favorite part of the day!  As a result, we encourage you to think through this time carefully and keep your additions to a minimum, keeping in mind that we will also be available during your reception for impromptu photos will “Great Aunt Milly”.  The best favor you can do for us (and yourselves), is to really focus on the shots that are the most important to you.

4.) Final Balance

The final balance for all of our wedding packages is due 30-days before your wedding date.  If  your meeting occurs within a few days of this date feel free to bring your final balance with you.  If not, all payments should be mailed to the address on your contract.