Photographer doesn't want to meet until day of?

onlyjamielynn

So I found a photographer online today that I was interested in. I like her work. And I thought her rates were reasonable. I asked some questions and one specific one about meeting with the clients prior to the wedding. We are having an outdoor wedding starting at 5 so around 8 it will start to get dark. It’s on private property that she’s never been to. Her response to me was that she normally doesn’t meet with the couple before hand. Just on the day of. That totally shocked me. I mean we can sit and write back and forth all day about what we’re looking to achieve with our photos, but until you meet us, get an idea of the property, how things are going to be set up, what the game plan is, lighting, etc. I figured this would be stuff that any photographer would want to discuss in person. Am I wrong? What do you think about this? Thoughts/opinions? Did you not meet your photographer until the day of?

beethery

Yeaaahhhhh that doesn't seem right. I'd look elsewhere.

beachyone15

I have already met with ours twice and I'm doing bridal portraits to get more comfortable with her behind the lens. My FI and I did engagement photos with someone else who didn't make us feel comfortable at all (it came through in the photos). However, I knew after meeting our current photographer, that she gave me a good vibe and has been really responsive and helpful. I would definitely keep looking...

manateehugger

Yeah, no, that would not work for me.

I met with ours when we first chatted about rates, stylistic preferences, details etc. And then I just met with him again about a week and a half before the wedding to go over the timeline, must-have photo lists, etc.

If nothing else, this person will be following you around all day. I'd want to make sure you felt comfortable near them.

If this photographer isn't willing to meet with you (because, really, how hard is it to set up a brief client meeting), I would keep on looking for another one.

photokitty

I would never sign a contract without meeting the photog that would be photographing my wedding in person. I would not expect them to meet me at the wedding location, but n person to discuss rates and to show samples of their work and get to know their personality first.

Vendors should be more than happy to meet with you, when would anyone fork over a deposit without meeting face to face with a vendor. This photog seems shady. I would keep looking.

GL!!

AddieCake

Our photographers didn't refuse to, but they also didn't meet with us until the day of. However, they take the photos for the brochures for the country club we got married at and had shot hundreds of weddings there before, so they were very familiar with the property. They did call me the week before to get info on any special or must-take photos. If I didn't know they were trustworthy and familiar with the property, though, I would have found someone else if they had refused to meet with me.

lkristenj

I "met" over 60 photographers (or got flyers at their booths) at a huge bridal extravaganza. I called/emailed the ones I liked best and were in my budget. I met with 3 in person after talking online or over phone. I would have met 4, but one stood us up so that was an automatic no. After meeting one and talking with him, it was clear that he was very "mass produced" and just pushed as many couples through as he could. Talking him felt like a salesman cutting us a deal. We didn't like that, plus his book samples were "bleeding" (the center crease in the lay-flat albums was turning discolored and red) even though he told us they were only a few years old. So, he was out. The other two we both liked a lot and had a hard time choosing between. I would have been happy with either. We chose on price and experience between them.

Meeting in person makes a difference. Sometimes things don't click personality wise and it will make a difference in your photos. 

Rebl90

Yeah, that would be a red flag for me.  If you decide against using her for that reason, I would let her know something like, "We would have loved to work with you but we need to sit down and meet with someone before we can hire them, thank you for your time".  She may decide that the business is worth meeting, but if nothing else, I personally think that it can be helpful to the vendor if you politely let them know why you are not using them. (But idk how others feel about that).

fall2015bride

I wouldn't ever do that with a photographer. She should want to meet you and talk to the both of you to understand your personalities and your thoughts on what you want her to achieve the day of your wedding. This is one reason why photographers like to do engagement shoots. I'd look elsewhere.

When I got engaged we wanted to take our engagement pictures shortly there after. I looked into 160+ photographers (no joke, I made a list) before I found the one I wanted. That was with contacting many and just browsing most of their sites. You should feel comfortable with your photographer. I wouldn't be comfortable meeting the day of my wedding! Keep looking!

Angusaur

Being that I am planning out of state, I just booked my photographer without meeting her first. I read plenty of reviews, had recommendations from friends, and went over her albums for hours. Her prices and pictures are excellent, so I just went for it. That said, we DO plan to meet the next time I'm in town to go over things in more detail. I would see it as kind of a red flag if she wouldn't meet until the day of.

onlyjamielynn

Well I messaged another photographer last night.  She was awesome and not terribly more expensive either.  I liked her work (great use of natural light, which I'm a fan of) offered to meet with me several times to go over things.  She made me feel much more comfortable.  I just thought it was odd and a little scary the way the other photographer wanted to handle things.

climbingsingle

That seems very weird to me. I would not hire her. 

ETA: And I just read the update. Good! 

onlyjamielynn

lol it's ok I do that all the time!  

Maggie0829

I didn't meet my photographer until the day of.  I talked to her once on the phone and then emailed her once as well.  She worked for a photography company and we met the owner of the company when we signed the contract and picked our photographer.

I don't know, I guess to me it isn't weird that one doesn't meet the photographer until the day of.  I just don't know how having an in person meeting will give the photographer any more information then what you would talk about via phone or email.

onlyjamielynn

I just was not feeling the overall vibe.  I'd king of like to look at her print work, even though I can see things digitally, I'd still like to see prints.  She just wasn't forthcoming about stuff.  But I did find someone else and I so happy and excited about her!  

fall2015bride

That's fantastic! Hopefully it works out with the new photographer!

lkristenj

Prints were THE most important thing to FI. He doesn't think we'd watch a video and digital media is changing all the time. He wonders if Blu Ray will even be around in 50 years. Who knows what will happen with technology? But, he does know that our prints and album will be around, provided we take care of them (and there isn't some catastrophic loss, which can happen to anything). He believes that those physical prints and our wedding album might be the only thing that lasts 50 years from our wedding besides our marriage. So, it was a huge part of which photographer we chose. If we hadn't visited with them, we might never have seen how their albums compared and held up over time.

I'm really glad you found someone you're happy and excited to be working with!

mysticl

Maggie0829 said:

I didn't meet my photographer until the day of.  I talked to her once on the phone and then emailed her once as well.  She worked for a photography company and we met the owner of the company when we signed the contract and picked our photographer.

I don't know, I guess to me it isn't weird that one doesn't meet the photographer until the day of.  I just don't know how having an in person meeting will give the photographer any more information then what you would talk about via phone or email.

It lets them see what you look like. So they can get an idea of how to shoot you.  DH could not meet with our photographer beforehand because he was at sea and while our photographer understood he did want to see some pictures of him.  

I will say you can look at all the prints you want, it doesn't matter.  He showed me amazing stuff.  Ours didn't look like that.  The ones he showed us he had spent time retouching them to make sure they were perfect.  Ours did not get that treatment.  Instead they look like what anyone with a digital camera could do.  

melbenso

Definitely strange.  I met with my photographer twice.  Once when we were deciding who to hire and then again a few weeks ago to plan a day of timeline.

I wouldn't hire someone that I had not met with first. (For any of my wedding vendors.)  At our meeting, FI and I looked at some of her work, got to see samples of the different photo album options we could order, talked to her about what kinds of photos we wanted and what kinds of pictures she will do, etc.  I'd be really uncomfortable hiring a vendor who can't take 45 minutes to show you their work in person.

Honestly, that screams unprofessional to me.  Which means I'd be worried about the photographer actually showing up the day of.

And besides, the day of your wedding you are going to have so much else to do, there is no way you have time to actually meet and plan photos.