Michigan Wedding & Lifestyle Photographer Jason Aten recently shared a post on his blog, catered toward potential clients, but that can be helpful for photographers and brides alike as Jason shares his own studio’s commitments to their clients when forming specialty commissions.
Thank you Jason for re-working this post and sharing with our community!
Weddings are significant. They are significant, for so many reasons, but for me – they are significant because there is nothing quite like two people committing, to each other, the rest of their lives. They are significant because of what they represent, and they are significant because – for our clients – they are the beginning of a journey. They are the beginning of a story.
I believe that an event of such significance requires a commitment on my part. It’s a commitment to document the people, the moments and the details – all the things that are a part of a wedding story. A wedding isn’t about the photography, and it’s not about the photographer. A wedding will be incredible no matter who is hired to help remember it. My commitment is to do just that – help my clients remember exactly the way they feel on their wedding day – for the rest of their life.
It’s a commitment to your story.
That’s what our Signature Commission is all about. Our clients are commissioning us to document their story. They are commissioning us to document a story that is uniquely theirs – so that they can remember it forever. Every wedding – every story – is unique, and documenting it is a process that requires us to know our clients – to know their story. By definition, a commissioned work is one-of-a-kind – just like every wedding.
What does all of this have to do with “packages?” Fair question. Here’s my answer: Everything 🙂 Since a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event of such incredible significance, I believe it warrants an artistic commitment to document the story. So instead of asking our clients to buy a “package,” we invite them to commission our studio to capture the story that they have been dreaming – and writing, and living, and discovering – their whole life.
Certainly, one size doesn’t “fit all,” – we get that. But our Signature Commission is designed specifically for the discerning couple, looking for a documentary approach to their wedding experience. It includes the things that we believe are essential to telling the complete story. Our clients are certainly welcome to add to it things that are most important to them – many couples do – but we’ve designed it to give them the experience and coverage that we believe it takes to really document the full wedding story.
– That’s why all of our couples get full day coverage of 10 hours. You wouldn’t buy a book with the first or last chapters ripped out right? Why would someone want to hire us to give them anything less than the entire story?
– All of our couples receive online proofing, allowing them to share their wedding with their friends and family. Additionally, we provide all of our copies with a digital copy of all of their proofed images. Keep them safe, and enjoy looking at them forever.
– All of our couples enjoy a complimentary engagement session. There are a number of reasons why (see previous post here for several of them), but mostly its because there’s no better way to tell our client’s story than to get to know them – and no better way to get to know them than to spend some time together!
– Finally, all of our couple’s receive a credit towards one of our Signature Wedding Albums. It’s their story, and there’s no better way to share that story with their children – and grandchildren – then through a beautiful, timeless, handcrafted album. You wouldn’t hire a caterer to make a bunch of food, but not serve on plates right? You wouldn’t hire a band to set up all their instruments, but then not play? You wouldn’t hire a videographer to record your wedding day, but not deliver you an edited feature presentation right? The wedding album IS the final product, and we believe so strongly that all of our commissioned clients should have one – that everyone gets one.
So, what if someone want more than that? What about parent’s books, or an amazing canvas gallery wrap? Or what about a larger album, or additional coverage? Don’t worry – we’ve got it covered. When a client contacts us to let us know they’re interested, we send our complete pricing list – including three of our most common wedding collections (our Signature commission + a collection of popular add-ons). That way, clients can choose what works best for them – or we’ll design a custom collection that includes exactly what they’re looking for.
Wanna learn more about creating a photography business that will last? Check out the One Day Intensive, coming to 10 cities this winter/spring. www.startworkshop.com
Image & Text Copyright: Jason Aten