ok ladies i need your help!

Im meeting with Duet on Thursday This will be my first time looking at vendors (other than reception halls) and I just don't know what to expect? What do I ask? What do I say? Ahh I'm actually nervous!! HAHA
Thanks for all the help ladies!!!

Things to make sure you have in your contract:

1) Who your photographer will be

2) whether they will bring an assistant
how many photographers will be there

3) How many hours they will be with you

4) What time they will come to you

5) How MANY proofs they guarentee(it should read something like a MINIMUM of XXX
amount of proofs). Be wary if they won't guarantee a specific number - everyone
we saw said minimum of X amount but you could get as many as Y amount. Just make
sure you have a minimum in there. You would hate to go in thinking you are
getting 500 proofs then to only get 300.

6) Whether you get your proofs to keep - do they come in an album or box.

7) Your payment schedule

8) how much money is due at each payment

9) whether they will travel with you IF you leave the temple for photos for any
reason

10) Many companies give a free engagement shoot -if they do:
a) when it has to be done by

b) WHO will shoot them

c) WHERE you can take them (some places will let you go to a park others make
you take them in their studio (this is a great opportunity IF it is with your
photographer to get to know them as a practice shoot and get comfortable with
poses and being in front of the camera

11) HOW you can pay for your photographs. (some places will NOT let you pay
anything other than deposit on the credit card - some places it is ALL check or
cash no credit cards at all). Many wedding vendors only take cash or check. -
try to avoid those as you will have no recourse other than court if something
happens rather than dispute with credit card company.

12) If you get your negatives (if using film) will you get your negatives.
A) if no - are they available for purchase - if so at what point

13) if digital - do you get a cd of all your photos in addition to your proofs.

14) What kind of album will you get? (slip in or what type)

15) How many photos will you get in the album -
a) is it number of photos or pages of photos
b) how many per page do you get - (some places say 50 pages but it is ONLY one
PER page)
c) what size can you get in the album

16) What lose photos are included (make sure you include enough for family,
friends, or yourself - so think about what you might want for your home etc
before you sign your contract - photos after the wedding go up steeply in price
and it is NOT the price that they were when you booked but the price they are
when you want to order them)

17) What kind of photography - will is be film or digital

18) If you are doing this - How many thanks yous are included or you are paying
for
a) what TYPE of thank you that you will receive (slip in, photo printed on card

19) Percentage of black and white - etc - like 20% black and white 80% color -
or 50-50% whatever you both are looking for.

20) IF there are touch ups included make sure that is in your contract - many
places won't throw this in as it is your problem to pay unless the photographer
screwed up the photo and something needs to be removed.

21) Some contracts will specify that you have to feed them and how many you have
to feed - some don't - but you should feed them anyway - even if it is not the
hall food but sandwiches etc since they are with you all day long.

22) what will they be wearing

Video:

Most of the same questions on photography also apply to video - so I won't
repeat those as you will know which ones are important

1) what kind of camera will you use

2) how many video people do I get

3) how many cameras

4) will I get the raw footage

5) what format vhs or dvd for the raw footage

6) can you put in a clause that says IF I chose to buy the raw footage later it
will only cost me X amount (since that is what it costs now and I am not sure)
some places will put in that it costs say 100$ now - but they will put in your
contract if you decide to purchase the raw footage later it will cost $100.

7) Make sure you get plenty of copies of your video - you will want to share it
with parents, grandparents, maybe friends etc - so figure out how many copies
you need and have that written in - wild rose gave me X amount of DVD's and then
they give me Y amount of VHS BUT as long as I don't abuse it they would give me
as many free VHS as I wanted

8) how many dvd, how many VHS specifically are included

9) IF you get extras - (some include this automatically) - baby pictures,
honeymoon pics, dating photos, or if you want specific people interviewed or
even if you want you both interviewed make sure you include that in your
contract - also if you want NO ONE interviewed put that in too

10) As put in photography - WHAT are they filming - will they film the WHOLE day
or only ceremony and reception - some companies will ONLY do the ceremony,
cocktail hour and reception - nothing more nothing less - so if you want your
(and I dont' know the name) veil ceremony, signing of katubah etc make sure that
is in the contract so it does not get missed

11) How LONG will the final video be

12) what kind of special effects can you have - if any - fading, cartoons, black
and white or sepia toned - etc

13) Will there be special lighting - bright lights etc - if you want special
lighting get it in there

14) how many songs you can put in

15) Who will be doing the video - who will be editing it IF that matters to you

16) WHEN the video will be ready for you - don't be surprised to hear time
frames from a few months to a year for your final video

wow, that's very long list but it's very detail.
thank you for your posting I'll save it on my drive.

hi! i got that list of questions from Christine (aka rob-luvs-me)
another question she added later on, that i forgot to include, is to ask if there will be a watermark on your pics and if your wedding is far from their homebase, ask if there is a traveling fee.

Good luck!