It's always a good idea to meet your photographer before the big day, to establish trust and get a few intentions.
Call it what you will. Discovery session, couple session, location scouting or engagement session... In my opinion, it's essential for every couple to take the time to meet their photographer or videographer a few months or a few weeks before their wedding. This meeting, which usually lasts two hours, will reveal a great deal.
First impression
Clearly, on a first date with a bride and groom, the camera is just a pretext. The important thing for me is to deliver and make a first impression. Who am I looking at? Are they stressed? What's their personality? Do they have a sense of humor? These are all questions I won't ask myself once the session is over. For this appointment, I always take the lead, because I assume that none of my brides and grooms is a professional model. The idea is never to shoot directly, but rather to break the ice.
A few weeks ago, for example, I went to meet a couple in Chauvigny. On the phone, the lady had warned me that the gentleman didn't like photos, that he hated them, and that they would be accompanied by their children. On the day of the appointment, after greeting them, I immediately decided to talk to the children, putting myself at their level and asking them banal questions that would enable me to obtain as much information as possible and establish trust with the parents. This enabled me to get the first portraits of my couple in the heart of the medieval city within 10 minutes, and to complete the session without any problems. Even with the gentleman, who, against all expectations, was perfectly at ease.
Photo series
When a couple arrives for an "engagement session", they're usually focused on one thing: how the photos turn out. I don't think I've ever met a couple who didn't apologize in advance for not measuring up. And how could it be otherwise? Posing in front of a lens is a profession in itself. So let's forget about the lens. To that end, I tell them that it doesn't matter what pictures we take that day. And in the process, I try to take the first few shots on the fly, so that they realize that they have no control over anything in this session. With these few clicks, I want to convey the idea that from now on I'm going to be the master of the game, and that they're going to have to let themselves be guided entirely. A feeling the bride and groom love.
Now that I've got a firm grip on the situation, I can start putting the bride and groom in situations without ever losing the thread of the discussion. I'll start by asking them to take me to places they love, asking them why they love that spot so much, and any memories they may have of it. While being photographed, they will gradually let go and immerse themselves in their story. Like everything else in photography, discussion is essential. Better still, it will have a major impact on how the photos turn out. The idea on this session is to see how my future brides and grooms behave in front of the camera, so as to make the most of their strengths and weaknesses. On a shoot like this, I also do a lot of testing and taming. It gives me a whole series of ideas for the big day.
Valuable feedback
In general, I always arrange to return the photos within a week of the shoot. In my opinion, it's important not to let them linger too long. And it allows me to get the first feedback on the spot, without the frustration of waiting. Couples usually give me enthusiastic, positive feedback, but they're usually surprised by how the photos turn out. This is partly because they're not used to seeing each other in this kind of situation, but also because most of the photos are posed. And therefore of little interest, especially in the case of a photographer like myself who, on a wedding, does almost nothing but reportage, capturing images on the spot. The essence lies elsewhere. I've provided an initial intention and forged a bond of trust that will enable us to work well together.
Sometimes, too, the photos allow me to adjust and question myself. I remember doing a couple's shoot at Château de la Barbelinière with Audrey and Olivier a few months before their wedding. In this splendid 15th-century setting covered with tapestries and fine furniture, I was thrilled with the photos I was able to produce. But Audrey's feelings were different.
Her impression? The session had been too long and the photos a bit sad. This feedback helped a lot. On the big day, I cut the session short and found a wonderful spot: the spiral staircase. It turned out to be one of my favorite wedding photos. That's what trust is all about: knowing how to listen to what our clients want. As "artists", we often have our own automatisms that we find hard to break. Getting mixed feedback can enable us to explore new avenues.
And yet, believe me, the renderings of an engagement session are nothing like those of the big day. Apart from the outfits, of course (I've never yet seen a bride-to-be dressed in THE dress for a preparatory session), the circumstances are different, with the presence of family and friends, mounting stress and so on. The real benefit of such an exercise is to build up trust, allowing the bride and groom to let go of the photographer's management. If they see you as a professional they can trust, they'll be ready to show their best face on the big day, having fun and enjoying the party. Their party.
Choosing a photographer is often a daunting task. Among the multitude of photographers on offer, future brides and grooms have made a choice based on several criteria. But is it the right one? While the quality of the photos is essential, I often tell my brides and grooms that the most important thing is the feeling. You're going to spend twelve hours, sometimes more, with the person who's going to immortalize your day. So it's best to be able to put up with it. And appreciate them for their human qualities.
A place that speaks to the bride and groom
At the end of April, I was in Provence to meet Pauline and Florian, who hired me on August 3, 2024 to cover their wedding in the Var. As they didn't know the region well, they gave me carte blanche to guide them to a place I liked. Without missing a beat, I chose the Bibémus plateau high above Aix-en-Provence. It's a stunning, sun-drenched spot with an unrivalled view of the Sainte-Victoire mountain range. It was here, winter and summer alike, that Cézanne would set up his easel to paint. Just being here, walking among the majestic pines and garrigue, is a blessing in itself.
Like Pauline & Florian, many future brides and grooms leave the choice of location to me. But I always encourage them to suggest places they like. This not only allows me to adapt to them as I will on the big day. But it also allows me to find out more about them, to discover their world. If you don't like to please the bride and groom, and pay attention to what sets them apart from each other, it'll be hard to last long in this profession where the human element is the cardinal value.
Les Noces de Florent, your wedding photographer
A former journalist, I immortalize the biggest day of your life in photo or video. An enthusiast of reportage, I like to freeze for eternity the expressions and details that make up the most beautiful memories of a wedding. Those that, caught on the spot, reveal a feeling, betray an emotion. As unique as it is fleeting, a wedding is a suspended moment in the story of a lifetime. So don't miss out on the memories that will last a lifetime. Les Noces de Florent is an experience. A unique vision for a unique day: yours.
In February 2024, Les Noces de Florent won a Wedding Award from the website mariages.net. This award recognizes the best-rated suppliers on the platform.
View the profile of Les Noces de Florent on mariages.net
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