1st meeting with Couple

[veryrandom]

So a couple has been on to me and we have talked on the phone and they have seen my website with my work on it and say they like it, they like me, they like my price, they like the style i go for. All set! So far though we have just talked on the phone an exchanged emails. They say they would be very interested in hiring me so we have set up a preliminary meeting.
This is my first one of these i have done so while i have a rough idea of how it should go down any details and advice would really benefit me and i would be extremely grateful!

Do i need to bring my work with me even if they have already seen it online?

The written contract - should i give copies of it there and then to them or simply go over it with them, and see if they have any other requests/add ons and then mail it to them?

I understand that questions like, where is such and such taking place, when is such and such taking place, how big is the wedding, what shots do you want, contact numbers for various ppl need to be asked but am paranoid am going to forget something! Does anyone have a list or a couple of 'must have' questions?

Also is it normal to ask for a deposit at this point? Or wait until later?

Basically, i have a rough idea but i need something a bit more structured!

Any advice or help very much appreciated!

[Niresangwa]

If they've already seen a good spread of your portfolio online, it's not really worth bringing stacks of hard copies with you... only you can say whether what you have online represents 10%, 50% etc of what you have. Almost everything I do is available for clients to view beforehand, I bring a couple of photobooks, and also a couple of comparison prints (my printer vs Walgreens) to expound that point, and that's it.

bear in mind that these meetings, (at least under the system I use), are more about meeting them and seeing how personalities work etc... pretty just proving you're not a jerk or a weirdo. Usually I end up clarifying anything they don't fully understand and letting them get to know me.

I refuse to let couples give me an answer at the meeting, even though they try to, as I have a policy of zero pressure. Some people might say that's bad business practice, but I find clients appreciate it. If they want to see a copy of my contract, I email them a blank one that night.

When they agree to work with me, and I"m happy with them, I'll complete the contract and email a pdf copy to them to execute and return with the deposit.

Usually, we just sit and talk and I make myself available for whatever they need to know to get comfortable with the decision 9 times out of 10 they've already made.

Good luck...

[slugger]

I usually bring a few albums and print samples so they see the quality of them.

I also bring the contract, and if they are ready to sign, then we take care of it then and I request deposit at the time of signing the contract.

It's easier to have a back and forth conversation in person rather than on line, so we go through the whole day - start to finish, what I do, would like to do, would like them to do, what they are planning to do, etc. So that we can visualize how we both hope the day to go....this way we both are clear on what we can expect from the other, granted things can change, so we talk again a week before the wedding just to touch base.

Good luck!!

[veryrandom]

Thanks guys! And thank you Slugger again! Your advice has been muchly appreciated!
Hopefully it will go well and ill learn a bit on how to do the next one!