Teaching Your Client Boundaries

Dear Jasmine,
I have one bride on the horizon who I feel might be my biggest challenge.  She has communicated to me that she wants four locations for her bridal session….each of which is on the complete opposite side of the city.  To cover all of the spots she wants, it would take literally the entire afternoon to shoot.  I never outlined for her the time frame for a bridal, so I don't know how to respond.  If I shoot all that she is wanting, I feel like I am giving her more than what she paid for, and she will end up with just as many photos of the bridal as the wedding day itself!  How do I approach this new relationship with this bride and set the right expectations?
Sincerely,
Bridal Boundaries

Dear Bridal Boundaries,
Client assumptions are of the trickiest things to manage in business. So often entrepreneurs think clients will implicitly know boundaries or established parameters to what is provided…but this couldn't be further from the truth. And if you don't know how to handle it, err on the side of the client.

When I photograph a session, I itemize what is included so there's no room for misinterpretation. Here are a few things I list:
-The duration of the shoot
-The start/end time of the shoot
-Limited to two locations
-Limited to two outfits
-The client can bring props to the session, but they may not be used
-If they are late to a session, the shoot will still end at the designated time

Of course I send an email that's personalized, warm, and fuzzy, but I am certain to outline my expectations so the client can align hers with mine.

Bridal Boundaries, if you didn't outline what was part of the bridal session, I heavily encourage you to fulfill her requests without saying a word. It wasn't her fault for assuming what the shoot would entail, it was your responsibility to clearly outline the terms in advance. The good news is that future bridal sessions won't be half as long! 😉

Shine On,
j*