{A very helpful meeting!}
My goal when photographing a wedding is to capture the true essence of the event. In order to provide you with the best service I like to completely understand your vision. Often times when meeting with clients I ask them to describe their perfect wedding. I want to know if your wedding is in doors or out doors, day or night, classic or modern, formal or informal, is it cosmopolitan or more country... I also want to know the color pallet, what are the decorations going to look like, and what kinds of flowers are you using. Knowing your vision can make all the difference.
Another thing to show your photographer is pictures of the location. Most locations have website with pictures but more then likely they do not capture everything. Now-a-days everyone has access to camera whether it be your purse sized point in shoot or a simple camera phone, they don't have to be award winning photos they just have to give the photographer a feel for the location.
Another thing thats truly helpful is a timeline. A timeline helps me to track the sun. Know the natural lighting I have to work with I can make arrangements to bring more gear if I need to.
The days leading up to your event I spend a great deal of time putting together shot list, organizing shots within the timeline, getting gear ready, mapping out the location, looking at the location, reviewing notes, etc.....