Weddings are great photo opportunities. It’s a day that everyone wants to remember and happy couples often need a reliable, professional service to capture their wedding perfectly for them to remember for the rest of their lives. Investing in relationships with wedding planners is a great way to gain access to this profitable business. The wedding planner will refer you to couples who will be more likely to hire you based on the wedding planner’s advice.
First, if you have no wedding portfolio, offer your service to a bride in return for a testimonial. Be sure you keep the copyright on your pictures so you can use them to create a portfolio. You might locate a receptive bride within your circle of friends and family or through other networking activities. With at least one wedding under your belt and with a nice testimonial and portfolio, start looking for other weddings to photograph. Word of mouth is always ideal, but you might also check the wedding announcements in your local newspaper.
If you have neither a portfolio or testimonials, offer to work for testimonials. Weddings are expensive and you may be able to get work by working for free. A strange concept, but it will pay off in the end. Make sure you keep the copyright on your photos so you can use them in your portfolio. And remember most importantly to take great pictures! Your future career depends on it. Your first job will often come through your family or friends. Once you have a portfolio and some testimonials, you can look for work elsewhere. Browse the local papers for wedding announcements to look for clients.
Contact the bride and offer your service. You can either send promotional material by mail or try phoning her. You can offer to take pictures of the bride’s house and the preparation for the wedding which can produce some great photos. This service is rarely offered by studio photographers, so this extra effort will make you stand out.
Offer to photograph events related to the wedding for example bridal showers, the rehearsal dinner or the gift opening. Another way to generate business is to contact people involved in weddings such as florists and bakeries, and inquire about leaving brochures or negotiating a referral fee.
Being inventive and creative in the way you approach business goes along way in wedding photography. For example try working with a local artist to produce scrapbooks for your customers. You will offer a completely unique work of art to hold your clients happy memories. As a final tip, make sure to please the bride. Make her happy, and your job will be a lot more enjoyable.
