set up as a wedding pro
Want to take your wedding photography to the next level? We explore what it takes to go professional on your own
We’ve looked at shooting weddings as a guest or second shooter, but what about when you want to set out on your own? We don’t recommend you rush into shooting alone: the photography is crucial to many couples and they’ll be very vocal if they’re not happy with your work. If you go into it without being ready, you could kill your reputation before you’ve really got started.
Once you have built up a portfolio of images and got a good idea of what is involved in shooting weddings, you’ll be ready and keen to go it alone and set up a wedding photography business. Many photographers start out thinking that it will take a short time to get started, and that it will only involve working for a few weekends, but just like any professional photography business, making a success of it will take more time – and much more effort.
who are you?
It doesn’t matter how good your photography is if no-one knows about you, so you’ll need to get to grips with marketing and selling your photography services before you even think about making any money. You can start by spreading the word among family and friends, and by setting up a website and getting active on social media. All of these need to be backed up with examples of your work. Also, getting some recommendations and testimonials from previous clients will help give potential customers more confidence in your services.
When you are thinking about setting up a wedding photography business, you should look at the type of images that you shoot and try to find a cohesive ‘look’. Deciding on your style, and promoting your work in that style, will help to sell your services, as potential clients will have a good idea of the type of images that you will produce. A clear style will also make your business stand out from the many other wedding photographers in your area. This style will be a combination of how you shoot your wedding images and a consistent type of image processing.
People skills
In addition to possessing solid photographic skills, in order to make your wedding photography business a success, you’ll need to be able to deal successfully with all sorts of people. First you’ll need to sell your photographic services successfully, so you may need to brush up on your sales and marketing skills. Then you’ll need to deal with the demands of clients, both before and after the wedding. This is often simply a case of making sure that you communicate clearly what they should expect of you as their photographer, and when to expect the final images or prints to be supplied. Finally, you will often have to take control of the wedding when
it’s time to get your photos. This last skill can take some time to master, as it involves being able to corral the guests when you need them for group shots, but also knowing when to take a back seat, as you don’t want to take over the day.
on the job
While an experienced wedding photographer may be able to get the most from a location on the day, it’s worth considering going along to the wedding venue before the event to give yourself some ideas of where you might be able to shoot the more formal groups and posed shots of the couple. It’s a good idea to check the position that the sun will be in on the day, and to prepare a back-up plan for places that might offer some covered shooting opportunities if the weather closes in.
Even experienced wedding photographers often find it useful to have a shot list with them on the day. This will help to ensure that you have captured all of the most important events and images on the day, along with any specific shots that the clients have asked you to capture. Try to keep the list short and concise by only including the most important images that you need to shoot. Then on the day you should only need to refer to it occasionally: it won’t inspire confidence in your abilities if you spend more time checking the shot list than capturing the couple’s magical moments.
On top of the time spent marketing and getting clients, then actually shooting the wedding and liaising with them, you’ll need to spend plenty of time processing your images and then arranging for them to be printed or made into a wedding album. This part of the process can take longer than the actual shoot, so remember to factor this in when you decide on pricing.
how much time will it take?
With a little effort you could have your website, business cards and some initial marketing sorted out in a couple of weeks. But it will take a lot more time to start getting regular bookings and gain the experience you’ll need to make your business a success.
You should look at around six months or so as a realistic period to get the basics of your wedding photography business set up, and it can take around a year to get a real sense of whether you can make a go of it.
Remember that even though people get married throughout the year, it’s still quite seasonal. Most weddings take place in the spring and summer, and they are often planned well in advance. Because of that, don’t expect to get a huge number of bookings in your first year of business, particularly if you start in the spring or summer. You will find that even if you do take bookings, they will often be for weddings six to 12 months away.
how much money can you make?
When it comes to pricing your wedding photography, there are many factors to take into account. As a new wedding photographer you’ll need to investigate both the market in your local area and the types of clients that you are aiming for. You need to match the prices that you charge to the level that clients are willing to pay for the experience and type of photography that you are able to offer.
An experienced and well-established wedding photographer will charge around £1,000 to £1,500 for their basic photography package. As a new business it will be difficult for you to charge the top rates, but don’t price your services too low, as you’ll need to make a profit to make it worthwhile, and it can also be difficult to raise your prices significantly once you become known for shooting at a particularly low cost.