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.
You might also offer your services for photographing related wedding events, such as bridal showers, the bachelor party, the rehearsal dinner or the gift opening event the morning after. Other marketing suggestions include contacting florists, limousine rental services, wedding chapels, tuxedo rental services, boutiques selling wedding wear, bakeries specializing in wedding cakes, and so on. Ask about leaving your pamphlets or brochures where customers can see them, or make an arrangement for a referral fee.
Here's one more suggestion for a unique digital photography package for weddings. Pair up with a scrap artist and offer a unique product - a wedding scrapbook or memory album. Scrap artists use photographs, mementos, decorative paper, journalism and various embellishments to create gorgeous, one-of-a-kind albums that are truly works of art.
A wedding photographer should always be looking for ways to offer more value to his or her customers. One neat idea is to find a scrap artist and form a business relationship so that you can offer clients a wedding scrapbook for their memories. This can leave a great impression. One last thing- make the bride happy, and your job will be much easier.
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