Retire in Paradise

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Weddings are full of memories you want to keep. That’s why many couples hire a professional photographer to record and capture their marital bliss. There is a big market for photographers qualified for the job, so how can you make money becoming a professional wedding photographer? The key to getting business is contacts. A successful photographer must have great business relationships with wedding planners. A popular wedding planner will create a lot of business with his or her recommendations.

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.

To build up a portfolio, offer your services in return for testimonials. Make sure you have the copyright for your photographs so that you can use these in your portfolio. Often your first client will be from your social circle, so get the word out about your service. Word of mouth is the best recommendation, but with your new portfolio and testimonial, you are prepared to search for wedding accouncements in your local newspaper.

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.

Run a Google search for “scrapartist” or contact a local scrapbook store to locate a suitable scrapartist. You might find the store manager is interested in pairing with you for this project. Last but not least, if you’re pursuing a wedding digital photography business, always remember that it’s all about the bride. Make her happy and everything else will go well.