Wedding plans come with many activities, and there are practically many things the about-to-get married couples will have to budget for and consider, and for most people, this can really be a daunting task.

However, wedding photography should be a priority for couples when planning their wedding, as it captures the beautiful moments of the couple's big day.

Wedding photography involves many other photography categories; it can be a very challenging yet fulfilling class of photography that will test your technical ability, physical stamina, and skill. A wedding photographer must be well trained and skilled in various areas of photography, from being astute with making the best use of your camera to marketing and promoting your business to people.

This post would entail in full detail all the wedding photography entails, which would be a handy tool for wedding photographers, especially those aspiring to venture into wedding photography, as this post would have thorough details from photographing a wedding to marketing your business to pricing, style, and contracts. One interesting fact to note is that wedding photography will enhance your creativity when you learn the art well.

Wedding photography is lucrative, which is reasonable compensation for the high-stress level because you have just a single day to capture every critical moment of your couple. This photography category is one in which you will have to please your client by being at the best of your game, understanding that this is a one-time event that means a lot to every couple. Let's dive in a little further and address specifics; as mentioned earlier, we'll start from the basics.

What is wedding photography?

Wedding photography is a class of photography aiming to capture the events, activities, and people surrounding a wedding. Wedding photography can sometimes cover the group portraits of the groom, bride, and the people present at the wedding ceremony; however, it can include proposals, engagements, photoshoots, and other pre-wedding sessions before the actual wedding day.

Wedding photography on the wedding day can span from morning to late at night, which can be challenging. It requires you to be an expert and be skilled in other genres of photography, for instance, photojournalism, candid photography, and portrait photography.

The technique a wedding photographer will use depend on the wedding photography style. However, this niche is very lucrative, and you can make enough money compared to other genres of this artistic profession.

How can you get started as a wedding photographer?

To start a wedding photography business is not so ambiguous. Very interesting to know is that the way you get started in this line of business is to start. Although, it is advisable to have experience as a second photographer to a well-experienced photographer a couple of times.

You can start your wedding photography with couples who do not have enough funds to hire the service of a professional wedding photographer; as such, you will develop valuable experience, and it will be a great learning experience for you too. The wedding photography experience gets better as you continue doing it. However, you should not use a couple's wedding to learn the basics of photography, so you are expected to have solid photography skills and not jeopardize people's memorable and precious moments.

So, how do you start? Find out how you can photograph a wedding, get a wedding photography contract, get started, make money, and keep up with that routine; However, there are many other things to put in place like marketing, branding, and all of that, let's have a breakdown of how you can start your wedding photography business.

• Second shoot with a veteran wedding photographer to develop experience

• Get started and make money.

• Having a business plan and understanding that wedding photography is a business, a business plan will help you have a profitable business.

• Get branded and ensure your business is registered; this makes it look more official.

• Improve your marketing skills, and look for ways to drive in more clients.

An essential aspect of your wedding photography business is Marketing. Let's discuss this; it is a crucial subject every wedding photographer must know.

How to market your wedding photography business

Marketing is an integral part of a business; until your business has good marketing means such that you can drive in customers, you haven't started the business. A business hasn't started until it has customers; it's just that simple. You must find a means where people (couples getting married) will hire your service.

Interestingly, there are various marketing techniques you can utilize and benefit from to get clients. The first thing is to find out how couples get to hire photographers for their weddings. Do they search on Google or ask their friends to refer an excellent photographer to them? Having the list of these possibilities will help you strategically place yourself to drive in more clients. Some marketing techniques you can adopt to get clients to include;

• Run ads: you can opt for running ads on Google and various social media platforms and even get your business flier pasted in several strategic places.

• Take advantage of the internet: You can also make the best use of the internet and have a solid social media presence for your business; some couples use it to get ideas on how to go about their wedding photography plans. You must find which one works best for you to help find clients or get more clients.

• Referrals: You can be assured of a large percentage of getting a contract when a client makes an inquiry from you based on a referral from a friend or colleague or anyone you have worked for in the past. This is why photographers must ensure they do an outstanding job for their clients, as they can be a reasonable means of getting more clients.

• Negotiate with venue managers: Some venues have wedding photographers they recommend; having a good relationship with these site managers who have the ideal customers for your business.

Branding is an essential tool in marketing; it is a significant determinant that can make you contact the caliber of clients you want your business to reach and make your business stand out from other competitions. More often than not, couples already have the style of photography they want or might be looking for wedding photography that can fit into their budget.

The scope of branding and having defined prospective clients will guide you on how and where to channel your marketing. 

Essential tips in wedding photography 

One of the things to understand is that when couples hire your service, they have an expectation, something they want you to deliver. Even if the wedding is your first wedding shooting, there are things you mustn't forget; couples expect that you capture their most important moments.

Let's see these essential tips that can significantly help you as a wedding photographer.

• You must get familiar with the things that happen at a wedding; if you are someone who doesn't attend weddings, it might be quite challenging to know what a wedding entails and how to get creative shots.

• Render a top-notch service to your clients so they can recommend you to others; serve them well, and don't give them reasons to regret hiring your service; that's bad for your business. In other words, serve your clients well.

• Simplicity is the best, don't try to multitask and spoil your work, especially if this is your first wedding shooting; in a bid to do your best, stay focused and calm.

Important wedding moments not to miss as a photographer.

You must never miss critical moments as a photographer; you can rehearse them and get familiar with them before you go shooting if it's your first time (yes, it is that important).

Some of these moments include;

• Bride walking down the aisle

• When couples exchange wedding rings, take a picture of the man's wedding band and the woman's wedding band.

Note: Some wedding bands look more attractive in photos than others. So, encourage couples to choose the best type of men's wedding bands and women's wedding bands.

• Capture the emotions during the vow

• Moments with parents

• Couple first kiss

• Post-ceremony departure

• Couples portrait

• Group pictures with the couples (advisable to get the list of important people for the couples)

• Speeches

• Capture the dance sessions and other engaging activities

Conclusion 

There's a lot to learn to become a veteran wedding photographer, and it demands thorough preparation, planning, and serving your clients when you have to ensure you don't miss out on any vital wedding moments.