{"id":233,"date":"2024-02-02T20:12:22","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T20:12:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lemonadeweddings.com\/?p=233"},"modified":"2024-07-03T16:22:04","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T16:22:04","slug":"weddingbasicsblog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lemonadeweddings.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/02\/weddingbasicsblog\/","title":{"rendered":"What you actually need to know to get started as a wedding photographer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

And land your first wedding!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is a lot of mystique that shrouds wedding photography to outsiders and makes it look inaccessible. One of the biggest blocks for rookies in this career is how scary it looks when you don\u2019t have the experience. I want to help you get past that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I want you to have the confidence needed to go for it and love<\/em> it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been there. After a photography class in high school, and a stint as a photojournalist for my college, I paused photography for corporate life and family. But eventually I got up fed up with the typical 9-5 and wanted to give photography another chance. I planned, at first, to only shoot portraits and families, until a friend asked me to photograph their wedding. And here I am, 400 weddings later.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In this post, I\u2019m sharing 5 key basics I learned that propelled me forward, resulting in a full-time career that pays my bills. I\u2019ll be covering:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 How to choose your first camera when you\u2019re just starting out
\u2022 What exactly a wedding photographer\u2019s job looks like, beyond shooting the photos
\u2022 The trick to landing your first wedding, when you don\u2019t have any weddings in your portfolio
\u2022 The types of shots that make a good wedding photographer
\u2022 How to create a customized wedding day timeline that works for the couple and allows plenty of opportunities for great photos<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you\u2019re looking to launch your photography business, or level up a side hustle, while delivering fantastic client experiences and an end result they will love, and earning income while doing it, then you\u2019re in the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How I finally chased my dream and now make a solid income doing something I love:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We all pretty much start out similarly. We turned something we love into what we see as a success. The paths vary a little here and there, and the definition of success is just as varied, but the spark and the desire were all the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Me included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be honest, nobody is getting rich being a wedding photographer. Rich means something different to everyone, but I am guessing that, across the whole planet, there are very few people who are living the lavish lifestyle solely on the income of being a wedding photographer, despite what their lifestyle looks like on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am making a living as a wedding photographer. It pays my bills. Sometimes it takes me to some pretty cool places. It keeps me comfortable and in a secure space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the secrets of being good at this is loving it. When you love it, you bring that to every wedding and every couple, and they love you back for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stumbled through these challenges myself, but you don\u2019t have to. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Key #1: How to choose your first camera when you\u2019re just starting out<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t let \u2018needing the best gear\u2019 be a roadblock! If you are starting completely from scratch, you\u2019re looking at a $600-$700 investment to get a \u2018pro\u2019 consumer camera that will carry you through branching into weddings.

If you are getting serious and looking to upgrade, plan on around $1000 to get a camera that will carry you a long way into your wedding photography career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I go more in depth into making this choice (and recommended models) in my blog post, How to choose the best camera when you\u2019re just starting out as a wedding photographer<\/mark><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Key #2: What exactly a wedding photographer\u2019s job looks like, beyond shooting the photos<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The life cycle of a wedding is a workflow that spans from an initial meeting with a prospective couple, to helping them plan their wedding day (assisting them in carving out intentional time to get the photos they want), staying in touch with them prior to their big day (to learn more about who they are, and what kinds of shots they will most value), to, of course, shooting the wedding, editing the photos, and delivering the final product! There is a key relationship that must be built in order to deliver a great experience. This experience is critical to your success AND your enjoyment of being a wedding photographer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get the Guide<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to move forward with a strong plan that details how you can customize every wedding experience to meet the needs of the couple while also building your business, grab the Lemonade Weddings <\/em>Wedding Photographer’s Ultimate Bundle. This PDF guide is completely free and contains helpful links + downloadable templates for you to implement immediately<\/em>. <\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Send me the guide<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Key #3: The trick to landing your first wedding, when you don\u2019t have any weddings in your portfolio<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While you might not have wedding experience, you can demonstrate that you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n