How I Booked and Shot My First Wedding Within 3 Months of Starting My Photography Business
Don’t be shocked if I say it again, but I do really have the best support system.
If you, like me 2 months ago, are wondering how I managed to book and photograph a wedding within my first three months of starting my photography business, the answer is simple: it’s all about your people.
I walked into my hair appointment and it was such a treat to see my old dance teacher sitting in the chair! We got to chatting and my hair stylist, who happens to also be like a second mom to me, had a let’s make this happen attitude when I was telling them about my photography aspirations. At that point, I had only booked two paid sessions, a mini family shoot and a horse session. The rest of my shoots, maybe four total?, had all been complimentary to build my portfolio.. My stylist mentioned her nephew was getting married the following month and encouraged me to reach out.
I sent over my wedding photography package options, and within two weeks they had signed a contract and paid in full. Getting paid upfront was a huge relief, especially as a beginner photographer still figuring out how to navigate the business side of things. It spared me the awkwardness of chasing down the final payment.
THE WEDDING EXPERIENCE
I was truly blessed with my first wedding clients. They were beyond easy going and so supportive of this being my first wedding.. It lifted a huge weight off my shoulders and allowed me to better step into the role of wedding photographer. Instead of stressing about getting the perfect shots, it allowed me to truly focus on just documenting their day in a way that best served them. I didn’t want the day to be about getting the shots I wanted, because that wasn't them. They wanted photos with the people they love and did not care about the “instagram worthy” shots. Obviously with this being my first wedding I had to remind myself that their wedding day is in no way about me or my portfolio, and those shots I felt like I needed to get could be a future client’s dream.
Weeks leading up to the wedding, my eyes were glued to youtube tutorials on how to shoot a wedding and buying things to make me feel more professional. I truly believe that if you dress the part, you’ll feel the part. I even had one of the bride’s friends mention she thought I had photographed several weddings before because of the way I appeared. She may not know this but that was a HUGE compliment. It was another one of those “hey, you can actually pursue this” moments.
I used a Sony a6400 (yes, only one card slot) and was constantly switching out SD cards in the rare occasion that corruption would occur. I rented a backup camera and a 24-70 lens. It was super helpful to have this lens but I don’t think it was crucial, at least for this wedding. I like how a prime lens makes me move around a lot and honestly, I missed the constant movement a prime requires.
I was there for about 8 hours and it flew by for me because it was so fun anticipating the special moments and smiles to make sure the photos truly replicated the joy of this day. I got home and immediately started editing!
I’m so excited book more weddings and continue building my business as a wedding photographer in Sonoma County. I truly appreciate all the people who encouraged me, prayed for me, and got me to this point. I have so much to growth to unpack from this experience and can’t wait to look back. I would’ve never guessed that holding a camera would become second nature to me but here I am and I’m so grateful to just be getting started!
A Few of my favorite candid wedding moments
