How to book your first paying wedding client for your photography business

How to book your first paying wedding client for your photography business

Find and contact potential paying clients for your photography business

 

When starting out in the photography business, it's important to find and contact potential paying wedding clients. This way, you can start generating revenue from your work and build a portfolio of beautiful wedding photos to showcase to potential clients.   

But wait?? Before that... Which comes first? Chicken or egg?    

How do you get a portfolio if you don't book a client?   

That's the exact same situation a lot of aspiring wedding photographers have been to ~ when they started building their Photography business.   

The hard truth is, you have to build your experience and portfolio first before getting clients. 

Lucky you if a total stranger already trusts your ability ~ just by instinct.   

In this blog post, we'll talk a lot about what are the steps you need to do in order to get your first paying client. We'll also talk about choices or alternatives that you can take to jump-start your photography business.

 

1. Join workshops and collect your portfolio

 

Yes, just like any other business, you really need to invest time, money and effort so you can have a decent portfolio to showcase your first client.    

Depending on what type of photography you want your journey to be, you can join:   

1. Wedding Workshops   
 

2. Fashion Photography Workshops  


3. Food and Product Photography Workshops  


4. Photojournalism Workshops


and a lot more!   

However, by enrolling and taking courses like these with Digital Pinoys, you now have the chance to learn all these in the comfort of your home and right at your fingertip. Because Digital Pinoys was created with you on top of our minds, so you can take the course even just on your mobile phone with a stable internet connection.   

Simply create your account by registering thru this link:

https://digitalpinoys.com/courses

then choose the right course or bundle as you desire!   

Digital Pinoys have a variety of courses to take. From Photography, Videography, Editing and even Digital Marketing!   

 

And a little side note,  as the old saying ~ Digital Marketing is cost-efficient and more effective when paired with very good content like photos and videos.   

Imagine paying Agencies and Production Studios hundreds of thousands for a single project, now you can do them yourself to scale your business. Or you can offer this service too!

 

2. Never be afraid to do X-Deals at first


While some may argue about this, there is really no easy way to win your first paying client.    

There are two types of X-Deals:  

First, you can ask a Studio Owner like JFagela Photography if you can become one of their apprentices or an assistant. This way, you can get exposed to shooting the entire workflow and get to know and understand the basics.  

 

Second, you can offer your first service to your close family members and circle of friends.    
 


But to engage with a totally non-related client, you have to showcase at least a few sets of previous work that they can expect after their event.   

When doing X-Deals, we always say that you should be totally honest with your potential client. Tell them that they will be your first client ~ Honesty always pays off.    

Do not be afraid to tell them the truth as people always appreciate honesty.   

And if all else fails, there is always Digital Pinoys that can help you gain your first few portfolios as we offer REAL face to face training ~ that will simulate a REAL wedding mockup!   

 

If you attend our Live Lessons scheduled every 2 months at Alfonso, Tagaytay, you will be able to learn and understand our core principles when shooting an event.   

Things like:   

1. Complete shot-list you need to do during an event.   
2. Shooting workflow that will guarantee a complete output after the event.   
3. Secret tips and techniques to create WOW images. 

After this live session, you now have your portfolio and you gain a lot of real world experience.

To reserve your spot, simply go to www.digitalpinoys.com/live-lessons

 

 

We'll get in touch with you as soon as the required minimum participants are reached. 

 

3. Engage potential clients in your communities

 

Every business has a relevant community. Let's take Home Buddies in Facebook as an example. People inside that group are enthusiasts about home improvement. 

That goes the same with wedding suppliers and getting married couples because they need all the information they can take to prepare for their big day. They are just a few clicks away and right at your pocket inside your mobile phone.

Watch this short video on how to get clients organically without spending Paid Ads.


 

Conclusion

 

Now that you know what steps you need to take in order to start your own business and if you are ready to take clients, here are some final thoughts before you jump straight to your journey.

As an aspiring wedding photographer, there are a few things to keep in mind when working with a paying client.   

First, be honest and straightforward with your pricing and deliverables. Don't try to overcharge your client for services that you offer, and be prepared to give a fair estimate of what you'll charge for the specific services you'll be providing.   

Second, be flexible. If your client needs to change the date or time of their wedding, be willing to work with them to make those changes happen. If you're not available on those specific dates, be honest about that too and offer alternative solutions like if you have a 2nd team.  

Finally, be prepared to work hard. A paying client may sometimes be a demanding client, and you should be prepared to put in the extra effort to make their wedding day perfect. If you're able to build a good relationship with your clients, they'll be more likely to refer you to their friends and family in the future.

Digital Pinoys

Article by Digital Pinoys

Published 29 Nov 2022