I’ll be the first to admit that being an elopement photographer isn’t easy. It can be tough carrying packs of gear, attracting your couples, and the variability of travel. But, it’s also the most rewarding job of a lifetime. To preserve memories that couples will have for the rest of their lives?! In amazing places?! I would do it a million times over! How to start photographing elopements and become a professional elopement photographer? You’ve come to the right place to learn how to make the shift to elopement photography!

1. Attract Eloping Couples

First things first, you have to get in front of the couples who are planning to elope! They are out there; you just have to find them. I also get that when you are struggling to find your couples, it can seem like you are stuck in your current niche without a clear path to pivot.

Solution: Break out the camera! Here’s what you’re going to do. Cull your portfolio for elopement-appropriate imagery. This means removing wedding parties, family photos, receptions, and wedding venues. You’re looking for imagery that is couple-focused, which will convey what their experience with you will be like. Boast about adventures, fun, exploring a new place, and more. Don’t overthink it! Beautiful lake by your house? Get those photos! Stage things yourself! Don’t wait around for someone else, make that shit happen. 

2. Building a Portfolio When You Make the Shift to Elopement Photography

In order to find eloping couples, you have to build your portfolio. Again, take what you already have and strategic repurpose it on your website. After, you need more content. Think more diverse places, more diverse people. Prospective couples like to see photos that they can envision themselves in, so you’ll need to beef up that portfolio. 

Solution: How to start photographing elopements? By photographing elopements. Yes, that simple! The best strategy is to begin with styled shoots. This is an investment in your future and also helps you build a network in the elopement industry, especially if you do not yet have any elopement clients. While this will help get the photos started, the portfolio is only one part of elopements. You are also delivering an elopement experience. If you haven’t been on an elopement before or prefer to learn by doing, consider shadowing a current elopement photographer to learn the ropes AND take your own photos of a real elopement. Credibility is important! 

Note: EVERYONE starts here. You are at the same starting line as your favorite elopement photographers. You got this!

Coaching for elopement photographers

3. Understanding the Market

It can be super overwhelming to figure out the differences between marketing elopements versus weddings. You need to understand how to target adventure-loving couples, leverage location-based SEO, and determine pricing. The worst thing you can do is be chaotic. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you likely will not stay focused and fail to execute. 

Solution: Figure out what your couples are looking for and become the expert! Experts aren’t born, they are MADE. Pay attention to where adventures are happening and where you want to be. While being a world traveler sounds great, it’s vital to niche down to start. Are you a coastal queen? A woodland warrior? Again, this will also help with location-based SEO. You cannot be the expert in all things at once; choose a lane. Dig all the way in and you’ll have time later to re-evaluate. The goal is to get started!

Real talk: I didn’t book Iceland in my first year as an elopement photographer; I was very heavy in my backyard of Glacier National Park. Which I still think is my fave BTW. The point is, you are not pigeon-holing yourself for your career. This is the building stage. Once you have confidence in your marketing, you’ll be able to keep your eye on the prize, IE, helping your adventurous couples have the best day ever with photos that authentically reflect them. Everything else will bloom from there. 

4. Communicating Value for Higher Prices

How much should a photographer charge for an elopement? Guess what, there is a math and a science for the price, but there is also the communication piece, and that’s HUGE! Once you figure out your price, stand in your power! Meek doesn’t make money. Your value and your ‘why’ need to be front and center on your webpage, on your elopement package page, and splashed across your social media. I totally get the fear of raising prices when competing with cheaper photographers. But guess what honey, what do they have to do with you? They aren’t you. They don’t have the same story, the same experience, the same uniqueness. We are here to break you out of booking lower-paying work out of fear of losing leads. We don’t let fear win. 

Solution: Here’s what you are doing to do: factor in what you are worth and the add tax. Here’s the blog breaking down how to do that. 

Elopement Pricing Guide – Price with a Purpose

The second thing to do after determining your price is to communicate! Let’s be real, all the big brands you hear about, is there truly a hierarchy? There are many great brands; there’s also enough room for all of them. Just like there is room for you, you just have to communicate why you are worth it. Your job is not to even think about other photographers; this is about you and your couple. No one else is allowed in the conversation! Communicate why YOU are the one for THEM! 

5. Mastering Logistics as You Make the Shift to Elopement Photography

Ahhh to be an elopement photographer and have to do a ton of non photo related work. That’s okay, I have complete faith that you will be able to navigate the complexities of elopements, such as permits, location scouting, timelines, and travel planning. I know that at first you may feel unprepared to handle the unique challenges of smaller, remote weddings. But we’re going to get you there!

Solution: Look in the mirror and remind yourself that you have the power, babe. You can do this. Then pick up the phone and call the local parks, etc., and ask questions! While it may seem daunting, make it a fun part of a larger strategy. Where do you want to go? Glacier National Park? Yellowstone? Call them! Ask about their permits. The more times you do this, the better you’ll understand who to call, what questions to ask, and what your couples need to know. 

I’m also going to include a note on Leave No Trace. As an elopement photographer, I am assuming you’ll be out in the great outdoors! We gotta respect Mother Nature. There are 7 principles, some may not apply to traveling, but it is important to at least be aware of them all and apply them when you can! 

6. Make the Shift to Elopement Photography with Transition Branding

To make the shift to elopement photography, you’re going to change your branding and messaging to appeal to adventurous, free-spirited couples rather than traditional wedding clients. Once again, you have to go ten toes down to avoid confusion or inconsistency in your marketing materials and social presence.

Solution: Do a brand audit. You don’t need to scrape everything you’ve ever done, but pivot! On those wedding photos, crop the couple. Focus on the first look. Remove the photos that no longer serve the brand. Also, not all elopement photographers are the same! I am big on hiking elopements, I am showing photos at the top of the mountain, in the rocks of Greece, under a waterfall in Iceland! What kind of elopements are you capturing? Double down on them!

7. Losing Wedding Income During the Transition

Probably the biggest concern I hear when photographers are make the shift to elopement photography is how to balance bookings as you phase out weddings but haven’t yet established steady elopement income. The financial strain and fear of fully committing are very real barriers to making the transition. 

Solution: You don’t have to go cold turkey! You can keep booking wedding clients, but don’t make them your focus or promote them in the same way. In the interim, focus on elopement elements of the weddings, such as cool places and traditions that can happen at both, like the couple reading letters. My biggest advice is that you have to be okay with being uncomfortable. There is only so long you can ride both waves; at some point, you have to jump. 

8. Managing Travel Costs and Planning

Elopements are based on a package versus per hour, so you need to load travel costs into your pricing. It’s like Amazon free shipping! People will pay more to have free shipping, rather than having the shipping cost broken out as a separate line item, so include this in your photography package price. You need to price your photography so that your clients see the value, without all the anxiety of “additional fees.” Figuring out how to price travel-inclusive packages, manage expenses, and plan travel schedules effectively can be tough at first. Especially the fear or losing potential income due to poor financial planning or burnout from excessive travel.

Solution: There is a learning curve to pricing for travel. First, make sure you are pricing with a cushion for these. Then work smarter, not harder! Use Google Flights to track flight prices and find credit cards that offer hotel points.  Be smart about ticket prices. Six weeks out is usually the best time to book flights at the price. You can also book your rental car when you book your flights, and you won’t have to pay until you pick it up.

9. Feeling Isolated in the Transition

Ooof, the on-a-deserted-island feeling. Lacking support or guidance totally happens, especially at the beginning. This can lead to impostor syndrome and second-guessing your decision to pivot. 

Solution: You are not alone!! Join my newsletter, check out the podcast, and follow other elopement photographers. You are actually not an island, even though it may feel like it at first. Just like on Lost! There were other people on that island. Which I still have thoughts about. Anyway, I digress. There are plenty of happy elopement couples to go around. DM some of your favorite elopement photographers and feel free to ask questions. We’re building a community here. 

10. Balancing Work-Life Goals

An elopement photographer is very different from a wedding photographer. IMO this is  real reason why a lot of photographers struggle to make the shift to elopement photographer. You can end up feeling torn between the adventurous, on-the-road lifestyle of an elopement photographer and the desire for family time or personal stability. There is no sugar coating it, it can be FUCKING HARD to create a sustainable business model that supports your personal life.

Solution: I really lean into the cyclical nature of elopements. Prepare to be out and about in late spring, a lot of summer, and early Fall. Really lean into editing, family team, and everything else in the off season. I also plan a getaway with my honey that’s immovable, usually during the week, smack in the summer. Leading up to it, I have something to look forward to. Then after it, I feel recharged and ready to go! There will not be a balance. You will go hard and have these epic adventures with your couples, then you will be all in at home. If you want to get into it, DM me. I am happy to share the personal strategies I use to make it work as best as possible. 

Contact Kelsey to Make the Shift to Elopement Photography!

When you make the shift to elopement photography, it can be tough!! There’s the financial constraints, logistical issues, and personal shit. Let me know how these solutions worked for you! If you need a little TLC, contact Kelsey and let’s make your shift. If not now, then when?