I have a phrase I tell all my clients- don’t make do, make more! You should not be a starving artist. We’re out here making more money, honey, all while taking on less clients. The first way to make more money as a wedding photographer is by implementing a higher price point that aligns with the value you provide. We always are our own harshest critic so undervaluing ourselves happens far too often. That ends today.

Price for profit not survival

The goal is to price your wedding packages so that you can do what you love and make money doing it. Do NOT shoot forty weddings. I’m exhausted just typing that. The temptation is real to book low and to book more couples. Everybody hates when people say “ohh no, your prices are too high” and I hear photographers spiral, “ohh no… should we decrease our pricing?” I’m sitting here telling you OHHH NO girlfriend! NO! You’re not here to survive, you’re here to buck and thrive and kill itttt! 

How profitable is wedding photography? Pretty damn profitable when you price your services in a way that reflects your talent and your time. Also factor in all the costs that you’re going to have! IE photography gear, travel, editing, shit’s not cheap!

If you haven’t already, you need to do the math on the average of your packages. The result needs to cover all of your expenses and give you 30%. That is how you price for profit and make more money as a wedding photographer. You should be putting money in the bank and still leaving with some for you now!

Price for YOUR VALUE

For your photographing business you are not pricing what the cost is, you are pricing what the value is. You’re offering more than just photos! Not only are you capturing these INSANELY beautiful memories but you’re offering a service. There is so much you add on the intangible side- the planning, the experience, knowing that you got it covered with plan A, B, C, and, of course- the album in the end. You are more than your photos.

Structure your packages to make more money as a wedding photographer

I recommend having a value add and a tiered package approach at different levels. This offers the possibility for couples to pick the middle and YOU can decide what that middle is. Can you make 100k as a photographer? Absolutely! Start by creating a baseline for packages and then you have add-ons. The more value you can add to your services- the better! 

Stick with me on this one – when we’re talking about finding our hidden value and packaging it to your client, it’s like diving into a pool full of dive toys at the bottom of the pool. It’s not just about finding one, it’s about finding the right one for you. It should be fun, it should be creative. When you list your packages and determine average cost, you want to include all of the intangible stuff that people care about. If you offer something extra “click this to get Y” on your featured blog posts, people really love that! Put these extras in your planning guide at no cost! Give it to your clients because you fucking love them. 

Now if you want to learn more about passive income, that is a whole separate blog I can write.

Until then, schedule a coaching call.

We agree with Narrative who explains, “this is where your brand identity and client profile come in handy. The more you know about what your ideal clients are looking for, the better you can customize your services and packages.”

You need to master the art of your magic and be a complete boss at photographing. Fun fact – the benchmark is that 10,000 hours at something makes you an expert. Knowing that, how many things can you confidently say you are the expert on? I bet a gold shit ton more than Tywin Lannister.

Ohhh baby, Optimization! Make More Money as a Wedding Photographer

In order for all this pricing to work, you have to get noticed. Make sure your website is optimized for SEO so people can actually find you! Your blog posts should be doing the heavy lifting for you so it’s churning clients while you sleep.

SEO Workbook Freebie // download the free workbook

Social Proof is key make more money as a wedding photographer

When you get to the point where you’ve had a lot of super happy couples, you want to embrace the power of social proof! This consists of reviews and testimonials. Potential clients want to know that others have had a good experience with you! Don’t be shy about asking for feedback. I have found that 99% of couples LOVE to share their good experiences with others! I have also found 1% that just did not click for whatever reason. Most of the time, the 1% when prompted will give you private feedback. Like, “I actually did love B or C” which is helpful to be on the lookout for moving forward! As long as you have been communicative, people have respect for the effort.

Two ways reviews work

One – Google. if you have a lot of Google reviews that helps you with the Google goddesses and improves your SEO because it builds your credibility! Google then propels you and it gives your inquiring clients a way to see your reputation aside from your kickass website. Just as the blogs get reused across your mediums so will your reviews! Screen shot them for social proof on your Instagram! Highlight them on your website!

Think of your own experience when you see all the products on Amazon. It can be overwhelming with the amount of nearly identical products to choose from. It’s the same for our couples! This is a saturated industry. Couples get to be choosy and select the one with multiple five star reviews.

Two – Publications. If you have been published anywhere, ADD IT TO YOUR WEBSITE, Instagram, newsletter, everywhere! Make it a POST and a STORY. Shout out from the Rocky Mountain!

Whether you’ve been published in your local pride magazine or in June Bug, or in Rocky Mountain bride or you know insert wherever you’ve been published put that EVERYWHERE! Shamelessly promote yourself. 

Automate babes! It will help you make more money as a wedding photographer

Let’s streamline your workflow to make more money as a wedding photographer. Like the boss that you are, your time is valuable. We gotta make sure that you’re working smarter not harder. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools and software can help you really create an automated workflow for your clients.

I’m sure you have poured your tiger blood, sweat, and tears into photography guides. You’ve worked on scribbling down your tips and tricks on the back of napkins to reuse later. You also know that emails and confirmations can really make your couples feel taken care of. BUT WHERE DO PEOPLE GET THE TIME?! They don’t. No one gets more time than anyone else; it is truly the great equalizer. What they do get is automation. Also, your couples DGAF if it’s you every time behind the email. The more time you can spend photographing and editing and less time sending out a guide, the better for all. If I didn’t streamline and it is just me running my own business, then I would not be able to expand my business in ways that I need to.

Automate Your Elopement Business – GET YOUR LIFE BACK! (honeybeeweddingsmt.com)

Can you make 6 figures as a photographer? Probably not if you are spending 50% of your day in admin. For the love of Hermoine, just NO. You deserve better, your business deserves better. The less time you spend on these admin tasks, the more time you have to focus on what you love! Whether that’s photography, building the business, spending time with your family, getting some rest, going for a hike, traveling! I mean that is really how you make more of this. 

Curate!

I know the word is so buzzy but it’s true! Where do wedding photographers make the most money? By booking the right couples. You land your ideal couple by reflecting similar couples on your website, your Instagram, your Pinterest, your TikTok. It needs to SCREAM “I am the perfect photographer for your epic elopement!” For our adventure elopements, we want to show a diverse range of locations, emotions that really highlight your style and your versatility. Your couples need to look at your images and see themselves in it! 

I really encourage you to just be different, be yourself in your images and in your copy. We don’t care what everybody else is doing. Certainly, we don’t care how everyone else is pricing. We don’t want to be like everybody else. If everyone under the sun is inquiring with you, you’re probably not niched down enough. You want it super niched! For Honeybee Weddings, my couples are down for an adventure. Specifically a 2 day adventure hiking elopement. These are for those people who want to have an epic adventure and laugh their asses off. 

Book YOUR Couples and Coaching with Kelsey

If couples are looking for more editorials, the no smiles thing, than they’re probably not for me. And that’s okay! Your focus should be on the people who you want to have. Don’t think that this boxes you in! I have couples who come to me, that love my style but are up front that hiking isn’t necessarily their thing. I’m not immediately turning them down.

I meet with couples and make sure we connect on the other 4 things I look for in my bookings. If they do, great! We can make something work. But niching you will help prevent you from going to an adventure elopement then to a retirement party. Can you take both? Sure. Are you going to be amazing at both? Do you LOVE both? Think before you accept their rose. You have just as much say in taking the job as someone else does asking you!

Are you ready to dive into the ultimate adventure of being a top elopement photographer? Stick with us kid, we’ll show you the ropes. Learn more about my coaching program.