Wedding Photography Ultimate Guide

Wedding photography is a challenging but fulfilling photography genre. Who doesn’t enjoy a union of a happy couple? So to help amateur and professional wedding photographers alike, this wedding photography ultimate guide covers everything from how to get started, branding, marketing, wedding photo editing, and much more. 

Read the entire wedding photos guide if you are a beginner. Professionals can browse through the sections of this wedding photoshoot guide that are relevant to them. 

Let’s start with the basics. 

What is Wedding Photography?

Wedding photography is a type of photography that focuses on capturing the people (bride, groom, family members, etc.) and events surrounding a wedding. 

A wedding photoshoot can be simple, like capturing the ceremony and portraits of the bride, groom, and guests. But on the other hand, wedding photography can include the entire marriage event, like the proposal, engagement, bridal party, reception, and more! 

So, as a wedding photographer, you must be prepared for everything from simple to complex photoshoots! That is why I have written this wedding photoshoot guide – to help you succeed in your marriage photography!

Ultimate Guide to Wedding Photography

Are you interested in becoming better at marriage photography? Then, you’re in the right place! In this wedding photography ultimate guide, you will learn the ins and outs of the marriage industry. So, dig in and read the sections of this wedding photos guide that will help you!

The ultimate guide to wedding photography will cover the following: 

• How to Get Started in Wedding Photography
• Marketing Your Wedding Photography
• Branding Your Wedding Photography
• Selecting Gear for Wedding Photography
• Essential Tips for Successful Wedding Photography

Let’s start with the wedding photoshoot guide! 

How to Get Started in Wedding Photography

How do you get started with wedding photography? 

The simple answer is just to shoot! 

Just pick up your camera and take photographs of the next wedding you’re invited to. 

But, if you want a career as a wedding photographer, there are a few more steps to take. 

Five Simple Steps to Becoming a Wedding Photographer:

1. Get started by shooting or second shooting a wedding to gain valuable experience.
2. Start charging for your wedding photography to make some money.
3. Make a business plan to understand the business side of photography and how to make it profitable.
4. Once the plan is completed, make it official by getting a business license and opening a bank account (for business).
5. Figure out how to get more clients (hint: marketing).

Let’s move on to how to get more clients – effective marketing. 

Marketing Your Wedding Photography

Once you have started your wedding photography business, you need clients! 

How do you get the word out about your new wedding photography business? 

Effective marketing! 

So, this wedding photography ultimate guide will help you market effectively to get more clients.

Four Effective Ways to Market Yourself for Free:

• Enter Wedding Venue Photography Lists
• Get Referrals from Friends, Past Clients, and Venues
• Create and SEO-Optimize Your Wedding Photography Website
• Market Your Activities on Social Media

Branding Your Wedding Photography

Branding is a related concept to marketing. You can market yourself using the four steps described in the section above. But, how do you stand out among thousands of other wedding photographers? 

Branding!

Often couples look for a certain photography style or a specific personality in their photographer. Or they look for someone that fits their budget or can edit wedding photos in a certain way.

That is where your branding comes in. First, you can define your ideal client based on your skills and preferences. Then, create your marketing plan based on your brand. 

For example, if you are especially interested in outdoor weddings, you can optimize your website around that keyword so couples searching for “outdoor weddings” find your services! 

Selecting Gear for Wedding Photography

Now that you are familiar with how to get started with effective marketing and branding, it’s time to select the right gear. Read this section of the wedding photos guide if you are unsure what gear is needed for shooting weddings. 

I have created a basic wedding photography kit to help you quickly select the right wedding photography gear. 

Basic Wedding Photography Gear:

• Camera bag to carry all your wedding photography gear.
• Camera (Preferably a DSLR with dual card slot).
• Lenses (A 24-70mm for all-around capabilities, a 50mm prime lens for portraits).
• Flash and Flash Triggers (for dark settings).
• Light stand (for portraits).
• Accessories (extra batteries, memory cards, chargers, lens cloths, and polarizers.
• A backup camera, flash, or lens is helpful for emergencies.

Essential Tips for Successful Wedding Photography

You’re all set once you have a wedding to shoot and the necessary gear! Just remember, always prepare your photography equipment the night before the wedding! That way, you can avoid embarrassing situations during the wedding photoshoot. 

To help you be better at marriage photography, this wedding photography ultimate guide will provide some essential tips. 

Three Basic Tips for a Successful Wedding Photoshoot:

• Familiarize yourself with what happens at wedding events.
• Remember that you are there to serve your clients – so listen to them. 
• Keep it simple. Just stay calm and focused on taking good photographs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, wedding photography is a challenging, yet rewarding industry. I hope you learned something from reading this wedding photos guide. We have discussed many marriage photography topics, from getting started to marketing, branding, gear, and basic tips. 

One final piece of advice. Keep practicing! You may feel like you have gaps in your wedding photography skill set. However, as you learn and practice these wedding photography elements, you will master them in no time!

Thanks for reading the ultimate guide to wedding photography. Cheers!

Wedding Photography FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Wedding Photography. 

What is the normal budget for a wedding photographer?

The budget for wedding photography depends on the location and skill of the photographer. 

For example, in the U.S.A, wedding photographer prices range between US$1,150 and US$3,000 with the average wedding photographer costing around US$2,000.

How many photos should a wedding photographer take?

A good photographer can click 50-100 wedding photos per hour. So, a 12-hour wedding photography session can output around 800 to 1000 digital images. But remember, quantity isn’t everything. Your client will not be satisfied if you have 1000 average wedding photos.

How long should a photographer stay at a wedding?

As a wedding photographer, you should offer 8 hours of wedding day coverage for a regular-size wedding (100-150 people). In addition, you can offer an extra 2 hours of coverage to photograph the getting ready process, extra shots of the venue, etc. 

Do wedding photographers edit all photos?

It depends on the contract between the wedding photographer and the client. Usually, light wedding photo editing is required to polish the images. However, some wedding photographers don’t edit their images at all. In that case, the client hands off the wedding image editing to a photo editing service provider for the ultimate quality.