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5 Tips To Grow Your Elopement Photography Business

The key to building a strong and successful wedding photography business is by attracting your ideal clients through strategic marketing and pricing plans. 

1. Add Elopements To Your Portfolio

Your portfolio is one of the things most couples will look at even before booking you as their elopement photographer. If you already have shot a few elopements before, then add the 10/10 photos to your portfolio. This collection of photos is an example of your photography style, brand, and aesthetic, and therefore, it should reflect what your clients can expect from you for their special day too. However, if you haven’t shot any elopement before, we’d recommend that you collaborate with some wedding vendors for a styled shoot for elopements. 

A styled shoot might sound like a lot of work, but it’s important that your portfolio includes elopements if you want to shoot more of them. Your portfolio is what will convince clients that you are the right person for the job and that you actually know what you are doing. Also, even if you have shot elopements before or end up taking hundreds of photos at the styled shoot, include only THE best images in your portfolio.

Related Read: 5 Tips To Ace Elopement Photography

2. Build An Engaging Website

The first and most important step for you as an elopement photographer is to create an engaging website that tells people what an awesome photographer you are. This is going to be the place where prospective clients learn about your brand and the services you provide. Since you will be providing a different wedding photography experience, your website style, too, may be different from other wedding photography websites. While creating your website, try to make sure that it fits well with your brand identity, wedding category, and follows the same theme on every page. While the look and feel of your website is up to you, there are some features that can help you attract the right kind of website visitors.

• Portfolio: In order to attract clients, you need to present a digital portfolio that showcases your past and present elopement photography. This helps your clients understand what kind of photos you can deliver to them. Don’t be afraid to showcase your USP.
  
  
• Blogging: If your busy schedule allows it, try and write (or outsource) interesting blogs about your wedding photography experiences. This is a great way to increase traffic on your website and doesn’t need to be excessive. You can also share your blog on various social media platforms to attract potential clients!
  
  
• Elopement Photography Questionnaire: Providing an online questionnaire on your website can help your clients fill out important details that they would like to include in their portrait session. In return, this is beneficial for you, too, as you will have an exact idea of what your couple wants, helping you provide the best results. 

Our tip: Try and showcase your most intimate weddings for your online portfolio. If you’re trying to attract clients for your elopement photography business, curate your portfolio carefully towards your targeted audience. Show them the best of what you can provide! 

Related Read: How To Create Killer Wedding Photography Websites 

3. Use Social Media

With so many platforms to choose from, only select the social media platform(s) that you think might help your elopement photography business grow. Try and research about the kinds of platforms that your ideal clients are using the most and accordingly chalk out your content plan. Social media is a great and innovative place to find new clients, keep in touch with old ones, and build professional relationships with other photographers and wedding vendors! You can try and use social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to share your intimate wedding photography work and ideas, and also find inspiration to upgrade yourself as a creative professional!

4. Socialize And Build Networks

A business is all about building professional relationships and socializing with various brands and potential customers that help your business grow by raising brand awareness. And the wedding photography industry is no stranger to this! You can increase your income with the help of referrals and recommendations provided by your business circle to potential clients. If you are new to the wedding photography business, you might want to invest some time in networking. Though the thought of getting in touch with your competitor might seem intimidating, you can share knowledge, tips, ideas and help promote one another on social media. Even better, you can end up collaborating!

It is also a great idea to build relationships with vendors in the wedding industry. Caterers, bakers, florists, DJs, and musicians can help recommend you to your targeted audience! You can try and request your vendor circle to put you on their referral/recommendation list or even give you a quick shout-out on social media for taking stunning pictures of their work at a wedding you both worked at. 

Read more: How To Build Trust With Wedding Vendors

5. Determine Your Elopement Photography Pricing 

Just like any other kind of wedding photography, it’s important that you set prices for your elopement photography. While you might have fewer people to photograph at an intimate wedding, it doesn’t always mean that it’s less work. As an elopement photographer, most of your focus will be on your couple, but your elopement photography pricing plans and packages are directly proportional to the kind of experience you are willing to give to your client. Do a little bit of research around what other elopement photographers in your area are offering, and then compare your business models and services. Never underestimate yourself. If you believe in your work, your ideal clients are more likely to see your worth too.

To simplify the procedure, you can provide your couple with elopement photography packages that have a single price tag, which  includes planning for places to elope, photography, editing, and travel expenses. This pricing eases the communication process as well. It also simplifies the kind experience that your couple wishes to focus more on and helps them prepare for the destination. 

Further Read: The Ultimate Guide To Adventure Elopement Photography

As stated before, elopements are more than just emotional and intimate portraits and require just as much effort and planning as photographing a big wedding. If you have no prior experience as an elopement photographer, we’d recommend that you start with styled shoots or shoot a few elopements before you promote it through your website and social media. To boost your income through elopements and make your elopement photography business a success, it’s important that you attract your ideal clients. Therefore, from your website to your pricing list – it all has to align with your ideal couple’s preferences. And when they know they want you and are ready to elope, you should be ready to help them get the elopement photography experience. 

At ShootDotEdit, we are passionate about helping you hone your craft! And we help with that by taking editing off your plate with our professional photo editing services, giving you more time to learn new skills. To learn more about how we can help your wedding photography business, check out our pricing plans.