It sure is SOME kind of privilege and joy to get to capture the most special day of a couple’s life together, isn’t it?

And the cool-kid thing to do would be to pretend it was never a stressor for me. That it never freaked me out to have to turn around and deliver the MOST beautiful, important images of a sweet bride’s life to her after she & her soon-to-be husband booked me. I definitely never got in “Oh, another few thousand dollars? Chump change … I’ll just sip mimosas poolside and can’t wait to shoot your wedding, doll” mode.

Yeah, no.

Booking a bride and then having the pressure to deliver exactly what she’s looking for was intimidating in my early years as a wedding photographer, but fast-forward seven years, and I’ve figured it out.

The key? You guys. It’s all in consistency

Truly! So I want to give you 3 tips to being a CONSISTENT wedding photographer, so you can serve that bride with exactly what she was craving when she first stalked you on Instagram. Keep scrolling for the tips!

1. Get Your Lighting Game On Point … Consistently

So, it’s no secret that wedding day light changes like crazy… bright to dim, sunset to dark. One of the best things you can do to deliver on what your bride has in mind is to become a student of light.

Lighting is the unifying aspect of so many photo sets and can become a defining mark of your style, but since — as mentioned — a wedding is a project that spans many variances of sun, it can be difficult to nail. Not only that, but your portfolio showcases myriad of shots, from soft winter wedding light to harsh August sun, from an indoor wedding ceremony to an al fresco reception dinner.

How can you keep your lighting so consistent that it’s seamless? Pay attention to color cast and know what sort of signatures mark your work!

Here’s an example: I shoot portraits exclusively with prime lenses, because love that soft, creamy bokeh produced at 2.0. Now if I’m shooting with my 85mm 1.2 lens, I’ll sit around 2.0 … but if it’s getting dark quickly (like at sunset) and I need more light, I’ll open my aperture almost all the way. My 50mm 1.2 offers the same option! I know some folks favor lenses like the 24-70 or 70-200 for it’s versatility in zoom, but in a low light situation, f/2.8 just isn’t going to be enough for me.

2. Have a Social Media Plan that Helps You Market Consistently

She’s seen your Instagram feed. She’s noticed that albums you’ve talked up on Facebook for past brides.

Want to give your bride the elevated experience she booked you for, and remember to post her wedding (and market your services as she shares images with her friends?)?

Bake it into your workflow!

Items like “share about new client on Instagram” or “post blog about client” aren’t too trivial to be included in your workflow. Whether you use HoneyBook, Asana, or Trello, you can add a to-do to your list that reminds you to check off the marketing of the wedding … thus giving her exactly what she expected you’d do (but maybe never vocalized!).

3. Own a Consistent Wedding Day Workflow

Heads up: like we talked about last week, there are just some things that even the best wedding photographers don’t come out of the womb knowing. Like certain scientific lighting rules, there’s no need for you to invent a completely new wedding day gameplan (or try to figure it out solely on your own!).

Why?

Because there’s a basic, skeletal outline/flow to most wedding days (i.e. bride getting ready, portraits, ceremony & reception) that doesn’t necessarily require reinvention. Especially not at the beginning, when you’re trying to get your bearings. To tread water, to simply not drown.

From shotlists to conversation pointers, poses and lighting, you needn’t fumble your way through two years of weddings before you feel comfy and cozy with your drill.

“So… what’s the shortcut, Abby?”

Oh, I’m just so glad you asked. 🙂 Get under the wing of a good mentor, and they’ll be MORE than happy to share. Here’s the thing: there’s a twisted truth floating around in the creative industry that photographers don’t share secrets. While that may be true in some circles, I’ve found that there are plenty of seasoned wedding photographers that are happy to professionally share what they’ve picked up along the way … if you go about it the right way.

Investing in mentorship — both with your time and your money — is single-handedly one of the best things you can do to start being the wedding photographer that your brides and highly-invested clients are looking for.

Mentorship is the fast-track to learning a wedding day gameplan, shot list, lighting tips like I mentioned above, and more.

Like I said, NO photographer showed up at their first wedding shoot knowing this, ok? Truly!

And here’s the thing. I would LOVE to take you on as a mentee. But here’s the other thing: I don’t do one-on-one mentoring … but, I DO have a community of seasoned photographers and 12 video lessons chock full of training for you inside A Practical Wedding Workshop Live!

It’s my way to come alongside you, hold your hand, and give you all I got when it comes to being a consistent wedding photographer.

I’m teaching things like:

• My step-by-step system to prepare for a wedding day — this is the thing I count on to set me up for success — so you can use it in your own business!
• My bag packing method, so you can organize the contents of your bag to ensure smooth sailing for the big day.
• My personal gear checklist, so that no piece of equipment ever gets left behind.
• My lens choices for each segment of a wedding day, so you don’t miss a major shot and emotional moment with the wrong lens in place.
• Cocktail Hour Lighting 101, so you can diagnose good and bad light as the sun starts to shift … no more 15-20 minutes trying out different lighting combos.

Want to come along and short-cut your way to consistency? Grab your seat in our A Practical Wedding Workshop this semester, and let’s get you to shoot your best wedding in just a few weekends!

“Heck yes, Abby! Teach me all you know!”