This month, I wrapped up my 10th season of shooting weddings! I’m so amazed at how much my business has grown during this time, and so thankful for everything I’ve learned along the way. It’s been quite a journey! I truly had no idea what I was doing when I first started; I just knew I loved photography and wanted to make a little money on the side while I worked as a high school teacher.

I spent my nights and weekends learning what I could from books, websites, and the good ol’ camera manual. Photography education was hard to come by back then, so I basically learned by trial and error, often figuring things out the hard way. I’ve certainly learned a lot during this time, so today I thought I’d share 10 lessons I’ve learned from 10 wedding seasons.

1. When you’re just learning, you don’t need all the fancy gear. I started out with a simple Canon Rebel XT and a kit lens! The next lens I bought was a nifty-fifty. It was such a cheap lens (Just under $100 at the time) but it helped me grow so much!
2. Once you start charging for your work, you should absolutely have professional gear and backup gear, too. And it’s ok to rent! I rented gear for years before I finally purchased everything I needed for wedding days.
3. Figure out who your ideal client is as soon as possible and streamline your marketing. It was when I identified my ideal client and specialized that my business took off.
4. Speaking of marketing, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If you’re just marketing organically on Instagram alone, you’re making a huge mistake! Learn to attract clients using different avenues – both online and offline.
5. Get a mentor. You’ll grow faster and save yourself lots of headaches. Whenever I was trying something new in my business, or wanted to refine specific areas, I hired a coach and her guidance was invaluable.
6. Consistency is key in all areas of your business – client experience, workflows, marketing, editing, etc. The better systems you have in place, the more consistency you will have across the board. It’ll save you time and headaches, and your clients will have a better overall experience.
7. Investing in a solid brand is worth every penny. I had a DIY brand for years and I wish I had gotten a professional to do my branding much sooner than I did.
8. Blogging is NOT dead! My main blog over at Idalia Photography is hands down my biggest lead generator for wedding work, and it also allows clients to get to know me and my work.
9. Establish clear expectations with clients and other wedding vendors. Good communication is essential in any industry, and photography is no exception. Your clients and other vendors should know exactly what to expect from working with you!
10. Network, network, network. I wish I had started to develop vendor relationships sooner but it took me a while to get finally get the courage to make friends in the industry and attend industry events. Do your best to meet other photographers and vendors in your area and start forming a referral network.

I’m so excited to see what the next ten years hold for me and am so grateful for my clients. It’s thanks to them that I get to do what I love and I don’t ever take that for granted! Come find me on Instagram and follow along on my journey!

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Are you looking for a mentor to help you grow your own business? Or maybe you’re struggling with refining your workflows and systems. I’m currently accepting new clients for one-on-one coaching sessions and I’d love to sit down with you to work on your business with you. Click here to learn about my one-on-one custom coaching sessions and let’s use my experience from the past ten years to help you in your business growth.