Hey, trailblazers! I’m Heather, and my journey as a photographer turned business and marketing coach for other photographers has been a wild ride. It’s taken me from intimate, low-key elopements to destination weddings and booking multiple high-profile weddings. 

Many people in my coaching program and on Instagram ask me, “How did you book a high-profile wedding like this?” And I’m here to tell you all about it!

How a High-Profile Wedding Can Be a Gamechanger in Your Business

A high-profile wedding typically involves clients widely recognized in their fields or society, such as celebrities, athletes, influencers, or prominent business figures. These weddings attract media attention and have significant budgets, enabling elaborate and sometimes extravagant celebrations. 

If you’re a wedding photographer looking to enter the high-end, luxurious market, booking a high-profile wedding (and serving the heck out of the couple!) can really forward your business!

• High-profile weddings often receive media coverage, and having your photos featured in reputable publications and shared on social media is a great visibility boost. (I’ve been featured on People & Brides!) This type of exposure can help you attract many new clients!
• Photographing a high-profile wedding allows you to add prestigious events to your portfolio. This can enhance your brand’s prestige, showcasing your ability to handle large-scale, lavish events that require a high level of professionalism and technical skill.
• These events usually gather guests who are influential in their own rights, including other celebrities, industry leaders, and media personnel. Building connections at such events can lead to more referrals and bookings.
• Given the scale and visibility of high-profile weddings, you are more likely to get paid very well for your time and skill! These events often have larger budgets, allowing for upselling additional services such as extra sessions, premium albums, or extended coverage.
• Photographing such a big event helps you build trust and credibility, which is important for attracting more clients! Potential clients will often feel more confident in your services if they know you’ve managed such significant events smoothly. This can reduce the sales cycle with new clients and increase trust from the get-go.

Finding My First WWE Couple

It takes time and effort to book a high-profile wedding. The things that helped me get there were a strong personal brand, marketing, networking with people, getting on vendor lists, and, of course, being really good at what I do after years of experience photographing weddings and elopements. We each have our own photography styles, so I won’t go into details about that one. When it comes to other things I did, I have a few tips for you!

One day, a message popped into my inbox from a popular WWE couple! I was featured on a vendor list, and the couple was checking out the photographer recommendations and loved my vibe! I shared a lot of personality, going on adventures with my fam, location scouting, and workouts! This is something I share about in my coaching program—how to set yourself apart through strong personal branding on Instagram and how to network the right way!

The Importance of Networking in Your Photography Business

Networking and getting on preferred vendor lists can be a game-changer in your business. Yes, some people will scout Instagram, Tiktok, Google, and Pinterest for their wedding vendors and will hand-pick them based on what they see. However, vendor lists are there for a reason – once the couple books a vendor or the venue of their dreams, they are very likely to ask for recommendations. They’ve built trust with the venue’s owner or the vendor they’ve chosen, so they are likely to take their advice on more things concerning one of the biggest days of their lives!

So focus on building relationships with vendors and venues that align with your brand and ideal clientele and get on those lists! Make sure to return the favor – if you loved working with someone – recommend them too!

Building Trust With Your Clients

This is where it’s important to have a great client experience and going above and beyond for your couples! The trust I built with that first WWE couple opened a floodgate of referrals within their community. Word of mouth is the most powerful referral engine, so make sure you do your best with every couple and wedding!

The connections I made with these couples, along with the fabulous vendors and venues involved, opened the door to destination weddings with some seriously high-profile figures. Remember that BRIDES feature? That exposure took my credibility and visibility to a whole new level.

Master Your Communication Skills

Working with prestigious publications involves more than just capturing beautiful wedding photos. Excellent communication skills are essential for juggling multiple stakeholders—the couple, the vendors, and the publication itself. Timely, clear, and concise communication ensures everyone’s on the same page, leading to a smooth, successful shoot and a killer feature.

Make sure you answer any questions, send all the information asked of you, and overall just be kind, polite, and professional!

Make Sure You Have a Solid Team

These kinds of large-scale high-profile weddings require a team to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible. You will need a second shooter to help you capture the day in its entirety, as well as an assistant (I have an office manager, but you may have a great virtual assistant) who helps you stay on top of all the to-do’s and communications. An assistant will take care of the smaller things, so you can focus on your zone of genius and let you know when your input is needed.

In Conclusion: How to Book a High-Profile Wedding

Your marketing, social media, and personal brand are very important in showing the world your unique, authentic self and your work—use them wisely. Networking and being proactive about which vendor lists to join can make or break your business. Build relationships with your clients and fellow vendors – they are often your next opportunity! Lastly, never underestimate the power of communication and teamwork.

Use these strategies to build a thriving photography business and book those high-profile weddings. If you’re a photographer looking for support to help you create and grow a wildly successful and sustainable business, the Trailblazer Academy is for you! Learn more about it and apply here!

And in the meantime, if you want to learn more amazing tips to grow your photography business, check out my blog and podcast!