If you want to get into the wedding photography industry but have no idea how… I’m sharing how I got started in shooting weddings and some strategies I used to book my first wedding! Click below to watch the video on how to book your first wedding as a photographer wanting to break into the wedding industry:

Second shooting (or assisting) with a good mindset. Go into it with a heart to serve and not just get portfolio work! If you show up and really have that mindset of helping everyone on the wedding day, it’s really going to translate well and help you to grow more than those few portfolio shots!

If you are having trouble getting second shooting gigs, I would highly recommend assisting a few weddings for free (Yes, without getting paid!) to get some experience. Your willingness to work without getting paid will pay off… trust me! It shows so much dedication that a lot of people aren’t willing to do! Click to read more on this topic!

If you build those relationships with those photographers you’re shooting with, they might end up sending you referrals… which will book you a lot more weddings than having one or two killer portfolio images. That’s how I booked half of my weddings my first year of business!

Once you have a few weddings under your belt, post your images on your blog and social media in a strategic way. If the main photographer allows it, post your images on your blog and social media! Especially for blog posts, you can rank for venues you’re shooting at or even just for generic keywords like “(your city) wedding photographer.” Use these keywords throughout your posts (in a non-spammy way) and change the titles and alt tags of your images to similar keywords that relate to weddings. This will help you to rank higher!

Of course, always give credit to the main photographer for shooting with them, and ask where you are allowed to post and if you are allowed to tag vendors – many photographers don’t allow it, but some don’t mind at all!

If you aren’t allowed to tag vendors, you can always write educational blog posts that show you have experience and credibility – regardless of whether you’ve shot 1 wedding or 100. Blog about things that brides want to know about to show them your value!

Breaking into the wedding industry can be difficult, but using these tips to book your first wedding as a photographer, I have no doubt you’ll be on the right track to booking your first wedding!