How to Book More Weddings as a Wedding Photographer (Without Working 80-Hour Weeks)
I am going to tell you everything that changed my wedding photography business into a 6 figure business.
If you had told me years ago that booking weddings had very little to do with taking pretty photos, I probably wouldn't have believed you.
Like so many photographers, I thought if I just got better... learned more... bought the newest camera... perfected my editing... clients would magically start rolling in.
They didn't.
I spent countless hours wondering why photographers with work that wasn't as strong as mine seemed to be booked solid while my inquiries felt unpredictable.
It was frustrating.
Eventually, I realized something that completely changed my business.
Photography wasn't the thing keeping me from booking more weddings.
It was everything else.
Your Photos Get Their Attention. Your Business Gets You Booked.
Couples don't hire you because you have the sharpest images.
They hire you because they trust you.
Trust is built long before they ever click "Book."
It's built through your website, your messaging, your client experience, your pricing, your confidence, your social media, and how easy you make the entire process.
Once I stopped obsessing over becoming a better photographer and started becoming a better business owner, everything changed.
I booked more consistently.
I attracted better-fit couples.
I stopped competing on price.
And I finally felt like I had a real business instead of just an expensive hobby.
Here's What Actually Helped Me Book More Weddings
1. I Got Clear About Who I Wanted to Photograph
Trying to market to everyone usually attracts no one.
The moment I stopped saying "I photograph all weddings" and started speaking directly to the couples I genuinely wanted to serve, my inquiries became so much better.
People want to feel like you understand them.
When your website, social media, and messaging reflect that, they naturally begin to see you as their photographer.
2. I Focused on Building Trust
Most couples contact several photographers.
The one they choose isn't always the most talented.
It's often the one who made them feel the most comfortable.
That means:
Showing your personality.
Sharing real stories.
Explaining your process.
Answering their questions before they even ask.
Making your website easy to navigate.
People buy confidence.
If your online presence creates uncertainty, they'll move on.
3. I Stopped Waiting for Referrals
Referrals are wonderful.
They're also unpredictable.
I realized I needed marketing systems that worked even when nobody was talking about me.
That's when I learned how to consistently attract new couples through SEO, social media, Pinterest, blogging, and strategic content that continued working for me long after I hit publish.
Marketing isn't about posting every day.
It's about posting with purpose.
4. I Improved My Inquiry Process
I used to think my job started after someone booked.
It actually starts the moment they inquire.
A slow response.
A confusing email.
An overwhelming pricing guide.
Any one of those can cost you a booking.
Small improvements to my inquiry process dramatically increased my booking rate without spending another dollar on advertising.
5. I Raised My Prices With Confidence
This one scared me.
Like most photographers, I worried that charging more meant booking less.
The opposite happened.
When I positioned my business better and improved the experience I offered, my pricing finally reflected the value I was providing.
The right clients weren't looking for the cheapest photographer.
They were looking for someone they trusted.
The Biggest Lesson I Learned
There wasn't one magical trick.
There wasn't one viral Instagram post.
There wasn't one perfect camera lens.
It was dozens of small improvements that worked together.
Marketing.
Sales.
Pricing.
Client communication.
SEO.
Social media.
Systems.
Workflows.
Client experience.
Each one made the next booking a little easier.
Over time, those small changes completely transformed my business.
Why I Created My Course “The Wedding Workflow Like a CEO”
After years of photographing weddings, making mistakes, learning what actually works, and building a business that gave me more freedom, I realized something.
Most photography education teaches you how to use your camera.
Very little teaches you how to run the business behind it.
That's exactly why I created my course.
Inside, I walk you through the strategies I wish someone had taught me years ago—from attracting the right couples and creating marketing that works, to pricing confidently, improving your client experience, building systems that save you hours every week, and growing a business that doesn't rely on luck.
Because talent isn't usually what holds photographers back.
It's knowing how to turn that talent into a sustainable business.
If you're tired of wondering where your next booking is coming from and you're ready to build a wedding photography business that works for you—not the other way around—I would love to help.
Your photography is already enough.
Now it's time to build the business that lets more people discover it.
First Light Distillery Styled Workshop
The StoryTeller workshop hosted by myself and Sharlie Faye photography was nothing short of magical. The certain editorial style lends itself to the space as well as the Beaver Brook Art Gallery in Fredericton. The modern and unique styled shoot that inspired our students to create their own vision.
Take a look below at the magic created.
Vendors -
Venue #2 - Beaverbrook Art Gallery
Hair and Make up - Hightlights and Hues
Dress- Grace Bridal Fredericton
Floral - Keirsteads Flower Shop
Morgan and Brad's Hurricane Wedding- Saint John NB
Nothing could stop this day from being magic, not even a hurricane. This wedding was probably the most feel good story I can think of from 7 years of shooting wedding days. It began the week of the wedding. Hurricane Lee was fast approaching and tensions were at an all time high. Typically we have back ups for rain days but nothing could prepare the team for creating a whole new wedding and the scramble of finding a new venue in a couple days. Morgan and Brad had planned their day to the T with a dream vision in mind. Years of planning have to be restructured. So when their venue had to cancel due to the damage the hurricane could cause to their dome tent, they had no choice but to move that vision. A miracle happened. They were offered a restaurant space belonging to the Westfield golf course where their caterers Cask and Kettle served on a daily. The unimaginable task? To transform it a wedding venue and a flip from ceremony to reception.
Let's first begin with how the day started. Well it rained and rained hard. I went into the day feeling a ball of nerves because we had to make it the best day possible despite the circumstances. We got ready at the Hilton Saint John, another change to the itinerary. However, we had everyone there that made it a personal story including their little baby girl and fur baby. It was extra special. Now for the adventure of the treacherous drive through a hurricane to the venue. I even got stuck in the parking garage because I somehow lost my ticket and my tap payment wouldn't work on the machine. After telling the parking attendant, " Hey I have to get to this ceremony! Its a big deal!", he let me go with a warning. Lesson learned. Now I had to change my mindset.
Finally arrived to the Westfield Golf course and ran in getting fully soaked. As I opened the curtains to the ceremony. Wow!!!!! Just see for yourself. Palmer weddings and events outdid this transformation of what was a bare boned restaurant space to a magical vortex of romance. Unreal!!!
After the ceremony, we headed outside while the room was being flipped for dinner. A MIRACLE HAPPENED!!! Hurricane Lee decided to take a slight detour just for portraits. It was truly what we needed even if it was for 30-40 minutes. Remember, we all anticipated being indoors all day because hurricanes don't typically care if it's your wedding day. Lee was a one of a kind storm, thank you!
After walking into the reception.....again.....WOW!!!!! Palmer weddings and events somehow did it again and you couldnt recognize the ceremony nor the restaurant space. It was a whole new venue filled with so much love, tears and laughter. Truly amazing!
As this beautiful intimate night went on, it was down pouring again but I needed to do one last thing. With the summer of rain, this was the moment that I wasn't passing up. I asked Morgan and Brad reluctantly if they would like to go out in the hurricane with an umbrella. They said a big "yes!" not understanding what it was I was actually doing. We searched for an umbrella for about 10 minutes but it had to be clear! We found one! Now it's time to put the manifestation to reality that I've been dreaming of all summer. While outside, I got my light and started playing. Still unsure what I was doing, Morgan and brad asked if it worked. "It's going to work", I replied. Truth....I was having a few technical issues. 5 minutes later, just like that, it was MAGIC on the back of my camera!! I got the shot of my dreams and theirs. Someone once said to me. "You captured the entire day in one image!" I didn't see it that way at first but then I realized that the story was inside that one image. Every time I look at it or Morgan and Brad looks at it, they will think about the day that started with panic and uncertainty. They will remember a day turned out to be even better than they imagined.
Thank you both for trusting me with your day and to all the amazing vendors who stepped up....We did it together!!!!!
The DREAM TEAM!
Venue: WestField Golf and Country Club
Getting ready location : Hilton Saint John
Who is your wedding planner or point person?Where is your dress from?
cake decoratorWhere are you flowers from?DjJoe Forestall
CatererMake up artistHair
Algonquin St.Andrews by the Sea Wedding- Angela and Tanner
Angela and Tanner’s wedding was absolutely fitting to the beautiful Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews by the Sea. The picturesque backdrops, the beautiful elegance of the hotel itself and the fabulous vendors made the magic happen. Not to mention this couple left no dry eye in the house.
From the first look between Dad and Angela and the vows during their emotional ceremony, let’s just say it was sponsored by Kleenex!
Angela and Tanner put so much thought into this day from the bag piper, to the decor of the ballroom and the beautiful details of their vows. Memories were made here folks and they will never be forgotten.
When planning your destination wedding, think about your guests. This is exactly what Angela and Tanner did. The hotel was a safe haven for the night with fun to be had at all hours of the night. Just check it out yourself…..THAT LIVE BAND made everyone’s night an unforgettable one! Read Angela and Tanner’s love story below to get a glimpse of why they are so perfect together!
Thank you Tanner and Angela for choosing me to be your wedding photographer!
A list of the AMAZING vendors who made it happen!
Venue: Algonquin Resort- St.Andrews By the Sea
STUNNING Decor : Unico Events
Floral: Unico Events
Angela’s beautiful wedding dress - Avenue 22- Toronto
Videographer who captured all the tears and fun so perfectly: Amelie B Films
Hair: Beauty by More and Katie Thomas
Make up: Beauty by More
Dj- DJ Dennis Hunt ( Also provided music for the ceremony)
Caterer: Algonquin resort
Cake: Creme Cakes
Live Band that kept everyone dancing all night long: Signal Hill
how did you meet? Who made the first move? What was the first date?
Tanner and I met back in high school in 2010. Tanner and I then reconnected in June 2020 on the water doing our favourite activity - sea dooing and boating. I (Angela) made the first move on Tanner through a “dm” on Instagram about introducing me to his dog. On our first date Tanner and I walk the dog and the conversations were endless. It was like we picked up from when we met back in 2010. Both Tanner and I did not want the night to end. We spent hours walking, talking and laughing.
What do you love to do together?
Tanner and I love being on the water, travelling, having dates nights, being around friends, having a few drinking at a fire, dancing at weddings, atving, spending nights in watching movies and most importantly just having each other.
What is one thing about the other that you can not live without?
Both agreed that we are unable to pick one thing we couldn’t live without. Most that know us know we don’t go many places without each other. We love spending our time together doing things we love. We love how we both have the same interests and hopes for life. Even from the beginning our views on life have been the same. Both hard working at our jobs, love having fun and traveling. We are both each other’s support system and biggest fans.
What drew you to the other person?
Tanner - Angela has great personality. She is always smiling, laughing and having fun.
Angela- Ever since high school I’ve had my eye on Tanner. I always thought he was so care free and easy going. After reconnecting on the water and spending the day together I knew I needed him in my life. It was instant butterfly’s and smiles.
What is home to you?
Home is wherever we are together.
What are you most excited about for the future together?
Our wedding, having children, building a new house and traveling. These our goals within the next few years. I am also excited to finish my RN program at UNB and work Monday-Friday to spend more time with Tanner and our future children.
Why Sherry? What drew you to my work, specifically?
Tanner and I viewed many photographers. Our day is very important to us and we want everything to be perfect. Both of our first choice was you! We love the style of your work.
First Light Distillery Wedding- Rebecca and Tim
Rebecca and Tim ( Two of the sweetest people) and so perfect together, gave me the honor of photographing their magical wedding. The wedding of their dreams tied in with the perfect vendors and this STUNNING venue, First Light Distillery in Hanwell NB.
To hear more about Rebecca and Tim’s love story, read below.
INCREDIBLE VENDORS:
Venue - First Light Distillery
Dress - Bella Promessa
Floral- Seches Florals
Wedding Planner: Elevated Events by Lauren
Make up: Pink Winky (Kyra Baldwin)
Hair: Emily O'Blenis
DJ: DJ Basketcase
Catering: Street Greek Food Truck and Tonys Pastries
how did you meet? Who made the first move?
We met at the Argyle annual beach party in Halifax through mutual friends. Tim was wearing a hot pink t-shirt and romantically bought Rebecca a jager bomb. Tim invited over for post bar cocktails but she's a classy lady and said no. They started texting/talking after this and went on their first date at Niche in Halifax. They ordered drinks and nachos; Rebecca was nervous and didn't eat any. Tim at them all. This trend of 'sharing' where Tim eats it all has continued since. Rebecca tried to get Tim inside to watch Full House and make out. Tim was classy and held off. From there, we hung out a lot until Tim graduated. Tim moved to Toronto shortly after and the relationship looked uncertain. Rebecca got into a 4-year pharmacy program a week later and things looked even more uncertain. 4 years of long distance, a furry addition to the the family (Carter), a home purchase and a move back to New Brunswick later and and we're ready for marriage. We've been together for 8 years total.
What is one thing about the other that you can not live without?
Rebecca supports me like no one ever has before in everything I do.
Tim is my biggest cheerleader and pushes me to get what I deserve in everything I do.
What drew you to the other person?
Rebecca's kindness, compassion and her ability to truly listen to what people say is appealing. I always felt comfortable and safe with her. In the pre-dating stage when you ask mutual friends about someone, literally no one had anything bad to say about her. This confirmed her character. She hot too.
Tim's charm drew me in. He made me smile and laugh a lot. He is smart and I was attracted to his motivation in life. He valued his friends and family which is important to me. He is respectful with everyone. We also had similar goals in life (family, white picket fence). I think he's handsome too.
What is home to you?
Tim: Rebecca and Carter (with a splurge of Xbox)-
Rebecca: Tim and Carter
What are you most excited about for the future together?
I'm excited to grow with Rebecca. We've grown a lot over 8 years and will continue to do so. If children are in the cards, I know we will handle the challenge of parenting well. - Tim
I'm excited for all of the adventures that we will have together, whether it's traveling, kids or career growth. Tim is my partner in life and I want him by my side for everything. - Rebecca
Alyssa and Steven's Riverside Golf and Country Club Wedding- Rothesay NB
Alyssa and Steven’s beautiful wedding took place in the heart of Rothesay, New Brunswick among their closest family and friends. There was no shortage of love right from the beginning of the day. It was a relaxing morning with both of them getting ready in anticipation. The reception and Ceremony was breathtaking at the popular venue, Riverside Golf and Country Club.
Natasha’s Weddings and Events hit the decor out of the park with this stunning elegance of light and earthy feel for Alyssa and Steven’s perfect wedding vision.
Alyssa’s showstopping dress with sleeves that spoke it's own language of love was by Lockhart’s Bridal in Sussex NB.
All the vendors who took part in this amazing day for the couple are highlighted below.
Flowers : The Potting Shed
Dj: Hunter Sounds
Make up: MORE BEAUTY
Hair: MORE BEAUTY
Get to know Alyssa and Steven’s LOVE STORY below!
how did you meet? Who made the first move? What was the first date?
We met on online! We think Steven messaged Alyssa first. And our first date was drinks and dinner; however, the second date was probably more of an official date - we did a Breakout Room together...guess we were both okay being locked in a room together without really knowing each other a whole lot ha!
What is one thing about the other that you can not live without?
Steven - Alyssa's caring/thoughtfulness Alyssa - Steven's calming, reassuring, level-headedness in all situations
What drew you to the other person?
Steven - "You didn't exhibit any signs of craziness" just kidding... felt quickly connected to Alyssa and things felt very natural from the beginning, like we had already known each other.
Alyssa - Similar to Steven's - I felt very at ease around him, very easy to talk to, we had good conversations, fun conversations.
What is home to you?
Steven - anywhere where Alyssa and our dog Artie is
Alyssa - Where Steven is - or where we have created our home together - a place that feels like us, and reflects us as a family, with us together of course!
What do you love to do together?
We like to explore places, try new foods and drinks - fans of experiences. We enjoy travelling, especially local travel within the Maritimes. We enjoy being outdoors, hiking etc. We are definitely homebodies too - we enjoy spending time at home, making dinner, lounging on deck in summer with our fire on. At end of day we often enjoy just sitting and chatting, sharing a drink together. We love to work on our yard and garden together. Playing/walking with our pup :)
What are you most excited about for the future together?
Steven - Continuing to grow and learn from each other
Alyssa - Making more fun memories!! Growing as a couple and life partners. Being parents together.
Why Sherry? What drew you to my work, specifically?
Love your work visually (colours, quality, composition of your shots) but your style at putting people at ease so those natural-looking shots come through was something that spoke to us as "newbies" to professional photography, and feeling nervous for taking photos in a way we never have before.
Jaclyn & Keith Long Island Wedding
Jaclyn and Keith’s Vineyard Long Island wedding was filled with love and so much laughter we couldn’t contain it.
Check out out all the amazing moments below.
Vendors:
Venue: The Vineyards at Aquebogue
Dress: Kleinfield
Make up: Alisha Dione (Dione Costmetics)
Floral: Peonies to Paint Chips
Wedding Planners: Gifted Events
Cake: Carlos Bakery
DJ: DJ Express
Emma and Keegan's Sunrise Elopement
The first wedding of 2023 DID NOT disappoint! When Emma and Keegan reached out to me and told me they wanted to elope at sunrise, I was beyond excited.
The morning couldn’t have been more perfect. I woke up at 330am and made my way down with my husband driving in the dark of the early morning. Slowly we saw the sun rise up as these two made their commitment to each other.
Emma and Keegan embraced this day and the photos speak for themselves. I will never forget this experience!
Read their story below to get to know who they are as a couple better.
how did you meet? Who made the first move? What was the first date?
We met at a Chinese New Years event in January 2020 through mutual friends. We became good friends for 9 months before Keegan moved to Nova Scotia August 2020. Labour day weekend September 2020 we planned a trip to Cape Breton for hiking and golfing, we had dinner at Glenora Whiskey Distillery where we realized that we missed each others company and that maybe we were more than just friends. Keegan made the first move as he was confident that he wanted to develop the relationship into something more.
What is one thing about the other that you can not live without?
Emma - light hearted spirit and positive - make every situation exciting and fun
Keegan - untamable spirit and adventurous soul
What drew you to the other person?
Emma - calmness and safe feeling that I got being around him, the intellectual conversations we would have. He was always such a supportive teammate.
Keegan - Emma was always up for or planning the next adventure. She was fun but also had a immensely caring side.
What is home to you?
Emma - Considering we live between two cities and enjoy international travel, home is when we are cooking together, sharing a meal, a drink, and a good conversation. Being in any place where we are having fun and feel supported by the people around us.
Keegan - Wherever we are together. We have dynamic lives so it is not a space. Enjoying our time together and with the people that care about and support us.
What are you most excited about for the future together?
Emma - To see what goals we will set as we move through our lives together; whether career, travel, buying a house. Excited to continually accomplish things together and be supporting in each others personal accomplishments.
Keegan - Travel. Continually experiencing new things and learning together.
Why Sherry? What drew you to my work, specifically?
Style and ability to capture people's organic emotions. Lack of stiff poses in her work. Colour plate was also in line with what we were planning. Emma had seen her work through friends and had enjoyed it.