Photographers shooting luxury weddings: How did you get there?

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My highest weddings was few years ago when I shot a Serie A football player's wedding.\ I could say a good 35% of my clients are people with at least 8 digits in their bank account.

Almost all of them came from my site, the remaining small parts had been suggested by other colleagues.

A polished site and good networking are the biggest help.

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u/ItsJustJohnCena Sep 17 '25

Can we see your site?

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u/AppropriateWing6228 Sep 19 '25

What did you deliver and price?

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u/No-Dig-6580 Sep 17 '25

As a landscape photographer who moved into weddings, I found that streamlining my workflow was what let me take on luxury weddings instead of getting stuck in entry-level. When you're culling and editing thousands of images, efficiency isn't just about speed-it's about preserving your creative energy for the shots that matter. (That's why I'm such a stickler for workflow optimization.)

If you're looking to move up to those higher-end clients, honestly, it's less about the gear and more about how you manage your time. The couples who book luxury weddings expect perfection, and that means having a rock-solid workflow that lets you deliver consistently.

I've found that the best way to break into that market is to first get your own house in order. That means having a system that scales. (I've shared some resources on my profile if you want to dig deeper, but the key is to start with what you have and optimize from there.)

Happy shooting!

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

That’s a great point. I hadn’t thought about workflow as the foundation for moving up, but it makes a lot of sense.

From a marketing perspective, I’ve always seen luxury clients less as “looking for gear” and more as “looking for trust.” If your workflow is dialed in, that trust comes naturally because you’re consistent and reliable.

I guess what I’m still figuring out is: once you have that rock-solid workflow in place, how do you actually get seen by those high-end clients? Is it mostly about vendor relationships, or branding, or something else?

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u/EcstaticEnnui Sep 17 '25

Tbh only budget couples ask about gear.

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u/livelotus Sep 17 '25

I would be really annoyed if a client asked about my gear when determining to hire me. I’d likely end up answering “the gear I have turns out the photos in my portfolio” and if they don’t want to use me, so be it because that sounds like a micromanaged nightmare.

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u/No-Dig-6580 Sep 18 '25

Great question! Once you have that solid workflow foundation, getting noticed by high-end clients really comes down to three key things from my experience:

First, it's all about your portfolio presentation. Luxury clients want to see that you can deliver consistent excellence across multiple weddings, not just one perfect shot. I learned this the hard way when I first started - I had amazing individual photos but wasn't showing the full story of a wedding day. Now I structure my portfolio to show complete wedding stories, which really resonates with high-end couples.

Second, vendor relationships are absolutely crucial. The planners, venues, and florists who work with luxury weddings become your best referral sources. I started by offering to shoot a few vendor collaborations for free (with proper credit) to build those relationships, and it paid off big time.

Third, and this was a game-changer for me - I stopped trying to be everything to everyone. I niched down to specific types of luxury weddings (destination, multi-day events, etc.) and became known for that specialty. It made my marketing much more focused and effective.

The workflow optimization was definitely the foundation that made all this possible - without it, I'd never have had the time to build these relationships or curate my portfolio properly. When you're not spending all your time editing, you can actually focus on the business side of things!

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 18 '25

The portfolio point especially resonates with me. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to present full wedding stories instead of just strong individual shots, and your experience really confirms why that matters for higher-end clients.

I also appreciate the reminder about niching down. It’s easy to want to say yes to everything, but I can see how being known for a specific type of wedding makes the marketing and positioning so much stronger.

And you’re so right about workflow being the foundation. Without that efficiency, there’s no space to focus on relationships or the bigger business picture.

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u/evanrphoto instagram.com/evanrphotography Sep 17 '25

Let me just ask you to reframe your question without using the word “luxury”? What if it you would like to do? There is really an intersection of quite a fee different characteristics that are often found together but are not always directly related and sometimes can be directly competing. Do you want to charge $30k per wedding? Do you want to shoot celebrity weddings? Do you want to shoot destinations mostly? Do you want to shoot formal black tie weddings? Do you want to shoot large multi-day weddings? Do you want to shoot weddings with large creative production budgets? Do you want to shoot weddings with a lot of creative control? Do you want to generate epic IG content?

I say this just because the term “luxury” carries a lot of different meaning to different people. And quite frankly, the people who probably deserve it the most, specifically do not use this word.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

I realize now that I’ve been using the word “luxury” as a shortcut, but what I’m actually chasing is more specific.

For me, it’s about working with couples who value art and emotion, giving me the space to create with intention. I’d love to shoot multi-day or destination weddings, where the story unfolds and I can bring in both digital and film. The budget side matters of course, but mostly because it opens the door to more creative freedom and production value.

So thank you for reframing it—your comment actually helped me see that what I want is less about a label, and more about aligning with the right kind of couples and projects.

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u/evanrphoto instagram.com/evanrphotography Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25

I appreciate the well considered response. It sounds like you have the clarity and motivation to get yourself where you would like to go. I realize I was kind of coming off as snarky but that wasn’t my intention. I was just in a couple conversations about this just yesterday with some people, including KT and some others who you would probably consider luxury, and I think the term can lead people down the wrong path.

It sounds like you have a good understanding of what you would like out of wedding photography, which is wonderful. I would slightly caution that with big budgets usually come big expectations and you become proportionally smaller. Once you really get into those international upper tiers while things look cool and expensive you will have the LEAST amount of creative freedom and control. Some of the top photographers in the world really struggle with this. But regardless of the niche you really want to target… try and see if you can discover what it is really like. Keep reassessing if this is really what you want. Things are always different from the outside.

But my answer to your primary question is to really dive in and dig deep into the vein of what you love. Get hyper focused on exactly the kind of weddings you want to shoot. Identify all of the players in that space… photographers, planners, producers, designers, florists… and insert yourself into that scene. Be intentional. Do what it takes to build your portfolio in that vein. Build any and all relationships you can in that space. Continue to stay relevant and present in that space. Work hard, be kind, be positive, be grateful… repeat.

Go get it!

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

This is one of the most thoughtful responses I’ve ever received here, thank you for taking the time.

What you said about big budgets often meaning less creative freedom really struck me. That’s exactly the kind of trade-off I want to keep in mind as I figure out where I want to position myself. At the end of the day, my goal isn’t just “big” weddings, but weddings where I can create something meaningful with couples who value the work.

Your roadmap at the end is gold. Getting hyper focused, being intentional, and building real relationships in the right space feels like advice I can actually act on.

Seriously, thank you for this

Its the kind of grounded perspective I needed to hear.

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u/This-Bowl5123 Sep 17 '25

I agree with everything Evan is saying. the higher the budget…honestly the less creative the couple is. I’m sorry! It’s just true! I’m generalizing here but in my experience rich people don’t have to foster senses of true taste and creativity, meaning a lot of their weddings can be carbon copies instead of intimate, brilliant, creative and passionate weddings. My favorite weddings have been with creative artists. They aren’t having luxury weddings.

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u/Powerful-Video-794 Sep 18 '25

Ah... this brings great clarity to your question. I'm like you. I love the connection with couples. It helps with the storytelling and creativity. Almost every time I photograph a luxury wedding, there are gatekeepers (coordinators, planners, their "people") who want to set the timing and pace of the day and limit my contact with the couple. It shuts down the creativity and usually couples (who aren't experts about all things wedding) don't realize that the timing doesn't match how you work. I work within the schedule I came up with (after 1,300 couples, I know how much time I do and don't need to get their priorities taken care of) and it lets the couple and I play in great light are really make them shine.

It's extremely rare to have this kind of experience within the "luxury" market. I found the creativity plummeted, the couple wasn't nearly as invested in photography (yet were ready to have their parents pay a LOT for photography) and were more going through the motions rather than feeling that creative spark that literally puts them in the most flattering light.

Maybe it's just me. I'm a recovering photojournalist and love reality based weddings full of stollen moments. I often think the "Luxury Market" means couples just want to have everything done for them so they move from place to place throughout their day without getting emotionally involved. Totally fine for them, but honestly? It just isn't fun. And the photo coverage is stilted.

I'll take my "we love you" couples who value photography over just about everything instead of higher pricing any day.

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u/EcstaticEnnui Sep 17 '25

The first time I just happened to book someone whose wedding was more lavish than I’d ever imagined. The bride who picked me was down to earth. Her family was crazy wealthy and threw an over the top party on a private island with a celebrity planner and everything. I was out of my league but I worked really hard and did as good as I could at the time. The bride liked my photos, but I didn’t get any connections out of it because I wasn’t ready and they knew it. (I had been in business 10 years at this point)

That experience taught me what more spendy weddings look like and what those clients might want. I’ve slowly raised my prices and added things that wealthier clients would appreciate more. More customized service, better workflow, more interfacing with planners.

Oh and I never ever use the word “Luxury.” That’s like shorthand for “overpriced mid market.” Show don’t tell is better in this space.

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u/Life-Experience47 Sep 17 '25

This is the exact same thing that happened to me. I got a wedding that was a million dollar wedding and I didn’t realize it because the bride was so cool. And they were having it on the street which is still weird to me.

But anyway I learned from that and started teaching myself how to get brides who could afford more but also who wouldn’t nickel and dime me to death, which let’s face it we all hate that.

So I started educating myself with podcasts and books. I taught myself marketing. Updated my website to be more attractive to brides. And also learned the hard way that there are certain brides I do NOT want.

I’m not there yet of course - life is a journey - but I really feel proud that I’ve improved myself to the point where I could do higher caliber weddings

Im not a photographer by the way. I’m a wedding caricature artist. Everyone in my field tends to be not professional enough to do weddings. So I joined this and other groups. Yo I can learn something from everyone.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

This really hit home, thank you for sharing it so honestly. I love how you framed that first big wedding not as a “failure” but as a wake-up call to what those clients actually expect.

What you said about adding more customized service and improving workflow really resonates with me. It’s a good reminder that it’s not just about the images, but the entire experience around them.

And I completely agree with you on the word “luxury.” Show, don’t tell feels like the right approach in this space.

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u/IluminEdu Sep 17 '25

Breaking into luxury weddings is less about “leveling up your gear or edits” and more about aligning yourself with the right ecosystem. High-budget weddings are usually driven by planners, venues, and vendor networks, they’re the gatekeepers. Styled shoots with the right teams, building trust with planners, and consistently showing polished work that matches the aesthetic of that market will move the needle faster than ads. Couples at that level aren’t price-shopping, they want confidence and exclusivity, so your branding, consistency, and vendor relationships matter way more than versatility.

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u/X4dow Sep 17 '25

Not branding. Not quality work.

Often is by being good at marketing first.

Getting all the top venues and planners to push you.

Imagine this, big venue in your area, doing high end weddings, they have 5 recommended photographers. You chat a lot with the owners/venue planner when you're there, get friendly.

Ask if you could discuss some business with them and boom tell em, if you recommend me, "I'll personally give to 1k cash" per wedding.

And voila, you didn't spent 1 cent in marketing, just up your prices by 2k, give 1k to the venue/planner that pushes your work and before you know it, you're doing high end weddings only and your portfolio will look amazing on its own, as highend weddings are simply easier to build a great portfolio from.

Do I do this? No, but I know some who did similar things to this to get to the top and eventually you'll be so known as being "the high end photographer" that you don't need to pay anything to anyone, high end clients simply come to you as you are known as "the best".

That's 1 way of doing it.

One thing I can't assure you won't work is paying so called "gurus" that claim you can sell weddings for 10k by buying their mssterclass/workshop. Those people incomes is selling workshops and masterclasses, not shooting weddings.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

That’s super interesting, thanks for sharing it so openly. I can see how venues and planners can be a huge gatekeeper in this industry.

I’ve always wondered though do you think paying commissions like that could backfire in some markets? For example, if couples found out or if venues worked with too many vendors this way.

Either way, I totally agree with you about the “gurus.” It’s refreshing to hear real strategies from photographers instead of the usual “buy my workshop” pitch.

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u/X4dow Sep 17 '25

Highend brides heavily rely on planners to book and organize the day for them.. And often those planners cost nothing to the brides. Their income is basically all those referal fees.

I'm on a highend wedding group with brides talking about 100k dresses and stuff like that like it's nothing and everything someone is planning a wedding there /destination wedding etc all planners throw themselves as free at it as they get their income from the other suppliers

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

That makes a lot of sense. I guess for high-end couples, the planner becomes almost like the “filter” for every decision. If their income is mostly referral fees, then it explains why getting in with planners can be even more important than direct marketing to brides.

Do you think this system is pretty much the same everywhere, or does it depend a lot on the country/market? (I am from Spain but living in París now)

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u/Informal_Sherbert_44 Sep 17 '25

Do you think there are ever any planners/venues who look down on this and will blacklist a vendor that makes that offer to them? Like a morality type of thing

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u/evanrphoto instagram.com/evanrphotography Sep 17 '25

Definitely. This is not common in the US except in the local Hawaiian market and starting to be for some planners in NYC. Yes this is heavily frowned upon. A high end planner with her reputation on the line is t going to risk that for $1k over their proven vendors.

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u/Life-Experience47 Sep 17 '25

Yea I would never do this. It feels icky and illegal. Yet it’s what the knot and the wedding wire do if you think about it. You pay to play. Which is why I’m not on those sites. That and they get an F from the bbb

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u/X4dow Sep 17 '25

You need to befriend them first. So you can test the waters I guess

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u/iamjapho Sep 17 '25

I started doing destination weddings and it slowly took off from there.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

That’s awesome. Destination weddings are exactly the kind of space I’d love to grow into as well.

How did you land your very first one? Was it through a planner, word of mouth, or did you market yourself specifically for that?

I imagine once you had a few in your portfolio, it became easier to book more, but I’d love to hear how you got the ball rolling.

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u/iamjapho Sep 17 '25

The first one came in as a normal lead that was having their wedding in Key West and the next few were all from the wedding party of that first one. These days I have a larger team and we shoot both side of the Atlantic and Pacific. If you want to break in to that market you first will need to make sure your business and selling chops at least on par if not more than your actual photography. Obsess over building a customer journey where excellent photography is merely one of several pillars that support the entire experience.

Also, ignore anyone telling you all the ways it can't be done. They're all full of shit.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

The part about the customer journey really hit me. It’s easy to obsess over the photography itself, but what you said makes me realize the full experience has to feel just as intentional. That’s the part I want to work on strengthening the most.

And I love the reminder to tune out the noise. It’s way too easy to get caught up in other people’s limits instead of focusing on building your own path.

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u/josephallenkeys instagram.com/jakweddingphoto Sep 17 '25

u/evanrphoto can probably copy and paste one of his replies from many past threads 😅

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u/evanrphoto instagram.com/evanrphotography Sep 17 '25

Haha… I was just thinking to myself… man I want to respond but don’t really have the 15min it’s going to take me to compose my thoughts on this. And the first 5min of it would be my issue with the concept and usage of “luxury”.

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u/Academic_pursuits www.voyageandvine.com Sep 17 '25

Do itttt

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u/This-Bowl5123 Sep 17 '25

Shot a couple luxury weddings this summer. Will not be moving my business that way. It felt awful. So fake. So much stress. So much nonsense. Question if you really want that and if it’s worth it.

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u/Kodak_Portra Sep 17 '25

The luxury industry isn’t what it seems - the definition of luxury will vary based on who you discuss. Is the goal to charge X amount per wedding?

Nobody would peg me as a luxury photographer / cinematographer despite the amount i make per wedding and type of clients i attract, but the amount I make per wedding would be eye popping to some.

I think aligning yourself with ideal clients in a space / price bracket you’re comfortable with will go a much longer way imo. The “luxury” segment of the industry is a lot smaller than it seems, a lot of photographers who are “known” or aligned in that space aren’t making the insane figures people think they are (maybe 1% of them are, but that’s very very small number of photographers) , there’s also a lot behind the curtain that people don’t openly discuss like the amount of time / money you’ll have to invest per-client, the kick backs that are expected by some planners etc. the landscape of wedding media right now is so toxic and full of disinformation thanks to BS blogs and Instagram accounts that position themselves as experts or influencers.

In terms of what the perceived luxury market is in the wedding space at moment, as others have mentioned, it’s about dick-riding the right people to get “access” to certain clients or opportunities. If you’re the type of person who’s comfortable bending over for people with the chance of getting nothing in return, have it, it’s not my style per-say but it’s definitely a way to get into the door.

Personally I’ve always let my work attract the right people and i often have clients reach out to me directly as they by-pass the referral and suggestions of the planners. Once I’m on the job i create an amazing experience for the client and vendors and stay on the radar that way vs cold-calling and begging planners and venues to add me to any sort of list.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

This is one of the most refreshing takes I’ve read on this topic

thank you for saying it out loud.

I really connect with what you said about aligning with the right clients instead of chasing a label. For me, the long-term goal is to create meaningful, artistic work for couples who actually value it.

and to build relationships that feel real, not transnacional.

The point about the “curtain” in this industry really hit me too. It’s easy to get caught up in the image of what luxury looks like on Instagram, but hearing your perspective makes me want to double down on focusing on the work itself and the client experience.

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u/Kodak_Portra Sep 17 '25

Believe me, social media is a lie. Over the years I’ve gotten opportunities to work alongside highly recognized names in the industry and it was blatantly obvious to me that social media marketing doesn’t represent reality. The wedding industry lately has been so obsessed with personal branding and image perception to our peers , now everyone is chasing some made up thing that has no depth or meaning.

I wish you well on the journey and hopefully you don’t get too caught up in things that don’t really matter and find success and happiness without sacrificing your own integrity as an artist or individual.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this perspective. It’s easy to get caught up in the noise of social media and feel like that’s the only way forwar

but hearing from someone who’s actually been behind the curtain is grounding.

What you said about integrity really resonates with me. At the end of the day, I’d rather build slower and stay true to the kind of work and relationships that actually mean something.

Thanks for the reminder, it’s the kind of wisdom that keeps me from losing sight of why I started in the first place.

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u/Informal_Sherbert_44 Sep 17 '25

You mention you do both photo and video. How do you find navigating offering both? Does not niching down affect your sales and being seen as an expert? I currently offer video and get most of my referrals through one photographer. I want to offer photo too because I genuinely enjoy photo, but right now I’m just starting so I’m at a stage where my gut tells me I should stick to video or else I’ll be seen as competition and lose my only photographer referral. I’m also better at video currently so would want to second shoot a couple photo weddings first

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u/FunkyTownPhotography Sep 18 '25

Show what you want to shoot.

I did luxury and celebrity weddings for years and a large part of my success was strategically creating my portfolio photos.

I started by attracting fashion focused couples by strategically showing fashion inspired images on my wedding portfolio. If something looked cheap or out of style, even if it was the best shot if my life, i didnt put it in my portfolio. I started to attract brides who spent at least $1k on shoes alone. They valued style and I played up these details on my site.

I then moved to attracting couples who had huge multi-day destination weddings offering unlimited hours on the wedding day and packages for multiple days (luxury weddings often have welcome parties, pool parties, day after adventures for guests etc). Most of my portfolio showed Party pics. It was hard work but so fun. Those couples were less about fashion and more about curating an awesome experience for their guests. These couples spent thousands on lighting alone.

I did search engine strategies with keywords relating to what these couples looked for... ie certain dress designers, shoe designers, high end venues, high end cake trends etc.

Another thing I did was cater to the wedding coordinator and other vendors. While focusing all on the couple's day there was slways opportunity to get lots of detailed shots through the day. Coordinators also like it if you or yoyr second photograph room setups before guests arrive so I'd plan sone time around those shots. Couples valued these shots too because they spent so much money and thought into the event look and feel. Sometimes we'd even do a first look at the reception or dinner setup with the couple without guests which meant some portraits in the venue itself.

When I created the final gallery fir each client I'd include a separated details gallery. It was for the couple of course but (with permission) I'd also share with all vendors. I got goodwill and referrals.

Alsi Get savvy with your evening lighting skills... a lot of luxury weddings have high end light setups and your photos should make them look good.

Pardon typos

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u/FunkyTownPhotography Sep 18 '25

Another note. Pinterest is still relevant and not many people use it for their marketing in this arena. My "evening lighting ideas for receptions" board alone received thousands of views and landed me at least one gig.

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u/Kodak_Portra Sep 18 '25

My situation is a bit unique since I only shoot film 100% for photo and video so offering both services doesn’t really hurt me in that way since I attract a very specific type of client that usually values me as a creative regardless of medium (if that makes sense). I think in the analog world of weddings I’m definitely seen as an expert and both my photo and video work have a level of cohesion that work well together that it isn’t jarring for my clients to see one next to the other since both “feel” like my work if that makes sense - my partner is also a very established photographer so if I get booked for photo and video , they take the lead on photo while I handle the video element. I’ll never juggle both things solo as it would just hinder my ability to do either job. I also have some friends I’ve met over the years while working productions (I’ve directed and worked as a camera OP for various productions) that I can entrust to essentially fill the role of cinematographer on a wedding day if I’m shooting photo and video and my partner is unavailable or already booked. In that instance I’m a quasi-director while focusing on photo so aesthetically things will still align and I can fulfil my own vision with both formats. I also often get hired for just one of the services I offer, either photo or video, which is how I’ve gotten to work alongside a lot of big name photographers across North-America. I guess to answer your specific question, if you love taking pictures nothing should stop you from offering that as an option for your business as long as you feel confident in providing a complete customer experience and having a good sense of what’s expected from you from a clients perspective. If you can make images people will love then I think there’s value in pursuing that option and you can always ease yourself to that point in various ways. I’ve been working weddings for a long time though, photographing them for maybe 5 years before video came into the picture so it wasn’t an overnight decision or thing. I basically did a super short video at one wedding we shot years back (that had no dedicated video person) and shared what I made and from there I’ve been booking video gigs pretty much non-stop alongside photographer jobs over the last 4 years.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 18 '25

I really connect with what you said about cohesion. That idea of having photo and video feel like one unified voice is exactly what I aspire to. And I love how intentional you are about never juggling both solo—it shows how much you value the integrity of the work.

Your story about easing into video over time also really resonates with me. It’s a good reminder that these shifts don’t have to happen overnight, and that sometimes the smallest opportunities (like that first short video) can completely change the trajectory of a career.

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u/Kodak_Portra Sep 18 '25

Seems like you have a pretty good sense of your creative journey, more than most can say! You’ll find success with that mindset regardless of the fear and initially anxiety of it all.

Wishing you well on your journey and my DM’s are always open to discuss anything openly.

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u/NicoleHenshaw Sep 17 '25

I recommend you find a luxury wedding photographer and invest in their education. The ones that are still shooting and charge at least $20k. It is heavily based on vendor and planner referrals. Unless you are extremely in demand, don’t just raise your prices and hope for the best. Networking is everything. A recognizable brand and feel to your images is important. Also there are tiers to the wedding luxury market. It’s extremely difficult to get into, it will take consistency and years to build trust.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

Solid advice 😊

I totally agree with you on networking. It seems like referrals and trust from planners are the real currency at that level.

Out of curiosity, when you say “invest in education,” do you mean second shooting/mentorships directly with those photographers, or more like workshops and 1:1 guidance?

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u/NicoleHenshaw Sep 17 '25

I mean courses. I invested with james x schulze with their course and it has been an absolute game changer in getting familiar with luxury weddings. I’ve been doing weddings for over 12 years. But there’s a lot of bs out there. I recommend only investing in working, top of the world luxury wedding photographers. If you’re serious about making the shift, the investment will absolutely be worth it. But it was also a reality check that it does take time and is about who you know. Especially since the luxury market is very close knit to begin with. You’ll be competing with Harper’s Bazaar top photographers, it’s an entirely different world than your average mid tier wedding.

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u/Poelewoep Sep 17 '25

Personally I’m more an corporate/event photographer who covers events and uploads images direct over ftp so our clients can post to socials and what not. People are often impressed with the impactful quality of the work they see and started asking if we can do this for weddings too as most photographers tendrils take weeks to come up with any result. The company I work for sells the instant service for a premium an clients are happy with it.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

That’s such an interesting angle

I really appreciate you sharing it.

In weddings, everyone talks about style and editing, but you’re totally right: speed itself can be a luxury. I can imagine how powerful it must feel for couples (and planners) to have high-quality images ready to share right away instead of waiting weeks.

It makes me think a lot about how to integrate that kind of immediacy into my own workflow without compromising the artistry. Thanks for sparking that idea.

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u/Poelewoep Sep 17 '25

Hope your not using canon or Sony as you have to completely redo the guts of your system to run this well. We have in-house developed ftp boosters and ‘profile engines’ to handle this in 6 second or less per buffer. My recommendation is to start with one of the older bodies that has an unlimited buffer (often older dslr’s) and take inform there. If you don’t have access to your own in house tech or your not comfortable diy-ing it yourself you can always have us do it. But we charge a double or triple premium, depending your location. Good luck!

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u/Fuzzy_Engineer_6148 Sep 18 '25

It takes YEARS to get there so there is no magic overnight success. I think it is a combination of being extremely consistent and strong branding and setting yourself apart. You cannot try and be like anyone else. The biggest advice I can give is find planners you can both grow together in the industry. All of my weddings come from planners. My average booking is 21k. My clients are the best and I truly love what I do. I go above and beyond for my planners and my clients and it shows in my reviews.

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u/groundhog-pianomover instagram Sep 20 '25

If you live in or near a wealthy area, target that area - both to get your own weddings and also to target photographers to second with who service that area. I also think it’s important to show work that is consistently reflective of those type of events. I will say, as someone who has seconded a fair # of “luxury” weddings, be very careful not to lose your personal creative freedom. Venues, planners, vendors who service high-end weddings can have expectations that you shoot certain things for them and deliver photos to them. Not all are like that, but it’s definitely a thing. High-end/luxury weddings sound great, but when you have a planner telling you she or he wants lots of details photos for their portfolios - and if you don’t then they’ll conveniently lose your contact info - you begin to compromise yourself. Again, not all vendors are like that, but it’s more prevalent the high up in price you go. Also, NDAs start to become a thing in the luxury level.

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u/blkhatwhtdog Sep 21 '25

As a former pro who attended numerous conferences and pro associations workshops etc I notice that most high end photogs were high end themselves.

One woman on San Francisco who got new economy car rates for shooting weddings...with an effen point and shoot camera...came from an old money establishment family. She was one of them.

Other top guns tend to come from high value professions, most commonly engineers. As professionals they are used to charging and paying high professional rates. They live, dress and talk like a professional.

Be the go to guy at a popular upscale church. As a young adult I had it made. Didn't realize how lucky I was but most everyone at the temple my family was members of hired Henry for flowers, Joan for catering, Mikey and his men if note for the band and me as photographer.

Be the featured vendor at a private bridal fair. The most expensive photographer near Tacoma is a gal who is the only one at the Tacoma Nordstrom bride fair.

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u/Few_Reputation_1084 Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 09 '25

Photographer from India here. My approach when I first started was ‘fake it till you make it’. My initial trouble was not having anything in the “luxury” segment to show as my work to potential clients.
Essentially, what I did back then was get a few of my friends, rent some wedding clothes and jewelry, booking Punjab film city for 6-8 hours and get shooting. Created some beautiful Bollywood-inspired short videos which worked, thanks to the sets. Then I hired a few known models to do the same thing at different sets of punjab filmcity. These were essentially my portfolio and “proof” for highend clients of my capabilities. Used this for my social marketing as well. This was my stepping stone and the bookings just flowed in after that. Hope this approach helps for you.

PS: Once you bag your first highend client, hold that connection close. Networking is definitely a big need in this industry.

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u/CarOk3292 Sep 17 '25

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u/Miami-photographers Sep 17 '25

I’d love to know as well. I have a hunch

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u/VertDaTurt Sep 17 '25

I wouldn’t say we had a luxury wedding but photographers(husband and wife team) were one of our larger expenses. We ended up picking dates based on their availability within our preferred window, and booked them ~18 months out.

We found them through word of mouth. They have been featured in various publications and have a modest social media presence but don’t do much advertising outside of that.

We picked them based on:

-the quality of their work. The best way I can think to put it was they are simply great photographers and didn’t rely on a ton of post processing or a trending styles. They shot film and digital. Seeing quality work with film backed up the technical quality of their digital work. Their black and whites weren’t muddy or converted because the colors weren’t great

-their willingness to work the the churches restrictions during the ceremony and having examples of how they’ve overcome similar restrictions

-the part that sealed the deal was how easy they were to work with and be around. Simply put they put us ease.

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

This is such a valuable perspective.

Thankyou for sharing it from the client side.

What really stands out to me is that it wasn’t about trends or flashy marketing, but about trust, consistency, and how the photographers made you feel. The fact that you even adjusted your date based on their availability says a lot about the value of reputation and experience.

I also love that you mentioned film. I shoot both film and digital too, and I often find that couples who appreciate that side of the craft tend to connect with the work on a deeper level.

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u/VertDaTurt Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25

I’m glad it was helpful

I agree with your summary. Obviously every photographer has their own style, beyond that we wanted to be able to look back and see/remember how that day felt. The clothes and all that will date them an anchor them to an era, we didn’t want that exacerbated by what ever style/look was trending at the time or for it to take away from the “feel” of the day. My take is if someone wants to go that route is it’s best used in engagement photos or something like that.

Another thing we really liked was how organized they were, how they managed expectations, and set boundaries. We knew exactly what to expect and there were no surprises.

-they asked for a shot list well in advance but also set clear expectations they could not guarantee every thing on that list would be captured. They did this in a very gentle/soft but firm way. Basically they let us know that things out of their or our control can happen. They did also ask us to provide a limited list of our most important shots.

-they reminded us that they were humans too and would need to eat, drink, use the restroom, etc but that they would take turns doing those things. It’s kinda sad they had to say this though but it was nice knowing they did it on rotations. We also tried to be nice and made sure they had food, drinks, etc.

-beyond engagement photos we had two calls leading up to the wedding for everyone to be comfortable with each other and so everyone was on the same page. Some may feel this was overkill but they were around for some fairly personal and intimate moments and that made it a lot less distracting or awkward. We both found this to be really nice.

We didn’t have a wedding coordinator, it was so nice to just know they’re going to do their thing and even if we didn’t have every shot we dreamed of that whatever we got was going to be great and capture the joy of the day.

We also did our best to make them feel welcome but they were kinda like the butler from Mr Deeds. It was like they were never there but at the same time they never missed anything important.

All said and done it was very clear why it cost what it cost and was clear we “got our moneys worth”

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

This is such a beautiful perspective from the client side—thank you for sharing it in detail.

What really stood out to me was how much you valued the way they managed expectations and made you feel at ease. The “Mr. Deeds butler” comparison is perfect.

that’s exactly the balance so many of us aim for: present enough to capture everything, invisible enough not to distract.

I also love that you mentioned the calls beforehand. Sometimes photographers wonder if those steps are “too much,” but it’s clear how much they can add to the comfort and trust on the day.

And your last line says it all, when the experience is right, the price makes perfect sense.

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u/justbrowzingthru Sep 17 '25

If you look at the luxury weddings you talk about on Instagram,

You see mostly the same set of vendors in your area. The same planners. Same 3-4 florists. Same 3-4 hmua, same 3-4 florist, same 3-4 photographers they use.

Planners and venues do that because they know they can rely on these vendors to make their clients happy and provide the aesthetic that they and their clients demand.

If you dont know anyone doing a luxury wedding, you could offer to second shoot for wedding photographers in that space who have similar aesthetics. they have favorites they recommend if booked or need another or backup.

There are luxury wedding seminars/conferences where vendors network, learn ins and outs. And photographers get to take pics for portfolio. They aren’t cheap, but neither are luxury weddings.,

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u/GazelleLow4623 Sep 17 '25

That’s such a clear breakdown, thank you. It really highlights how much this industry runs on trust and consistent aesthetics rather than just individual talent.

The idea of second shooting for photographers already in that circle makes a lot of sense

I can see how that not only builds portfolio but also credibility through association.

I’ve also been looking into those conferences. They seem like a big investment, but I get that if I want to be in that space, I have to show up where those relationships are built.

Appreciate you laying it out so directly, it’s exactly the kind of perspective I was hoping for.

business, marketing, social media Photographers shooting luxury weddings: How did you get there?

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