How I Got Started in Weddings as a Photographer

Hey, everyone! This is my first blog attempt. So...the question is about how I got into weddings. I began my growing photography journey in 2023. That is when I started taking pictures of people. In 2024, I started my photography business.

When September of 2023 rolled around, I was scrolling on Facebook and saw a post in a local moms Facebook group. There was a photographer offering to introduce some beginners into weddings. Well, up to this point I was mortified of weddings. Let me tell you why... The first wedding I ever did was in college, around 2017. It was my cousin's first wedding, and I only knew how to use my camera in AUTOMATIC!!!! I had no clue what I was doing. I did the wedding, thought I knew what I was doing. Boy, was I wrong. I uploaded these pictures onto my computer and was dumbfounded by how TERRIBLE they were. Oh. My. Gosh. I avoided sending them, and got away with them never seeing them. I was embarrassed of myself. I was humbled real quick and decided not to begin my photography journey while I was still in college.

Jump to June of 2023, I started serving on the photography team at my church, and that's where I learned to use manual mode. Back to September of 2023 and the post I saw, I think the Lord was speaking to me because I kept thinking about this post and actually considering trying out the wedding world. So after I felt led to give it a try, I went back to this Facebook post. There were hundreds of comments on this girl's post! I dug in the comments and stumbled across another photographer that said she was also willing to take someone on. This is when I reached out to my friend, Jordan. She is an AMAZING photographer and I would not be where I am today without her. She loves her moody edits (SO stunning) and LOVES birth photography, families, and story telling in her work. She is "Crooked Teeth Photos", go look her up!

October 28, 2023 was the first day I shadowed a wedding, the beginning of my photography journey. Jordan was amazing. She made it seem so simple and achievable. I continued to shadow 4 more weddings with her and learned so much. I plan on continuing to do this when time allows. If it weren't for her, I would have never pursued this path. I have found that for me, weddings aren't work. They are fun and inspiring. They are my passion. Pictured above, is a shot from my first solo wedding, 2/14/24. 2024 has 8 solo weddings in the books, 2 second shooting roles, 1 assistant role, and 1 associate shooting opportunity. That will mean I have worked 11 weddings professionally in my first year of weddings in the photography industry.

All of this being said.....if you are a photographer considering weddings, I 10/10 recommend shadowing weddings with someone. This is a great way to understand the flow of the day, build a portfolio, and gain insight. Also....if you shadow or second shoot for someone, ALWAYS shoot behind the scenes videos and send them to the lead photographer. (This is how you win their heart!) I believe this will truly set you up for success.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this helps anyone thinking about diving into wedding photography!