Episode 36 - Destination Wedding Photography with Hannah Elise And Sarah Marie Photo
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Today we are diving deep into one of our most requested topics: Destination Wedding and Couples Photography. Have you ever wondered: How to book clients in a different state or country? What the heck do I charge for destination photography? How do I attract my ideal clients? We’re answering all your juicy questions with the amazing Hannah Elise Photo and Photos by Sarah Marie today so if you want to break into this market, this episode is for you.
EC: What made you want to get into this market/ share your love for travel & what you do? How are your stories similar/different?
Sarah: I traveled a lot growing up and also while I studied abroad in college. When I went full time in photography, I realized I could travel while shooting photography. I started putting myself out there on Instagram and promoting that I was looking to shoot destination weddings. I ended up booking a couple in California after about a year and the rest was history!
Hannah: I didn’t do that much traveling growing up, but always wanted to! The minute I got a Pinterest the only board on there was my travel board. I wanted to visit the world but it never seemed to happen. I started promoting on Instagram that I wanted to take on destination shoots and started to gain more confidence around it. I eventually starting booking photoshoots from putting myself out there.
For someone who shoots more locally looking to get into destination wedding photography, do you have any strategies for this?
Talk about it confidently on Instagram! Be repetitive and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. You have to show people that you are confident in yourself. Once you book one shoot, it starts to snowball the more you post about it. The quality of your work will speak for itself so don’t shy away from posting. But also, don’t get discouraged if you get ghosted by clients who inquire. You WILL get more destination inquiries by staying consistent!
How do you attract your ideal type of client that is either looking to have a destination wedding or fly you out somewhere?
Making a Pinterest board to get ideas and look for inspiration is a great idea! Start posting photos from your Pinterest board on your Instagram stories to build your brand and communicate your aesthetic. Post the work that you LOVE. If you shot a beach wedding but don’t want to shoot any more beach weddings, don’t post that wedding. Only post weddings or shoots that represent you and your work best.
How do you charge for travel? Do you find that when sending over your pricing, most clients or on board or do some find it overwhelming?
We both started including travel expenses into our traditional wedding packages. We both used to bill clients for all of our travel expenses, but that can get messy. To keep things easier and more organized, you can include all of those expenses into your packages so that clients know exactly what they are paying upfront.
Let’s get into some of the nitty gritty of traveling: How do you scout out locations to shoot at once you’re at your destination? Do you do this beforehand from doing research at home or do you find spots once you’re there?
It definitely helps to get to your destination location a day or a few hours earlier to scope things out. If you can’t do that, you can definitely use Google Maps to your advantage. Use Google Maps to view the area and look at key points and locations. We also love looking at travel bloggers and seeing where they have recommended, or where certain photos were taken. Don’t shy away from reaching out to local photographers from the destination you are visiting - a lot of times, they can be super helpful in recommending local gems!
Do you ever face travel anxiety or burn out?
Absolutely! Traveling isn’t as glamorous as it seems. It is SO easy to get burnt out if you overbook yourself. We try to give ourselves extra days off in between our trips. For example, take the day off before your trip so that you can prepare with enough time. Take a few days off after your trip to rest and relax before jumping back into work. If you don’t do that, it’s VERY easy to experience burnout quickly if you’re go, go, go all the time!
We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Hannah and Sarah as much as we did! Listen to our episode on Spotify, Apple or Google Podcasts for the full conversation!
