The wedding industry is made up of some amazing and tenacious entrepreneurs. Like any industry, there’s a wide spectrum of talent and professionalism, but I’ve been incredibly blessed over the years to work some of the absolute best in the business. Being a full time wedding photographer in Savannah Georgia affords me more time than most to network and collaborate with other vendors. And I try to use that time to the max!
One of my favorite things to do is email or call up other local (and sometimes international and exotic!) wedding vendors and ask how I can help them. I ask them things like, ‘Is there anything you ever wish you could ask or say to a wedding photographer, but never had the chance?‘ Or, ‘what’s one thing I could do as a photographer that would make your job easier?‘ Or, ‘Could we schedule a photo shoot or maybe a brainstorm session to give both of us some creative marketing material?‘ In a world dominated by social media (Instagram! Facebook!) having fresh, amazing photos or videos in your feed is SO IMPORTANT to having a healthy and thriving business.
Now – I won’t lie. A small part of this is selfish. I love getting my name out into the community. I love taking photos in a controlled environment like a styled shoot. I love having the chance to visit amazing venues without a wedding day timeline, and being able to send amazing images to the venue, free of charge. It’s amazing when there’s some sort of reciprocity like a referral, but the important thing I emphasize is: It’s not what you can get in return, but how amazingly and perfectly you can give. And honestly I get a lot of flak from some of my best photographer friends for that – but it’s one of the biggest things that set me apart in this industry, and I’m 100% okay with that.
Speaking of working with some AMAZING vendors – I wanted to share a few photos from a recent photo shoot we coordinated with the talented girls at Ivory and Beau! And to answer the big question – why I collaborate with other wedding vendors so much – It’s exactly because of this shoot. Full of unexpected amazingness and happy surprises – like a pet piglet showing up at the photoshoot!!!
Some of the amazing vendors on this super creative shoot:
Vision and Styling: Ivory and Beau
Gown: Joanna August
Skirt Overlay: Maggie Sotter Designs
Model: Mariah Pelton
Venue: Georgia State Railroad Museum
Pig: 🙂 Oliver The Traveling Pig!
3 Comments.
Not sure whether I should comment on the stunning photos or the great perspective first… Let’s go photos. 😉 I saw a couple of these pop up on instagram and absolutely loved them. (Plus, how can you resist such a cute little pig?! What a unique and terrific addition to that shoot!) But I think what is more impressive is the servant leader attitude you bring to the industry, offering to your other vendors before asking, listening before telling. Definitely a great takeaway from this post!
This comment means so much, Megan. Seriously!
That pig is irresistible. Lovely photos too, with an unusual approach – I love it!
And I agree with you – it’s the friendships and relationships that we build up that will help carry us. And it is good sometimes to just do photography for the fun it – recapture the magic that sometimes slip away when we are hard at work.