One of the goals on a lot of wedding photographers’ vision boards is the high-end wedding. Depending on where you are in the world, this can have a very different connotation. I’m in the New Jersey and New York City area, one of the most expensive places to have a wedding, so high-end to me means multi-million-dollar weddings at places like Cipriani and The Plaza. Recently, however, I moved to Austin, Texas and high-end weddings there are a little bit different, but still consist of the main goal to elevate above the average clientele.
Whichever it is for you, it mostly certainly means that you have to find and appeal to a more luxurious client. This isn’t easy, especially if you don’t run in those crowds yourself (heck, I sure don’t). But there are ways to position yourself and your brand so that you get in front of those clients and make them beaming happy when you do.
1. Client Experience
This is the most important part of photographing a high-end wedding. I know, you expected me to start with “Here’s where you get high-end leads.” Guess what? There’s no magic to that other than targeting your marketing and advertising towards them (which is another article in itself). The problem that most photographers face is not knowing how to give those prospects an experience that makes the pickiest of brides begging for more. If you’re not ready to give high-end clients a high-end experience, there’s no point in trying to attract them. So, first things first.
Word-of-mouth is touted to be one of the best forms of marketing. Well, if you want your brides talking about you, give them something to talk about! This is true regardless of where your ideal client falls on the low- to high-end wedding spectrum. It’s even more true if you’re aiming high. High-end brides expect a superior experience from you just as they expect a superior experience from where they bought their Porsche.
Here are some ways that you can ensure you’re giving a stellar experience to everyone that walks through your door.
- Give, give, give and then give some more. Give gifts and surprises they don’t expect. Don’t give discounts (that’s very anti-high-end), but give gifts even in your photography packages if you’d like.
- Overcompensate if something goes wrong. Things go wrong, but if you give them way more than is required to make it right, you’re going to end up on top.
- If you meet them in person, act like they’re patrons at your high-end restaurant. Give them food, wine, hang up their coats and set the ambience—everything you’d expect when walking into a Michelin star restaurant.
- Ask them what they need. Always keep the lines of communication open and be one step ahead of them. It’s better to set yourself up to answer questions before they ask them, and get them to open up with whatever they’d like from you before they feel the need to ask for it.
2. Appearance
Please don’t think I’m telling you to go out and buy a $1,000 suit. I’m not. However, there’s a lot to be said for being relatable to your client, and since your client only knows you skin-deep, the superficial is all they have to start finding a connection with you, for now.
If you can’t afford to buy some kind of statement piece that’ll bring up your relatability to high-end clients (and again, I’m not saying to go into debt or buy something you can’t afford), educate yourself on them. It’s a trivial example, but if you don’t know why those red soles are important on a bride’s wedding shoes, then there’s a chance they’re not going to look at you like you understand what’s important throughout the day.
I remember the first time I second shot for a high-end wedding photographer in NYC. I literally did not understand most of the words that were coming out of the bride’s and wedding planner’s mouths, and I’m pretty sure I embarrassed myself with the clothes I chose to wear as well. Now, I’m glad for experiences like those that taught me about the high-end cliente. If you get a chance, do second shoot for other photographers’ high-end weddings if at all possible.
3. Social Media Presence
Most of what I told you above comes into play once you have clients contacting you and you get a chance to meet or work with them. This tip comes before that and therefore is actually MORE important than the first two because it’s your first impression. Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram are 110% your storefront, even more than your website at times.
Prospective clients look at your social presence and judge your credibility and capability from them. Sad, but true. Here are three ways that you can make sure that you’re putting your best foot forward online.
- Post often, at least once a day.
- Engage others by liking and commenting, and even sharing other posts.
- Have a consistent visuals and voice. Instagram, in particular, is your new portfolio.
4. Quality, Tangible Products
I recently had a prospective client, the mother of the bride, tell me she was thinking of hiring another photographer, but the fact that she only handed over digital files and nothing tangible was “a smack in the face when spending that kind of money.” Hence, why she kept looking and was on the phone with me.
Shoot and burn might be a solid business model for a lot of people, but I’ve found that higher-end clients want a luxurious product to tout around as proof of their investment. Afterall, most luxury clientele enjoy wearing the expensive purses and clothes they buy to show them off, not just to send pictures of them in their closets. If you’re not currently at least offering products like albums and wall art, you just might be silently indicating that you’re not a quality high-end photographer.
Albums are, by far, my main income source. Selling albums literally doubles my income, and my clients are as obsessed with them as I am. There’s a lot that goes into selling albums and teaching your clients why they’re so important, but if you’re going to start anywhere with products, albums are the way to go. After all, it’s not only your job to capture the story, it’s your job to tell it too, and in a tangible way that’ll get passed down through generations.
Even if you’re not looking to tap into the high-end market, all of these concepts apply to your photography business. As the world becomes smaller and consumers are further educated on how solid brands and businesses operate, the more expectant they’ll be of what they experience with you.
Give yourself a leg up and start reflecting on what your business speaks to clients and make positive changes along the way. You and your clients will be happy you did!
