5 Must-Haves for a Great Wedding Photography Client Experience

As a wedding photographer, providing a great client experience for your couples goes beyond capturing beautiful images. The goal is to provide a seamless, exciting and stress-free journey for your clients from the time they first land on your website and book with you to the day you deliver their prints and albums after the wedding. No matter what photography style you have or type of clients you work with, these are five must-haves that will elevate your wedding photography client experience:

1. Set Clear Expectations from the Start

One of the key ingredients to a great client experience is establishing clear expectations from the very beginning. And the beginning starts from your website all the way through your consultation call, emails and communication prior to the engagement session and wedding and beyond. The best thing you can do in business is set reasonable expectations (that you know you can reach, even in your busiest, most challenging seasons of life and business) and then exceed them. For example, contractually, my turnaround time for weddings is 12 weeks but even in the busiest wedding seasons, I deliver photos much sooner than that. 

Be transparent about your services, packages, and pricing. Clearly communicate what your clients can expect in terms of deliverables, timelines, and any other important details. I know that when you’re starting out, conversations about pricing, expectations and contracts can be scary but when expectations are clear for and from both sides, it helps everyone align and it actually builds trust from your clients! 

Here are some places to set clear expectations: 

• The package and what the deliverables are
• Your business hours, preferred way to be contacted and how long they should expect to wait for a reply
• The timeline for services and what’s next (when do you suggest doing the engagement session, writing the wedding day timeline, etc.) 
• How and when photos will be delivered

2. Be Genuine & Thoughtful

Authenticity and thoughtfulness can make a world of difference in creating a remarkable client experience. This goes two ways – 1. Truly be yourself and 2. Be a true friend and ally to them. Be yourself on your website, social media and in your calls and meetings with clients. Wedding clients are hiring you for photos, sure, but they’re also hiring you to be with them allllll day for the wedding! So being yourself will help to ensure you attract your most ideal clients which will lead to you working with clients you love that value what you do and clients that genuinely love and trust you. I promise you, working with ideal clients is what makes the business a dream job! 

Take the time to get to know your clients on a personal level. Show genuine interest in their love story, wedding plans, and priorities. Remember important details about them and incorporate those into your interactions. Small gestures like sending a handwritten note or gift can leave a lasting impression and show your clients that they are truly valued. All of which provides an amazing experience for them, but also you! When you get to know your clients better, you’ll be even more genuinely excited and comfortable on the wedding day. All of which will help you do your best and most creative work. 

Some ways to be genuine and thoughtful: 

• Work with a copywriter to create a website and brand voice that feels like you and speaks to your ideal client
• Ask questions about them in your first ever email response and consultation 
• Send a welcome questionnaire after they book to get to know them (and hint: ask them what part of their relationship they’re most excited to capture!)
• Ask for feedback after the engagement session
• Send a thoughtful welcome gift or thank you gift
• Create experiences around your sessions and how you deliver photos 

3. Provide Education and Support Prior to the Wedding

Weddings can be overwhelming for couples, and remember, for most couples, this is the first time they’ll plan a wedding and hire a wedding photographer. For some, it’s the first time in their lives they’ll have professional photos taken too! You can provide a ton of extra value by educating and offering resources to your couples. Whether this is in a guide and emails, try to answer their questions before they ask them and guide them along the journey of working with you. A part of this relates to setting expectations but also, in educating your clients, you’re also making them better clients for you! By educating your couples, you empower them and ensure they feel confident and prepared (all of which makes them trust you more and more and makes it easier for you to do your best work. 

Some ways to educate your clients: 

• Provide a detailed guide or checklist that helps them prepare for their big day
• Offer tips on what to wear for their engagement session
• Tell them the best times to shoot for golden hour
• Provide sample wedding day timelines and communicate how much time you need for the various portraits of the day 

4. Make It Easy

Simplicity and convenience are essential elements of a great client experience. Streamline your processes and make it easy for clients to communicate with you and access their photos. Use user-friendly, online platforms for contracts, invoices, and online galleries. Respond promptly to inquiries and provide clear instructions for any necessary steps. The more seamless and hassle-free you can make the experience, the more your clients will appreciate your professionalism and attention to detail. And this workflow will be constantly evolving and it’s something I update as often as I can, especially if I start to notice any friction in the form of questions from couples or delays in the process somewhere. It’s okay to make mistakes but as you grow and gain experience, take that and keep improving to continually provide the best experience you can. 

Ideas to make it easy: 

• Use a CRM to manage invoicing, contracts, and reminders (I love Sprout Studio)
• Do as much as you can online with the least amount of steps possible
• Accept credit cards and online payments
• Use a scheduling software to manage calendars 
• Send reminders and follow-up emails where needed 
• Write their wedding day timeline with and for them! 
• Offer referrals and suggestions for other vendors
• Include travel in your package price and book all of your own travel

5. Be a Calming Force on the Wedding Day

Wedding days can be hectic and emotional for couples. As a wedding photographer, you have the opportunity to be a calming presence amidst the chaos. Maintain a calm and composed demeanor, even in challenging situations. Offer reassurance, guidance, and support throughout the day. For me and my business, I’m always on Team Couple! It’s their day after all and amidst navigating a lot of other people’s opinions, I always want to be their ally. Help your clients feel comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera by providing gentle direction and creating a positive atmosphere. Make sure your emails are always positive and happy. Even if things are behind schedule or your equipment is malfunctioning, do your best to stay calm so you don’t add to their stress. 

By incorporating these five must-haves into your wedding photography client experience, you can create a great journey for your couples. Set clear expectations, show genuine thoughtfulness, provide education and support, make it easy for them, and be a calming force on their wedding day. With these 5 steps, you’re already well on your way to creating a standout client experience and successful wedding photography business. Remember, it’s not just about capturing beautiful photos but also about creating lasting memories and building meaningful relationships. Your clients will cherish not only the images you capture but also the incredible experience you provide during this big, emotion-filled, exciting (and somewhat overwhelming) season of their lives.