How Do I Become An Adventure Wedding Photographer

A question that I hear getting asked all the time is “How do I become an adventure wedding photographer?” It’s something that many people throughout the wedding industry want to know. So today I want to cover a few things that have helped me as an adventure wedding photographer, and to give you some ideas for how you can start booking more adventurous couples. I’m writing this from my own perspective as a photographer, but most of the points will also be relevant to other professions in the wedding industry.

How Do I Become An Adventure Wedding Photographer?

There isn’t 1 magic answer, as with most things in business and in life. But for what it’s worth, here are some of my top tips to help you become an adventure wedding photographer and to start booking more adventurous couples.

1. Create An Amazing Experience For Your Existing Couples

I hope you are all doing this anyway! Referrals are the best because people trust the values and experiences of people they know. My first destination wedding was the sister of one of my past grooms, and quite a few of my bookings come by way of referrals from previous couples. Even though your previous couples might not be super adventurous, it doesn’t mean they don’t have friends or family who aren’t.

2. Show What You Want To Shoot

This is one you’ve probably heard over and over again. And it’s true. Your website and social media profiles are your shop window, and you need to show prospective couples what they are looking for. An adventurous couple planning a mountain elopement are less likely to book you if all they can see in your portfolio is traditional weddings in a church or a registry office. If you don’t have any adventurous images, go out and take some. Arrange styled shoots or offer to do a few free shoots to try and create images that are inline with the types of weddings and couples that you want to work with. My only caveat with this one – be honest about the images coming from a styled shoot and don’t try to pass them off as a real wedding.

3. Network With Other Adventure Wedding Vendors

Creating relationships with other adventure wedding vendors, both on and offline is a great way to get referrals. But by networking, I don’t mean dropping an email with your prices to every wedding planner in your area and asking them to refer you to their couples. This technique might work if you’re lucky, but more likely than not, it will just get people annoyed. Take the time to build a relationship with the people you want to work with. Offer to shoot new headshots for them, blog about their services, comment and share their social media posts. Styled shoots are also a great way of connecting with other vendors who share the same target clients as you.

4. Be Adventurous

This is perhaps the most important one of all – or at least it has been for me. Adventure weddings are often quite intimate occasions, and many couples won’t just hire you for your mad photography skills if they don’t connect with you as a person. If you want to shoot destination weddings, travel and blog about it. If you want to shoot adventure weddings, go hiking, go camping, go skiing and share it on your blog, on Facebook, on your Instagram stories. If your dream clients go camping every weekend and your social media feed is all cappuccinos and cocktails, it’s unlikely that they’ll connect with you even if they like your photography.

There is no magic solution if you want to move your business in to a new direction. It takes time, dedication and consistency, and it involves working on all areas of your business to make sure everything is inline with the direction you want to be moving in. If adventure weddings are your dream, I believe in you to make it happen!

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