So, What Does It Mean to Book a Luxury Wedding Photographer? | WDP Ep 85

🎧 Listen to learn:

• Why luxury wedding photography is about more than beautiful images
• What truly separates luxury wedding photographers from the rest
• How photographers and wedding planners work together behind the scenes
• Why the "slow burn" is the key to building a successful creative career
• How Gen Z couples are changing the wedding experience
• Why multi-day wedding weekends create richer wedding stories

What does it actually mean to book a luxury wedding photographer? In this episode of Wedding Day Podcast, host Sonja Babich, CEO of Iron Diamond Media, sits down with Sarah Anne Thompson, founder of Seattle-based Sarah Anne Thompson, to explore what sets luxury wedding photography apart and why the experience extends far beyond the photos themselves.

Known for her timeless, story-driven imagery, Sarah shares how an unexpected internship introduced her to wedding photography after originally pursuing commercial photography. She reflects on nearly leaving the industry after pandemic burnout, the mindset shifts that helped her build a thriving luxury photography business and why embracing the "slow burn" of personal and professional growth has become one of her greatest philosophies.

The conversation also dives into the evolving expectations of today's couples, from immersive multi-day wedding weekends and personalized guest experiences to the growing demand for authentic behind-the-scenes storytelling. Sarah explains why close collaboration with wedding planners allows every meaningful detail—from sentimental heirlooms to custom design elements—to be thoughtfully documented, ensuring couples remember not only how their wedding looked, but how it felt.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Wedding Day Podcast with your host Sonia Babbage, CEO of Iron Diamond Media, a leading wedding resource featuring seven localized wedding brands across the country. Hi everybody, Sonia here with Wedding Day Podcast. We're here at the beautiful The Somme Hotel and Spa um here in Washington. It is absolutely a beautiful day today, and I can't wait to get outside. But before I do that, I need you to meet Sarah Ann. She's my friend for I don't know how many years. Like at least four to five at this point. Oh my gosh. And I we met each other, we're like, okay, are we best friends? Yes. Yes. Immediately. It was like stepbrothers. Yes. It was like, oh, I had a baby. Oh I had a baby. And you just, yeah. And it's just, yeah, exactly. But you were a very talented photographer, Sarah Ann photography. And you I remember the day you won Best Wedding Photographer. Your face was like like you were just like one shocked, which yeah, duh, everybody's shocked, but like you truly were so like humble pie when you won too, and you're just like teary-eye, but I know why, because you're just so lovable and talented.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

It was that that night was so insane because it was like my first real night away after having Josephine, and to have won this award, which I had been up for the year before, but Gen Tai won, which of course Jen is like she's like the m mother hen of our like industry here. Um so to have won after you know another nomination after like having a baby, being in that postpartum, it was just like it was a shock, it was amazing, and it just really ugly it was really cool your husband was there too to be in that moment. Yeah, he has it on film, and it's pretty hilarious when like you hear him screaming, then I'm like, oh it's it was yeah, it was really fun.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

So, how long have you been doing this?

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Oh my gosh. Okay, so I picked up a camera for the first time when I was 16. So uh yes, I will date myself. That is 18 years ago. Um You're not dating yourself, you're still a young chicken. Um, but I I needed an art credit in high school, and so my dad was like, Oh, I have a 35 millimeter, why don't you take that to Kwanos? Um, so I learned on like old black and white film photography first, and I got through those four years and I told my parents, I want to be a photographer, and they were like, You're gonna go to college and get a real job. So I kind of made a deal with them, and I was like, if I get my bachelor's, can I go back to art school? And so we made that deal, and the art school I wanted to go to was a two-year wait list, and so it worked out perfectly, and I have been in the creative world ever since.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Where did you go to art school?

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Uh Seattle Central has a photo commercial or commercial photo program up on Capitol Hill. Okay. Um, I actually teach that at that program now, which is really fun. So getting to teach at my alma mater is awesome, but it was it's a two-year intensive program. When I was there, it was strictly photo, now it's a photo video program. Um, but it's like 10-hour days, five days a week for two years. It is very intense, it was amazing, and part of that program you had to have an internship, and I interned at a wedding studio, and that's where I got introduced to weddings.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Oh, interesting.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

Oh, yeah. I thought I was gonna be like a product photographer. I was like, products don't talk back to you, like I can just like do whatever I want, and then I had to take yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

You wanna do that again? No, but like, okay, so if you could go back and tell yourself one thing at the beginning, because I know you've come so far and you found yourself and you're a rock star, etc. We'll get more into that, but like one thing you like wish you told yourself when you started this journey.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Um, I really wish that I enjoyed the journey more. I think when I was really young, I was just so determined to like make a name for myself, and I really needed a slice of humble pie at that time in my life. Um, and life gave that to me. And so unfortunately, I learned a couple lessons very much the hard way. But I think I just wish I had just realized that like the journey is is the memories and it is the exciting part, and it's the stories you get to have, and especially in this industry, like the experience and the time under pressure, like that's where you become this very like rich tapestry of these skills and stories and experience, and it just makes you a better artist. Um, so I wish I could just go back and be like, girl, slow down.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

I had a I had a uh team member of mine at the club being like, Sonia, take a chill pill, and you're like, No, I'm so excited. Yeah, and I want everything perfect. He goes, Yeah, it will be. Go have a cup of coffee.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Decaf.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

It was never.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

Never, never. I could never, even when I was pregnant, I could never.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

Okay, so you talk you talked about something in one of your in your in your forum, like hot takes with the slow burn. What do you mean about the slow burn? I've never heard that term before.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

So slow burn is um kind of funny where that uh coin of phrase comes from. It's from um, I don't know if you've heard of the smut type books, romanticy. That's like very popular amongst uh millennial women right now. So we're talking about like the Aquatar series, Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, um Sarah J. Mass and Rebecca Yarros are these authors that have written these amazing um universe like style books and they're romantic, which means there's like some spies.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

It's a little fifty shades of graystyle.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Little 50 shades of graystyle. So in in those books, you have what you call the slow burn, which is like the slow buildup between two characters, and then they like enemies to lovers, and they're finally together, and you're like, yeah, and it took like you know, three or five hundred pages to get there. So um you'll I decad something like you can find me like ah, yes, when I'm like reading my book. I will literally send you the books if you're interested. But the same thing is what I think of when I think of this career is it's a slow burn. I think that everyone looks at like the Jose Villas, the Corbin Gherkins of our industry, and they just want it to happen by the time they're 26 years old. And all of these artists that we really look up to and are so well respected in our industry and even outside of our industry, they're in their mid to late 40s. Like it took a long time to get there. And I think that the advent of social media has really kind of uh distorted our perspective of like how long it really takes to build a reputation and that experience to be trusted at that level. So, like that's kind of like the slow burn. You just have to remember like slow and steady wins the race. And I think that's also why a lot of um wedding professionals burn out so fast is like they go too hard, too fast, they're not building a sustainable business, and they're also kind of chasing the wrong things, like they don't really have that deep sense of why. Like, why do I do this? Why am I invested? Like, I could do any job. Why is it this job? So that slow burn is really like enjoy the process, enjoy the journey, and all that stuff is just gonna like make you a better, more enriched person.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

You know, I can attest to that because I remember standing at the club at my desk, and I'm like, I know there's something greater out there for me, but it's gonna make sense. So it's like the slow burn, uh-huh, right? There's a reason why I did this, there's a reason why I'm here. So you gotta just trust the process.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

You do, and when you have that, like and don't force it, exactly. And like when you have that little tug, like it's keep it's pull gonna keep pulling you that way, that's where you just gotta like let it let it pull you. Like Taylor Swift, the invisible string, you know, you just gotta let it guide you.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

That could be a whole new podcast.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

Yes, Tay Te needs to drop those wedding photos.

SPEAKER_00 8:07

Oh well, I know when we it depending on when we you know publish your your podcast, but like it is a thing. If this is a before or after, I really hope that she puts this out in a publication. Oh, yeah. This is what I think she's gonna do. Again, this is just assumptions. I was right about Madison Square Garden because there was secure heavy security and plenty hotels. She knew it. And when you're an artist, what's the number one spot you dream to perform? Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 8:34

Madison Square Garden. Yes, selling out.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

The number one event of your life, why wouldn't you want to have it where you always dreamed of having your number one concert?

SPEAKER_01 8:41

Exactly. And then also, you have like you said, security. There's no drones, no one can get in, no one can like it it 100% made sense, and it was really funny because there were a lot of people on like TikTok being like, You mean she's gonna get married on a basketball corner? And I'm like, I'm sorry, you don't know our industry.

SPEAKER_00 8:59

Like, we can transform anything, yeah. Um, but yeah, going back to like I really hope that she puts her wedding photos out in a publication. I hope so too. I think flood to the newsstands, who's gonna get a Taylor Swift copy? When they're gone, they're gone, they're a hot commodity. Oh, yeah. It's like when her album releases, everybody wants to get the real thing, right? Because it's more tangible.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

I think that she also, like someone else predicted this, and I could totally see her doing it, is her doing like a docuseries about the wedding and like leading up to it. Because like the production level is so insane, and obviously, she had a video team, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's like a you get to experience it as well. Like, she's good.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

I love that idea.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

I really hope she does, and I hope she also does print because like imagine like that in like Vogue or a Vanity Fair.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

I think it's gonna be in Vogue. Why wouldn't it be in Vogue?

SPEAKER_01 9:52

It's like the wedding of the century, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

And again, there's no brides, there's no Martha Stewart, that's a heavy publication. So again, power print. But um, I I hope that happens, or she's not gonna release it at all. And it's her one special day that she gets to hold true with her friends and family. But again, there's rumors that she's gonna release it, but she may not. And I'm like, it's gonna be like national treasure. You're gonna go to the national like archives, you're gonna have to have that secret code of see who is on the guest list at Taylor Swift's wedding and gets three sneak peeks.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

Yeah, and like what's so amazing about Taylor and Travis's like inner circle of friends is like they don't spill the beans, like they are so well trusted, and I think they really honor their friendship with her and know that like privacy is of the utmost importance. So I actually think it's really fun that there haven't been like any real leaks or anything. It's like everyone's just like, no, this is hers. And like as a Swifty, since I was super little, it's like growing up with her and hearing like and listening to like all of her songs that like get you right in your soul because you like you've lived that experience. It's like growing up with her and now getting to see her have her happy ending. It was just like it's the best.

SPEAKER_00 10:59

So, and now you like you said, like your right-hand person, you love being the right-hand person to a wedding planner. Yes, tell us like you're kind of like their fangirl in a sense, right? So, what does that mean?

SPEAKER_01 11:12

So, basically, like the planner is who I consider one of my most important clients. Like, my couple is my client, but also my planner is my client because they are master of ceremonies, like they are the wizards behind the magic that happens, and they have such a high-level view and such a detailed view, and they just need someone who understands them, their desires, the client's desires, and how to bring that all forward visually. And I love solving that problem and putting those puzzle pieces together. Like, I love this last few years, I've really been pushing myself into that upper luxury market, and that's where you do have to have teams of people to be able to be where they need to be when rooms are ready, when details are down, when the couple is ready, when family's ready. And so it's really fun. It's like a toucher scene of like, okay, how do we make this happen? And so I love being that resource for the planner. So it's like if she needs to be off and running elsewhere, she knows I have her back.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

And you also make sure, like, the planners being like, hey, this is all the pros that are involved. Here's all the details, these are all the things that are happening, so then you're also not missing any steps on a wedding day for the couple, too.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Exactly, because like the planners work with the couples to choose such like important and small, minute details, and those details need to be honored. Like, it could be the little inscription on like the napkins. Um, at one wedding, it was um an imprint of a handwritten note from a grandmother who is no longer with us, and like that's a huge detail, and like that meant so much to the couple when they saw that. It's like those are the things that if you're not talking to your planner, you're not gonna know. You're just gonna be like, Oh, it's a cocktail napkin. So, like, I love just like I tell my planners, I'm like, which table setting do you like the best, which linens do you like the best? Tell me which floralscape you're most excited about. Like, I want to bring forth all of their hard work so that they also have something to show for this like immense amount of work that they put in.

SPEAKER_00 13:11

Yeah, well, it's so true. And again, every pro puts in so much love to make up every wedding day. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

It's like we put our hearts and souls into bringing making these dreams come true. So it's like it's really the role of the the photographer to make sure they are all just like perfectly preserved for the couple.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Okay, so you have definitely grown as a photographer, and now you are now respected as a very more of a higher-end photographer. But how did you make that change to get the hiring clients and also just that respect too?

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Yeah, I think the a couple things happened all at once. Was I was really burned out after we had the COVID bounce back, and I had just been doing so many weddings, and a lot of them were at that mid-market level where not all couples can afford a planner. And so, really, a photographer ends up stepping into that role, and that can be extremely exhausting and draining because not only are you having to be creative on demand, but you're now also having to manage all the things, and so that wasn't fun anymore. And um, to be honest, I almost left weddings after that, and I'm so glad I didn't. I'm so thankful that I didn't because I'm thankful you didn't. So in 2022, two of my couples had rescheduled, and one was in Cabo and one was in Italy, and those weddings really were like the breath of fresh air that I needed because we're talking about incredible design, incredible vendor teams, full planners that were like taking the reins so I could truly just focus on my art, and I was like, oh my god, I I love this. Like, this is where I'm meant to be. And so from there, it really was about doing a lot of mindset shifts because the way that luxury clients and couples and families and planners work is extremely different than mid-market. So I did a lot of coaching, I went to a lot of events. Um, I actually get to go to my first engage this December, which maybe we might see someone else there. I'm gonna see you. But you know, it just it was about getting getting into the different rooms that you need to be in to work at that level. And so I'm even working with a coach right now, Sam Jacobson. He has spoken at seven engages, he's incredible. I actually brought him in to do our WIPA mastermind this uh last spring, and he and his wife are this incredible team. Their company is ID Action Consulting, and they are just brilliant when it comes to sales and marketing, and so I'm really excited to start that work with them to again just continue that trajectory. But it was just about it was about thinking differently, thinking more in the mindset of how do these people operate, how do they work, what do they need, and then how do I display that photographically, and then how do I sell that to them, but like in a very genuine way. Like a lot of people think that luxury is just slapping a higher price tag on it and like walking in the door, but it is a different level of service. So that's just been really fun, and again, I like the challenge and getting to have larger teams, you know, higher stakes. Like, I'm kind of like I I love the adrenaline of it, it's just it it feeds me.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

Well, I'm I just know like just for the public to know, like you are always put together, you're always on time, you are always welcome with a smile and a hug, and just a class act. So I always love working with you. And I love seeing you know that. Um, but uh the other thing that you were talking about too is like the seeing the shift with Gen Z to and what are you seeing for a shift with Gen Z weddings?

SPEAKER_01 16:49

So Gen Z is really about the experience of their guests, so they really want it to be more immersive, they want it to be extremely customized, they don't want to do what other people have done, and they're kind of really saying whatever to like a lot of wedding traditions. So we're just seeing like more of that weekend experience. They want to be with Which I love it's so much better, and that's really where I am pushing my own brand to be a part of is the multi-day experience because there's so much more storytelling. You actually get to have time with your people instead of just that one cocktail hour and maybe a little bit into reception. But Gen Z is really about fast communication, um, full transparency. They want to see your behind the scenes, they want to see the messy of how you make the magic because there is also this shift of you know, with the advent of AI and people not always trusting what they see online, so it's like they want to see that iPhone footage from how you're setting up place settings or how are you shooting this amazing shot on a beach, like they want that, and so it's really cool to see them wanting like the raw and then messy, but also transforming that into a very unique, customized experience for them and their guests.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

Yeah, I know. I these weekend like retreats, I would say, or vacations are sort of more custom but personable at the same time, like having that welcome party, having the next morning, even having like signups for hair and makeup, yeah, or a yoga class on the lawn, or like doing like the big pool day before, or like the boat ride after, like all those things.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

And I think like one thing I've really come to do at least a lot in this area is doing the rehearsal dinners and the welcome parties because like there are toasts that happen then, there are reunions that happen then, and that's really the first time you're seeing people.

SPEAKER_00 18:38

Because on your wedding day, you're kind of in your bubble with your partner, like you're just in your lala world, and you're like you're getting married, celebrating our love story, and those welcome parties, those rehearsal dinners are actually allowing you to actually hang out with your friends and family.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Yeah, and there's just like you get to squeeze people, and that's when like you know, your two worlds are merging together for the first time, and there's just so much like raw emotion that happens in that time, and it's like one it's you know, the other parts that I love about merging um is actually that why I love bachelor and bachelorette parties.

SPEAKER_00 19:06

Yeah, because you do kind of merge the worlds a little bit a little bit during that time and like the bridal showers. You don't think of that, but you are starting that like that bonding before the big day, so then it's a little more fun when you run them run into them in the bathroom or the potter room, you know, being like hey Auntie Janet, how's it going? Oh my gosh, I loved what you brought for Emily. It's so good. Yeah, yeah. Um, well, what is one thing that you would like to share that like fills your cup on a wedding day? What's your favorite thing then?

SPEAKER_01 19:37

Oh okay. Two things. Okay. So, one, I always love listening to the toasts as they're being given because I love the funny stories. I was at a wedding recently where all of the toast givers were literally like theater camp Broadway kids. And so they were hilarious, well-timed, comedic relief. It was just uh incredible. But the other part that I love is I love seeing grandparents, and I love like buddying up with you know the grandparents, and they're like, You're my VIP today. So like grandma will have her iPhone, and sometimes it's an iPad, and she like wants that photo. But what I do is I I will literally during the ceremony, I'll sneak up to them and like tap them on the shoulder, and I'll take their phone and I'll snap along with my camera for the whole ceremony, and then I'll hand it back to them. So then grandma has all these amazing photos that she can go and take with her, and then I always make sure she gets one with the bride, both on my camera and on hers. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:36

That is so cute. I love that. Yeah, Sarah, that's a 10. That's a 10 moment. Good job. Thanks. It's just really funny. I know they're showing everybody at their morning coffee or bowling or golf or knitting club, whatever. Exactly. Look how pretty she was or looking, and they are complimenting her too. Because you know, they think about their outfit and they how they look when when the when they hit the ring or when they hear the news. So that's a very nice touch.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Good job. It's just, it's it's just like one of those little, you know, surprise and delights that I love to do. And it's just if they I'm like, grandma, you are my VIP, you can have that iPad wherever you like.

SPEAKER_00 21:15

Well, thanks, Sarah, for coming on the podcast. Thanks for having me. I'm just excited that everybody finally has gotten to meet you. And we've been waiting for you to get on this podcast.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

I know. Well, and as soon as Alexis put that in my inbox, I was like, hello me. I love you there.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

Anyway, so thanks, everybody, and I'll see you next time.