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The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast
The Preferred List is a podcast that pulls back the curtain on the wedding industry, featuring honest conversations with the pros behind the scenes. From planners to photographers to DJs and florists, we dive into the real stories, lessons, and moments that make weddings unforgettable — and what it really takes to earn a spot on the list.
The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast
Episode 18 Serve The Day, Then Capture It: Ashley Warren Photography
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The best wedding days feel lived-in, not staged—and that starts with the people behind the camera. We sit down with Ashley, a wedding photographer who came to the industry through youth ministry and event planning, to unpack how a service-first mindset changes everything. From calm timelines and real margin to reading the room when emotions peak, she shares how to create space for authentic moments while still delivering the portraits couples expect.
We talk about the sweet spot between documentary and direction: how to plan a first look so the moment happens, then step back and let it breathe. Ashley explains why the trend toward candid, people-first celebrations is reshaping coverage—more time with guests, fewer marathon photo blocks, and galleries that embrace variety. Direct flash receptions, nighttime portraits, and film-inspired frames now sit comfortably alongside classic, print-worthy images. Consistency is about taste and color, not forcing the same look from bridal suite to dance floor.
If you’re booking vendors, you’ll hear clear, practical advice: look for personality fit, ask how your images are backed up, and treat a second shooter as an insurance policy. We dig into simple packages with a la carte hours that keep decisions easy and budgets honest, then revisit coverage once the timeline is real. For couples feeling overwhelmed, Ashley shares the “pick three priorities” approach and a reminder to prioritize the marriage over the minutiae. For creatives, we cover systems that speed communication, how texting can be both personal and professional, and why community over competition lifts the entire industry.
If you loved this conversation, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s planning, and leave a quick review so more couples and vendors can find us. Your support helps us bring more real, useful stories from the people who make wedding days unforgettable.
https://ashleywarrenphoto.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ashleywarrenphoto/
Welcome And Venue Shoutout
SPEAKER_02Welcome to The Preferred List, a podcast about the people behind the best wedding days. I'm James, a wedding filmmaker. I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors, and this show is all about real conversations with the ones who make it happen. Whether you're a vendor or a couple, you'll get honest insight, good stories, and maybe a little inspiration along the way. Let's meet today's vendor. Hey Ashley, how's it going?
SPEAKER_00Hi, I'm great. I'm glad to be here.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, glad to have you. Um, we literally just worked together. Well, I don't know when this is coming out, but we just worked together a couple weddings ago. That was great. And it was fantastic. And I was like, you have to be on because I need to know all of the things. So I'm glad to have you on today. Again, today we are at the barn at Silverstone. It's been featured on the world's greatest as the world's greatest wedding venue.
SPEAKER_00I didn't know that.
SPEAKER_02Every guest I say that to, I'm like, dang, look at them. They made it. Here, breathtaking historic stonework meets elegant modern design with an inclusive approach that lets couples enjoy a truly low-stress planning experience. And if you've met Miranda, who runs the thing here, wonderful human being. Also, she's done like 700 weddings. So if you want someone who knows what they're doing and a venue that is beautiful, check out the barn at Silverstone. Well, let's jump in. Ashley. Ashley, you're here on the podcast. Excited because we just worked together. So I have like this inside scoop on what it's like to work alongside you as a wedding videographer myself.
Ashley’s Unexpected Path To Photography
SPEAKER_02Give me like the inside scoop on how you got into the industry. Where does all of this begin for you?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. So I love being a wedding photographer. I always tell people I have like the best job in the entire world. Um, but I never planned on being in the wedding industry. I never planned on being a photographer. I actually um used to work in youth ministry. So throughout college and outside, like right after college, I was working in youth ministry at a really large church. Um, and I was responsible for all of their like big events for students. So we were taking like 500 students to camp, and I was the one responsible for that, which is really helpful when you work like events. Yeah. Like it's actually proved to be incredibly helpful.
SPEAKER_02Basically, have 500 kids that you're actually.
SPEAKER_00Yes, it's great. So, like when something goes wrong on a wedding day, I'm like, it's fine. I've dealt with like 500 middle schoolers, we're all good. Um, but yeah, so I was doing events in the ministry that I worked at, and then they asked me to take over their social media, and I was like, I have no idea how to do that. I don't know what I'm doing. Um, but I was like, I guess I have to learn how to take pictures if I'm gonna be responsible for this. So I bought a like old canon rebel off of Craigslist. I met someone in a parking lot. Love it. It was the shadiest situation ever. Yeah. I had no idea how to use it. Like the first like 50 pictures I took were just black because I had no idea you had to like change the settings. Like I literally knew nothing. Um, but I started playing with it just to kind of learn, and I loved it. And I would take pictures for some of my friends just while we were hanging out. It was like not a big deal. Um, and then one day somebody came to me and was like, hey, my friend's wedding photographer backed out.
SPEAKER_03No.
SPEAKER_00And they're getting married in two weeks and they need somebody. Can you do it? And I was like, I literally am not a photographer. Like, I mean, I can, but I don't think it's gonna be very good. Um, but I ended up shooting this wedding and um I loved it. It was really fun. I used all of the money that they gave me to buy a nice enough camera to even be able to shoot their wedding. Um, took all of the photos and I left that day and I was like, I really enjoy this. And so I wasn't trying to be a photographer still at that point. And I remember like praying and being like, Lord, if you want me to be a photographer, like you're gonna have to throw this at me because it's kind of trendy and I don't know that I'm like trying to do that, and I really love my job. Um, and he like threw it at me over the next couple of years, and my business just grew so much that I couldn't keep up with my full-time job um because my business became a full-time job, and so I've been full-time for the past five years. So that's so fun.
SPEAKER_02Uh random Craigslist find turns into a five-year-long business.
SPEAKER_00I know it's incredible.
SPEAKER_02So I yeah, Craigslist kind of scares me a little bit.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I would never do it today, and I didn't even tell anyone that I was going.
SPEAKER_02That's kind of the worst part.
SPEAKER_00I know. After the fact I was like, I this could have ended.
SPEAKER_02I should have like turned my location services on, shared it with five people. Yep.
SPEAKER_00It's all new. It all worked out in the end, so would not recommend though. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, no, I think it's so fun to hear how like when you're not planning for something to happen in a certain way that the Lord just like makes it all happen and you're like, oh, okay, this is clear. I know this is where I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to be doing. Um when you were photographing for your friends, were you like kind of practicing? Were you like getting your feel for like the camera, or were you just like taking sort of random photos?
SPEAKER_00I mean, it was a little bit of both. It was I mean, I was like 21, 20 or 20. I was very like I was young, and I was just like hanging out, like we would like go on a hike, and I'd be like, let me take my camera. And the pictures were were dreadful, they were awful. Um, but I thought that they were the coolest thing ever. And honestly, the first wedding that I did, like when I look back at the pictures, the editing was is horrendous, like it's awful. But the pictures themselves are not that bad. So I feel like I kind of had like a little bit of an eye for it without realizing it because I wasn't really trying that hard to learn, and it came to me pretty naturally after I figured out how to like not have a black screen. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02I thought when you said that at first that you didn't take the lens cap off. No, but it was literally just a black screen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was taking picture after picture because I didn't I didn't know that you had like had to set all of the settings, like I had no idea. I thought you just like it was a nice camera.
SPEAKER_02You've come a long way, yeah. You your pictures are way better than a black screen. I can vouch for that. Um, so you started a ministry, um, jumped into that like social media stuff. I'm assuming that was helpful for the business that you're running
Social Media, Marketing, And Showing Up
SPEAKER_02now.
SPEAKER_00Oh, incredibly helpful. Like I um I felt like I took so much from that job to be able to market myself. Um, and I I feel really blessed for that because I felt like I didn't have to like learn how to like get myself out there. The first couple of years of business, it was actually fairly easy for me to find clients because I was like, if you just show up on social media, people will come to you. So the big thing for me I realized was like showing up is so important and it doesn't always have to be perfect. And I still have to remind myself of this today, especially now that I'm further into it. Like I want it to be more perfect than I did before. Um, but showing up is what matters, and showing up is what gets people to find you and also like you as a person and want to work with you. So I feel like I took a lot of that from um my previous job and was was able and have been able to use that still to this day when it comes to like the marketing aspect of the business.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I feel like I hear a lot of educators that are like, put out what you want to get. Right. And so I do, I totally get that. Like that sort of you want it to be perfect, but sometimes um showing up and being present is a little bit better than that like minute benefit from being perfect.
SPEAKER_00Well, and when I think about like who I like to follow and businesses I want to work with, it's it's people that I'm like, I feel like I know that person as a person and I align with their values, and they seem like somebody that I would want to hang out with in real life, and like that's what I want to be a part of. And so I think that's what most people want to be a part of. But sometimes it can be easy to be like, well, nobody wants to see anything that's not a wedding photo because I'm a wedding photographer. When it's actually the opposite, and people want to see your wedding photos, but they also want to see like what you made for dinner that night sometimes because they're like, I could use a recipe idea. And it's it can be hard to put yourself out there in that way, but it honestly is so helpful.
SPEAKER_02What do you think the benefit is for couples that are like experiencing you on social media when you have that mindset of like, I'm not just gonna show pretty pictures from weddings, I'm gonna like show more of myself and my personality and like what I'm all about.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I always tell my couples on my consult calls with them, like you are with your wedding photographer more than you're with your spouse for the brides, like on your wedding day. And so knowing who that person, like who the photographer is as a person, or really like videographers too, vendors that are gonna be with you for most of the day, it's important because their pictures could be really pretty, but they could be a really dreadful person. And that's not who you want standing beside you all day long on your wedding day. And so, like all of my consults I go into, I go into with a hey, this is for both of us to see if we like each other. If you don't like me, that's okay, but you shouldn't hire me even if you like my pictures, because I want this to be a good experience. And I think the like social media element of that allows people to see into somebody's life before they even get on a consult call and they can see, like, okay, this seems like somebody that I would get along with and that I would like to be there on my wedding day with me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so when you are jumping from the ministry stuff, doing social media for them, and then you you're like, okay, I'm gonna grab a camera, I'm gonna figure this out. How do you go from that to then being like, like that first wedding, you're like, oh, this is actually something that I could do? Is there something at that first wedding you're like, this this feels like a thing?
SPEAKER_00I don't know if I would say at the first the first wedding, I was just surviving. Like I had no idea what I was doing. Uh, I'll tell a little bit of an embarrassing story. I like literally didn't know what I was doing to so much to the fact that I sat in the bridal suite with my second shooter, like before the ceremony. Like the bride's just like waiting to get married, and I'm just sitting there like watching them. And one of the bridesmaids came over to me and she was like, Hey, could you like give us some space? Like, cause I didn't know where I needed to go. And so I just sat in the room with like it was I had no idea what I was doing. Yeah. So at that point, I wasn't like totally there, but I I loved doing the wedding. I left and I was like, that was really fun. And I could see myself wanting to do more of this, but I really did love my ministry job. And so I was not in a place where I was like, I'm gonna jump ship and go be a photographer. Um, so the first couple of years of business for me, I really only did a few weddings a year as like a part-time thing. Um, and it was actually during COVID, it was the weirdest thing ever. Um, everybody in the wedding industry was really struggling, and for some reason, like I don't know what it was, my business boomed. Like it out of nowhere, like weddings aren't even able to happen. And I'm booking so much that I realized that when we went back to the office at my full-time job, I couldn't go back to the office because I had so much business stuff going on. And that was the moment where I was like, okay, I love this and I'm okay with like leaving this job because I love this business that I've
Early Weddings, Growing Confidence
SPEAKER_00built so much. Um, and I'm able to take a lot of the things from my previous job into my new business, and I'm excited about that. So I but I'd probably been in business three or four years at that point before it was really like, no, this is what I want to do full-time.
SPEAKER_02Oh, wow. Yeah. So you were three years or four years, you you were doing both the ministry job and yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I was very part-time with weddings. I was doing like, you know, five to ten a year. It wasn't a ton, but it slowly kept building to the point where I was like, okay, this is now two full-time jobs. And that's when I realized that it was time to have a job.
SPEAKER_02Well, you can't, you you almost need a little bit of a clue in on like there's enough going on in the wedding side of things to be like, I can leave the money part. You know, it is not all about money, but you do need to have a little bit of security in that.
SPEAKER_00Oh, for sure. I was self-supporting at that time. Like I lived on my own, like I was not like married at that point in time, so it was like, cool, we have to like make sure that I can pay my bills, so we can't just like decide we want to be a wedding start. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, no, that's totally valid. Um, is there like what moment did you have? Um, you know, maybe you're sitting there editing, or maybe you're at a um, you know, like hanging out with a bride getting ready, and you're like, man, this job, like, how did I get here? Like this job is so cool. It's like what I was meant to be doing. Like, do you have a moment like that?
SPEAKER_00I have so many moments like that. It's hard. Like, I still have moments like that. So it's hard to like pinpoint one. Um, but I'll generalize that uh for me, the coolest thing is when I leave a wedding and the bride, like, I don't expect to be friends with all my clients, but the bride feels like somebody that I'm like, I will stay connected with that person. And then that person comes back later and they're like, hey, we're like pregnant. Can you take announcement photos for us? Hey, we're growing our family. Hey, and like you get to feel like you're part of all of these moments of someone's life. And when you see them, it it is kind of like seeing an old friend. You're like, I've been taking photos for you for so long that like I know it's a business transaction and you're not actually like my best friend, but I have this moment where I'm so excited to see you. And I think those are the moments where I'm like, this is this is the best job.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it is so funny because that on the wedding day, we're as creatives, we're just like, put in, tell the story and then leave. But it sounds like you're almost more excited about like the potential to kind of track along with your couples and all these other milestones as opposed to like just that one moment where you're in and out.
SPEAKER_00I think that's part of it. And honestly, though, I think the way that I handle a wedding day is with that mindset too. And I think that's why I like my job so much. Like, for me, it's not a let's get them the best photos and move on. I want to get them the best photos, like that's my job. Um, but I always tell my couples, like, my job beyond getting you photos is making sure that you have the best wedding day and it's serving you. Um, and so I really go into every wedding with the mindset of like, how can I make sure that my bride has the best day ever? So I will go get water. I will like make sure the bridesmaids are okay. If I notice that my bride's anxious, I'll like pull her aside and be like, hey, are you good? Uh there's more of a relational aspect of it for me on a wedding day beyond just the like getting photos part. And that's something that I've been able to grow in over the years. Cause when I first started, like I was way too focused, not too focused, but I had to be focused on like, are my settings right? What does the light look like? You have to think because you're kind of like learning how to ride a bike. But once you know how to ride a bike, you don't have to think about it as much. And I don't feel like I have to think about the photos as much anymore. And I can really hone in and focus on my couples and their families and all the people that are there to serve.
SPEAKER_02So it's a really interesting kind of analogy. You brought up the the riding a bike. Once you know how to do it, you're just focused on like where you're going. You're not thinking like left, right, left, like where are my brakes at? Like, how do I shift? You're literally just like, oh, I'm gonna go up here and I'm gonna turn. When you're comparing that to like the photo world, once you have your settings and your lighting and all of your composition stuff, now you're like tuned in on like what's actually happening around you. And then you have a chance to like notice that your bride is stressed because you're not sitting there thinking about settings, you're sitting there in the moment with them and you know, better serving your couples, it sounds like.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. And I think that comes with experience. Um, but I also think it comes with like making sure that you're doing the wedding day in a specific way. So I will make sure throughout the day that like I have times where I can go think about locations and settings and lighting by myself for five to ten minutes or with my second shooter, with the videographer, or with whomever, and get a plan that way. Once the bride is involved, I'm not like, where are we going? Like, I know where I'm going, I know what I'm doing, I know what my camera needs to do, so I can focus on the people aspect at that point.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, it's I I feel like it helps couples experience a better wedding day, which is what you're saying your goal is, anyway. So that totally makes sense. Um, is there something uh in the way that you work or the way that you handle a wedding day um that you feel like is different from others in your field, like an approach that you might have to the wedding day specifically?
SPEAKER_00That's a good question. Honestly, I feel like it's kind of what I was just saying. It's I really go into it with a service mindset. So um I'm really thinking about all of the people around and making sure that like everyone's in a good spot. So like my eye is on the mother of the bride. Like, is she good? Is she stressed? Like, is there anything that I can do to help? Um, and I always make sure that I have enough time allotted in my timelines and like good margin in there so that I have the ability to do that. So even before the wedding day, I'm really planning to make
Service-First Approach On Wedding Days
SPEAKER_00sure that there's time for people focused and it's not like thing to thing to thing to thing, because that's stressful for me and that's stressful for my clients, and I never want them to feel that. Um, so that part, and then with that, like I do a lot of pre-planning with my brides before the wedding day. So um I always include like a complimentary engagement session in my package, and it's nice for photos, but really the reason I do it is so I can meet my my couples, yeah, you know, and we can like have some practice. They know what they're doing that way on the wedding day, it's not like the first time that they've ever done anything. And that plays into that. We do a lot of like timeline talk and questionnaires and those kinds of things, not to a place where it's overwhelming, um, but enough so that they can communicate everything to me before the wedding day. So that the only thing I'm asking them on the wedding day is related to things that may have gone wrong on the wedding day, or a feeling that they're having on the wedding day, or something that we weren't expecting to pop up as opposed to stuff that I should have already known because we could have communicated about it a month ago.
SPEAKER_02So it sounds like I mean the service part is like top of mind for you when you're when you're working the wedding day. Is there an approach to like the way that you photograph things? Um, or maybe like a style that kind of stands out, or or do you feel like you've been maybe influenced by some other photographers in the industry?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. I feel like I've always had like a little bit of like a lighter, brighter style. I feel like it's definitely evolved throughout the years. So um, you know, I'll look at my work from three years ago and it still looks like my work, like there's a signature to it, but I see growth um and I see a little bit of difference in my current work, and I feel like it will always be that way. And I feel like it should always be that way for creatives. Like if we're staying stagnant, like there's probably something wrong there. Um, and that's influenced by, you know, what's trendy and uh also just like knowing how to use my camera better and knowing how to use editing software better. So um that kind of stays the same but evolves throughout time, which I think is great. But on the wedding day, I I feel like I've gotten um really or I've gotten a lot better at seeing moments that are happening and really like capturing those moments. And I've really been focused on that for the past couple of years. At the beginning, it was really like, did I get the picture? Because I was so focused on the camera, like I was saying before. But now that I don't have to focus on that as much, I'm really looking around to see like, okay, where's like grandma at? Am I getting a photo of her? Like what moments are happening that I didn't orchestrate, and then the moments that I do have to like uh help guide, I really try to guide them a lot less staged than I think I previously did because I I don't know, like I feel like that's kind of the industry trend right now as well. But like people are not wanting these staged photos as much, they're wanting it to feel real, and I want it to feel real and I want it to be real. Like, I want them to come to the end of their wedding day and go, I had the best wedding day, not I posed really well for those photos all day. Like, that's not the point of the day.
SPEAKER_02So I do I do feel like there's this weird in between though, not to like play devil's advocate, but like there's this weird in between where couples want It to look not staged, but they also like if you don't give them something to work with, it's not gonna happen. Yeah. So, like, how do you kind of manage the like expectation of like uh capturing moments, but but still getting it to look nice?
SPEAKER_00Yes, I have started explaining this to like all of my couples who have a consultation with me because I feel like the word documentary is really trendy right now, and people are like, I want documentary photos. And I try to explain to them like you might. If you do, I'm I'm probably not the best fit for you, but like true documentary style, like is not going to tell you anything. You're not gonna get posed portraits. You're like, there's a lot of stuff you're not going to get. And if you want true documentary, that's awesome. And there's incredible photographers who do that. Um, I like to take kind of a hybrid approach. So there's documentary of like, let's capture what's happening. There's really posed where it's like, this is a little bit too far. And I like to find like a good middle ground where it's like, I'm guiding you to get the real moment. Like I'm capturing those moments, but we're making sure that those moments are like planned so that they happen. Like you're you really want to do a first look with your dad. We're gonna make sure that there's a time that's set for that to happen. But while your first look's happening, if you step out of the good light, I'm not gonna come push you into the light.
SPEAKER_02Wait, pause, pause, pause, like get it back over.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. And I've seen people do that. I've like, oh yeah, I've worked with videographers before where like there's a moment where like they're having a moment, like the bride is crying, like it's so sincere, and like they stepped out of my light, and like in the back of my head, I'm like, ugh, I don't like this. Yeah. But the videographer is like, wait, wait, wait, hold on. And he moves them and it totally like ruins that moment for them. Um, and while I think photo and video is so important on a wedding day, I I don't think it's the most important thing, and maybe I shouldn't say that as a photographer, but like I think that their wedding day is the most important thing, and I'm there to capture it in a guided way that makes sure that they get the photos that they want. Because if I didn't guide them, they're not gonna get photos that look like what they are expecting. So I need to make sure that they have what they've hired me for.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, if you have the expectations set that there will be some guiding to get you what you're expecting to get, then I think that's you know, as long as you're meeting what they're thinking. Yeah. But I will say, man, videographers, just get out of the way. I'm sure you probably agree with that, but just get out of the stinking way. Cause there you just like there's stuff
Style, Moments, And Guided Documentary
SPEAKER_02that's happening, and like you said, it might not be the most perfect lighting, but they're not gonna look back on it and be like, why was I standing there? They're gonna be like, Oh, I stood there, that's where I was, and maybe it's a little harsh on their face, or maybe it is blowing out the dress a little bit because it's too bright on the white. But that's the moment, and I don't think that they care.
SPEAKER_00Like, no, I will give photos to people in their gallery that I think are just they're not great. Like, I mean, they are, but like it's not my favorite photo. It's not your top, yeah, because like the lighting's bad, and every single time, those are the favorite photos of my couples because they're the moments that they're like they want that moment, they want that facial expression. That's why I kept it in the gallery, even though it wasn't the prettiest photo, and they want that. So I I think it's really important to make sure that that is a priority, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And I I do think it kind of goes with a little bit of a style. Um, I think if it's a little bit more editorial or like a little bit more to that posed, then that would probably be a person I would assume would step in and kind of push over a little bit. But um, for me, and it sounds like for you as well, you're super in tune with like capturing moments as they're happening as opposed to like manufacturing a bunch of stuff. We'll get you over into the good light. If you step out, it's not the end of the world.
SPEAKER_00Yep. And my like my motto for the past, like for this wedding season has been read the room. Like, look in the room and like see what's happening, and then make decisions based off of that. Like, I need to know my timeline, but I also need to read the room. And if I'm 30 minutes behind on my timeline, but like it's just simply not gonna catch up because the people there are not interested in it catching up, then I need to like adjust my style rather than making my couple and their families feel uncomfortable and stressed. Like that's not worth it.
SPEAKER_02It's not gonna help. And the long run of 30 minutes is not worth the extra stress. Yeah. Um, is there something that you wish uh, you know, thinking about like couples reaching out to photographers, like what's one thing that you wish that they would know before hiring or maybe in that hiring process that would be helpful for them?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um I I feel like I don't want to repeat myself, but uh I feel like it kind of goes with what I've been saying. That the personality of your photographer really matters. Um, I think it's easy to look at good photos and be like, I want that. And that's a great starting point. Like when you're looking at people's portfolios, you should like their photos. You should like their editing style. Like if you look at a photo and you're like, meh, I don't really like how this is edited, you shouldn't hire that photographer because they're not going to edit your wedding differently. So that's a good starting point. Um, but when you're actually in the phase of like you have two or three photographers that you're trying to choose between, I cannot recommend enough and I require all of my clients to get on a call. Like I do video calls for 95% of people so that you can see each other. And like you might not be in person, but you're at least talking. You can hear my voice. If my voice annoys you, you know that like you should be like, feel like deuces. Yeah, like it's fine. And you know, most I don't think I've ever had a situation where it's not like it doesn't fit the other way around. But for vendors, like that's really helpful for you to read the clients that are inquiring with you too, and like make sure that it's a good fit so that you don't find yourself in a situation where you are like doing this wedding where you're like, this was I should never have booked this because it's just not a good fit stylistically or approach-wise.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I mean so true, because if I have a couple that doesn't want to be mic'd all day, it's probably not gonna be an ideal couple. Yeah, because we mic our couples all day. Yeah, we hide it, so it's not in any photos, but like it's so true. Um, if you're not in alignment on approach or style or editing, you're not like you made a great point. They're not gonna edit any differently. They're gonna do their style, they're gonna do their thing. It's just gonna be your day. Yeah, it'll be special and unique because it's your day, but it's it's gonna be your day in their style.
SPEAKER_00Yep. And I think it's really helpful to look at like multiple pieces of work that like the photographer that you're trying to book has done. Like, look at different venues that they've gone in. Well, you'll be able to see the thread of what their photos look like, and you'll also be able to see the unique touch that each day has, so that you can understand that not every day looks the same. Like if you're only looking at a photographer's photos that have been taken at an Italian estate and you're getting married at a barn, like there's nothing wrong with your barn wedding. I shoot barn weddings all the time, I think they're beautiful, but they they're not an Italian estate, and so you can't expect those to look the same. So I think setting your expectations too is really important before you book someone.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you know, I love consultation calls, I think they fit so well with trying to find the right person. When you're in that searching phase, jump on all of them. I know it's annoying and the time might feel like it's not worth it, but it will be worth it when you find the right person and then you know for sure that they're the right person. Um, when you're on the wedding day, is there like a a moment that you just can't get enough of? Like uh maybe a first look with dad, or maybe private vows, or maybe it's like getting ready. Like, is there a moment that you're just like, I love this moment?
SPEAKER_00It's so hard because you're making me pick one, and I just love weddings, which is why I'm a wedding photographer. Um, I think if I had to pick one, I would pick first looks in general. Uh more specifically with the couple, I would say. Like, I just I think it's so sweet and special when they have this moment where it's just the two of them, and I try really hard to like stay away. Oh, make sure. And I'm like, you guys like have your moment. And it's so cool to like, well, I get to see the whole thing too. So the the groom, like, I get to walk him to where he's gonna stand and I see how nervous he is, and I get to talk to him. And like I usually ask the groom, like, what do you think her dress looks like? And you can just tell how jittery he is. Um, and then to see her come up and like immediately like both of them just melt. Like they're like, Okay, we're okay now. Yeah, we're good. We can get married. And it's just this like turning point of the day where they were so anxious beforehand most of the time, and then all of a sudden, like all the anxiety is gone because they're just there with their
Trends: Candid Priorities And Cocktail Hour
SPEAKER_00person, having their moment. Um, I do love when they do private vows during that moment too. I think it's really sweet, and like I feel honored that I get to hear them. It's not for me, but I do I do like sometimes shed a tear because I'm like, this is so sweet, and nobody else gets to hear it, and I feel so like special.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. When we did that wedding together, I could not hear anything that they were saying. There was like water going on in the background.
SPEAKER_00That one I didn't hear anything that was. I couldn't hear anything, which I think that they appreciated because I don't think that they wanted anyone to hear, so that was great in that situation.
SPEAKER_02Well, it got recorded, so I hear it now. Um, but no, I I first looks are my favorite. I love a good private vow during the first look, or even just like private vows some other time. Yeah, just so special. Um, but yeah, it's it is uh I know I'm trying to like pigeonhole you into like one thing that's super great, and I know you love the whole wedding day. Um do you feel like there's like a way that the industry is like headed? Like what are you seeing like with the industry that I mean you've been in it for a couple years now. Um, where do you see it going like this year, end of this year, and into next year?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I feel like the industry is always going through like you know, waves. Um, I feel like the current wave is in line with the the documentary trend that we were talking about, but more so I think couples are just interested in having a day with their people, less staged, more candid moments, more um natural moments, spontaneous moments. Like they just want more margin in their day to enjoy. Um, I don't think this is every couple, but I've definitely seen more of my couples that are like, hey, we want to go enjoy cocktail hour. We want I love that. And I love it. Like, don't if you can avoid taking pictures your entire cocktail hour, like go talk to your guests. Like they're there for you. I think that's awesome. Um, there's a lot of planning that is involved in that to make sure that they get what they want. And I think that's where like the consultations and the like timeline calls and all of the pre-planning comes in, where it's like, hey, what are your priorities? Let's make sure that all these priorities get met. Um, but I'm seeing a much higher priority for enjoying the day that I didn't see a couple of years ago. And I I just love that. Like, I want people to enjoy their wedding day and I want it to be less about the content, like, and which is funny because I feel like content creators are becoming like a big boom right now, but I think it's because they want more of that like authentic content and in the moment content because they want to live in the moment and they're not just doing it for the content. And I love that, which seems weird as the photographer because I am the content, but I I want them to experience the day and then be able to re-experience it when they look at the images that I captured, but I don't want their memories of their day to be capturing images, if that makes sense.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, it does. Um, and I honestly haven't had a wedding with a content creator yet. Um, but I see why it's like almost ultra documentary.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I haven't had one either, weirdly enough, but I have uh some coming up and like sorry for a videographer. I have couples who are like, we don't want a videographer, we want a content creator because we just want it like more low-key. So we'll see how it goes. It makes sense.
SPEAKER_02I mean, it's also cheaper, yes, to be completely honest. So if they don't have a budget for someone to do video, I mean there's videographers in all categories, but I can understand why. But it is like literally ultra documentary, so I it tracks with what you're seeing in your own uh sphere, and uh it makes sense why couples would want to jump to something like that. Yeah. Um is there something that you're like trend-wise, like that you're loving right now? Um, I know we've talked about the documentary stuff, but there's is there something else that you're like loving that you're seeing trend wise?
SPEAKER_00I have loved um some more of the like direct flash, like reception like photos. I used to hate photographing receptions. I felt like um because I have a lighter, brighter style, my reception images also had to like match that lighter, brighter
Direct Flash, Variety, And Film Vibes
SPEAKER_00style. Gotcha. And when you shoot a lot of weddings in barns, like it's not lighter, brighter. Um, and I feel like people are more interested in their photos representing what their day actually looks like now and that like more like direct flash, like, hey, we're in the moment, we're documenting what's happening right now. People want that, which is great because I feel like it flows a lot better for me as a photographer. And I love the way that the images look. I love that I can take my couple outside when it's dark and get some like vibey photos of them where like four years ago people wouldn't have really wanted that because they didn't like the look of Flash. And so if it was dark, it was like, okay, I guess we're done taking any kind of like yeah, pictures that really you want because it's dark out.
SPEAKER_02So I do, and maybe I just I'm an outsider looking in because I do mostly video, but I do feel like there was a hard push on like natural light photographer, and it seems like maybe the pendulum is swinging back a little bit to be like just use what you want to use. Like if you want to use a bunch of flash, then use a bunch of flash. If you want to still be kind of like natural light, then then do that.
SPEAKER_00Do you feel like that's I feel like that's so true? And it like it's hard for me because I started photography in the era of like everything's natural light, and everything has to be consistent in the manner of like, like I said, your getting ready photos and your reception photos should look the same. Um, and that was how the industry was five, six years ago. Um, but now it's at a place where they should all look like they were taken by the same photographer. Like I still edit stylistically the same, they have the same kind of color like tones to them, but your getting ready photo and your like dancing photo don't match, and I don't think people want them to match anymore. And I love that, I think it's great.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it'd be interesting to hear from couples on like that specifically, like the how their photos are maybe more edited style-wise, like because you could push a photo to look a certain way, it might not hold up going too far one direction, but you could push it. Yeah, but it's not the the vibe from a reception is not light and bright, it's just different and moody, ambiance, like and I think people want variety now.
SPEAKER_00Like I think film is really in right now. People like having, you know, their own little digital camera and a film camera, and they have like uh I have like a little Fujifilm, like film emulation camera that I use personally, and it doesn't look like my normal photos, but I actually love that like because of the variety in my own life, and I see people doing that at weddings and at sessions where they want like the more light, bright. This is my like posed photo that I'm gonna put on a postcard, but I also want the like vibey type image, so I think the more variety that we can give the better. Um, and I'm having to train myself in that because it's different than what I came out of. And I feel like this has been my year of really like trying to do that well. Uh, and I've been loving it. I think it's really fun.
SPEAKER_02Are you dabbling in like the film side of things at all?
SPEAKER_00I would love to. I I have my little film emulation camera that I use all the time. I would love to do film. I don't have a film camera and I don't know where to start.
SPEAKER_02So I need to find someone. You should talk to Hannah Konstein.
SPEAKER_00Okay, Hannah Konstein took photos for me once and she's fabulous.
SPEAKER_02She just put up a story the other day that was like questions and she had a whole thing. So if you're like diving into film stuff, um, she's not shooting it to charge money yet on a wedding day, but I feel like that'd be a perfect time to like pick her brain on that.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I will absolutely talk to her. And that's kind of what I would like to do. I'd like to have it as like a little side bonus thing. If it works, it works. I'm not promising that it's gonna work, that way I don't feel like the pressure.
SPEAKER_02So you should totally take your Fuji camera. Is it like X100?
SPEAKER_00Uh it's the XT32. Oh, nice. And sometimes I like take it and give it to my second shooter and just have them take like a couple a couple vibey photos for the day. And I put them in like a separate folder on their like final thing because they don't match at all.
SPEAKER_02I feel like this is intentionally not like the other thing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I call it like bonus vibe photos or something weird like that. And I'm like, here you go.
SPEAKER_02I love that. Um in terms of your process of like putting together a collection or collections, how has that like shifted over the five years that you've been in business? Have you always offered like the same stuff? Has it kind of changed over the the course of time?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's shifted since the beginning. It hasn't shifted in a while. Um, but what I first started doing was like I had a six-hour package, an eight-hour package, a 10-hour package. And what I found, because I was also new, and so I got a lot of budget couples at that point in time, um, which is totally fine. Um, but they always always wanted the six-hour package because it was the cheapest. And I quickly realized that six hours was not an ample amount of time for a wedding day. Um, I want to tell people that it is. I've had couples ask me before, like, can I do five hours? Can I do six hours? And I have to be like, uh no. Yeah, because I'm gonna stress you out.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you could, but it's
Packages, Simplicity, And Timeline Add-Ons
SPEAKER_02just like, gosh, you're missing so much.
SPEAKER_00You so I like I always tell them you have to choose. Like, I you can either miss half of your wedding day if you do five or six hours, or like I would be on you all day, stressing you out. And like, I don't I won't let them have that choice because I feel so strongly about being service-oriented on a wedding day. Like, I'm not going to go in and be like, we're doing this, this, this, you have five minutes go. Like, that's just not how I work. Um, so I cut my six-hour package because of that. And when I cut my six hour, I also cut my 10 hour because I wanted to simplify things. So I feel like brides and grooms and couples, everybody, uh, when you're planning a wedding, you have so many decisions to make and it's really overwhelming. I like I remember planning my own wedding and being like, this is a lot. And I work in the wedding industry. So I feel I can't even imagine how it is for somebody who doesn't work in the industry. Um, and I wanted there to be one less decision that I felt like couples had to make, especially with the information that they have when they're booking a photographer. So I didn't want them to have to come in and go, I think I need 10 hours of coverage, or I think I need eight hours of coverage, because I they probably don't know what they need at that point. And I shouldn't expect them to know what they need because they've never planned a wedding before, most likely. Um, so what I do now is I just have an eight-hour package and then like a la carte add-on for hours, um, and they can get it with an album or without an album. So it's basically two collections, but the only difference is do you want an album, like a physical album, or do you just want the digital photos with the option to print? Um, and I feel like that's worked pretty well for me. A lot of my couples will add on like extra hours later in the process when we start working on the timeline because they realize like so tough.
SPEAKER_02They're booking a year, a year and a half out. And I always felt like when we had three collections at different Hour marks. It was like, how do you know?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Because it's so far from right now, and you're trying to like pre-plan. So simplicity has helped us a ton. Yeah. Because it it boils it down for me. Um do you like us? Do you like our work? Do you want one of our films of your day? Yeah. If you do, cool, we'll be there all day, two filmmakers, and make you a full film. Yeah. Like a full highlight film. Could not be more simple in my mind. And then a la carte stuff. So, like, have you found like the simplicity has helped? Like, how has it helped brides in their decision-making process as they're reaching out and they're like, oh, like like what are what has that been been like as as you've heard feedback on the way that you package things?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, from my understanding, my brides really like it because they don't have to make that decision right away. Um, and they don't feel the pressure of being like, Do I spend more for 10 hours now? Um, what I do is I tell them, hey, let's do the eight hour. That works for a lot of my couples, most of my couples it works for. When we get closer to the time and we start actually working on your timeline, and you can tell me what's happening on your wedding day. Are you doing a first look or not? Like, when is your ceremony reception? Are you going to different like venues for your ceremony and your reception? Once we have that information, I will guide you on if I would recommend that you add more time or not. At that point, it's your choice, but I'll guide you and I'll let you know. And I'm really like, I should probably be a better like salesperson. Like, I'm just not. So if they don't need extra time, I'm never gonna tell someone that they don't, that they need it. Um, and so I I and I think I build trust with my clients before that point so that when I look at a timeline and go like, oh man, like we need to add on time, they know that I'm not just trying to like upsell them for the sake of upselling them. And it's worked really well.
SPEAKER_02Well, honestly, if you're a vendor, just make that initial thing enough for what you want to make.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02And if it is, then you're not gonna be looking for an extra dollar or whatever it is for the extra time or whatever it might be. And then, like you said, if if you are honest and up front, then if you need want them to add extra time, they're gonna be like, oh, they really think that we need extra time. It's not just because they want to try to make more money, they're really just looking out for a day. Yep. That's gonna end in a better, smoother day for them and a better end product in their photos, I'm assuming.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I always explain to them exactly why they're adding it on. So I'll be like, hey, I would recommend that you add an hour. And I'm recommending that because if you don't add an hour, you're only gonna get 15 minutes of reception dancing photos. And I'll say if reception dancing photos are not a priority for you, 15 is probably fine. 15's totally fine. And I feel good and we're good. But if you if that's a priority for you, I would recommend adding this on. Um, and it it really leaves the ball in their court so that they can make an educated decision. Because what I want to do all throughout the process with timelines and packages and everything is I want to keep it simple and I want to educate them because I don't ever want to expect that they know anything about the wedding day because they've it's their first time.
SPEAKER_02So and sometimes it's the first time they've ever hired a photographer. Yeah. Or been like maybe they've been in photos, but likely not because they booked them.
SPEAKER_00Yes, most of my couples, it's their first time ever like doing a couple's like photo shoot together.
SPEAKER_02So I guess maybe senior senior photos, but like their mom probably booked.
SPEAKER_00What was what was senior year?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but they don't know. Um no, I I I love the the mindset, the approach to it. Um, we have a similar like mindset and approach to the simplicity. It's why I've gone to one collection similar to you, where it's like, here's the thing, if you want to add some stuff, cool. If not, it's right there. It's all the stuff. Um because there is so much that they have to decide, like decisions on decisions on decisions. And then when you're done with them, there's somehow more.
SPEAKER_00Yes, that it never ends.
SPEAKER_02It what's your
Overwhelm, Three Priorities, Perspective
SPEAKER_02advice for couples when they're in the thick of like the planning process? Maybe they're overwhelmed, maybe they're like, I don't even know what to do next to like help plan the day. What would you what would you say they should do?
SPEAKER_00Okay, so I'm gonna, I think I have two two ways I want to take this. The first one is that my first advice would be your wedding is one day and your marriage is like the rest of your life. And so if you're overwhelmed with your wedding, that's okay. But like make sure that you're not neglecting the fact that you're about to get married. Like, go on a date, enjoy your partner, it's gonna be okay, and something's gonna go wrong on your wedding day. Like it's bound to happen. Every wedding day, something goes wrong. And at the end of every wedding day, the couple is married and it's okay. And in five years, you will not care at all. Um, so I always like to start with that. But if you want like a practical tip on I'm overwhelmed, what do I do? Um, I tell my couples to pick three things and pick the three things that you want to focus on most for your wedding day. And this is really helpful for budget, um, but it's also helpful for like brain space. Yeah. Um, so for me, when I got married, my three things were my photographer, um, my dress, and my flowers. Anything else, it was like, I'm gonna make it happen, but I'm not gonna like be overwhelmingly worried about it. So I think we like did like mission barbecue for catering or something because we're like, we want to save money there, and I just don't care that much. Um, but I like went all out for my photographer because I'm a photographer and I would know if I didn't do that. Um, so I would recommend just like sitting down with your partner. And uh, it's okay if your partner's three things are different than yours too. So um, you don't have to 100% agree, but that helps you to prioritize and then really focus on those things, and then everything else will kind of fall into place.
SPEAKER_02The three things, I mean, that sounds so helpful. And again, simplicity. So if you focus on your three things, you're not overwhelming yourself with I mean, hundreds of maybe decisions that you're making and and planning and preparing for your wedding day, and then you do get probably what you want from the day. So if it is your photographer, you're gonna get those photos that you want, they're gonna be in the style that you want. If it is maybe florals or the venue, like you're gonna end up at the end of the night being like, This is what I was envisioning. Yep. Even if you didn't have a clear picture, it's like it all came together.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I think simplicity like is such a good word too for people who are planning a wedding. Um, I I think it's so hard because it's one day and it's this dream that you've had, and you want everything. Like you want to wear four different dresses, and you want like 10 different first looks because you want to first look with your mom and then with your dad and then with your dog, and then you know, like it just gets a little overwhelming. And I've been at weddings before where at the end of the day, I sad's maybe a strong word, but I feel a little bit sad for my my couples because I don't feel like they enjoyed their day because there was so much going on back to back to back to back, and it wasn't simple. Um, so I would absolutely advise couples to like simplify, think about what you really, really want, and just let the rest go and it'll be okay.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I love that. Um, do you have like what what kind of red flags would you have in specifically like the photo world if couples are looking for a photographer? What kind of what what kind of red flags do you have for couples when they're looking for their right photographer? Because it's not the same person for everyone. Um, what should they be looking out for? Maybe something that pops up that's like, oh, that might not be the best fit.
SPEAKER_00It's hard because sometimes you can't weed out those people beforehand. So it's really hard. Um, it's a you have to ask the right question. So again, get on a consultation call. Um, a lot of times, like you will get if somebody has weird red flag vibes, like you'll be able to read those. So I think consultation
Red Flags: Backups, Gear, And Insurance
SPEAKER_00calls so helpful for that. Um, in that call, like one of the biggest red flags I would look for is like, are they keeping your images safe? Um, so make sure that you ask, like, what are they doing to backup your images? Are they shooting with a camera that has two memory cards in it at all times? Yeah. Do they have a backup camera that's with them? Do they have a backup lens that's with them? Like, how are they ensuring that your photos are happening and that they're safe? That's a huge one for me. And if somebody can't answer that question in a way that shows that they have thought through it well and that they have a good answer for it, I would absolutely not book them.
SPEAKER_02Well, it feels like it should be industry standard, but I'm sure that there are people out there that are just slinging around one memory card slot cameras.
SPEAKER_00And if I'm honest, that was me when I first started because I didn't know better. So, like when I was first starting, I was very cheap. It didn't cost a lot to have me to shoot your wedding, but there was certainly a chance that like there was gonna be a corrupted memory card because I only had one camera and I only had one slot in my one camera.
SPEAKER_02And you cannot be too safe as a vendor, a creative vendor. You cannot be too safe. I literally I'll put out as many audio sources as humanly possible. Uh, our bride is mic'd, right? All day. I will still put a mic on dad if they do a first look together. Because what if her mic doesn't work?
SPEAKER_00Yep, you don't want to miss that moment.
SPEAKER_02All of that stuff's gone. And our wedding we did together, he said some really, really sweet sentimental things to her. Um, I did ask him to do it, but uh it was slightly prompted. Um, but uh I wouldn't have that if I didn't have a backup.
SPEAKER_00Yep, yeah. I shot a wedding, it was either last year or the year before. Um, and in the middle of taking family photos, my camera broke. Like it was the scariest moment for me on a wedding day. I was standing there in the middle of taking pictures and the shutter just died. Um, and I looked at my second shooter and I said, I need you to get my other camera out of the bag. And I looked at my client and I said, Just give me one second, I just need to do something fast. I grabbed my other camera, I stuck my lens on it, and I kept shooting. Now my head was panicked because I was like, I there goes the camera. There went my camera and I had another wedding like the next weekend, and I was like, I need to get a camera. So I'm texting my husband behind the scenes, like, I need you to order me a new camera, like now. Here's my business card. Um, but my bride didn't know. And yeah, if I didn't have a second camera, like I literally don't know what I would have done. I had half of a wedding day left. So um it it can happen to the best of us, like, and you just there's nothing that you can do to plan for it, and so you have to be prepared. Um, and if somebody's not prepared, then they should not be shooting your wedding day. It's just too important of a day.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I mean, to maybe some extent, there is some wiggle room. There are some moments that I feel like like we're we're kind of crafting together, but there's so many moments that are like it's it's happening one time. Like, yeah, we might do more bridal portraits later, we might do more bride and groom couple portraits later, but like the first kiss, the first dance, like it's the first of these things, yeah. The first looks, like that's the first time and the only time that these things are gonna happen. So you have you can't be too careful.
SPEAKER_00And that's why I always have a second photographer too. So I I have couples often ask me, like, can we like save money by not having a second photographer? And I always explain to them, like, this is your insurance policy. Like, I include this because if something happens to me, if something happens to my camera in a big moment, like they're there. If there's an emergency for me on the wedding day, like if I fall and break my leg, like there is another person there who can keep on keeping on while I go to the yeah, you'll just like drive yourself with a broken leg hanging out and they'll just hold it down. You that's because that's what they have to do. So um I never allow like just one photographer because it's the insurance of things are so important to me because it's it's somebody's forever memories, you know? Like, so I hold that very sincerely.
SPEAKER_02What's your what's your perspective on like um the fellow photographer community? Like, are you seeing like a lot of photographers in the area like working together, helping each other? I know you had a friend there that also runs her own business with the wedding that we shot. Like, tell me more about how you've experienced like the photographer community in Lancaster.
SPEAKER_00I feel so blessed. Like, all of my like best friends are like also photographers, so we get to work together, so it's literally the most fun thing ever because it's like hanging out with my friends all day. Um, but like the community here is incredible. And I've uh lived in other places. My husband used to be in the military, so we moved around for a little bit for a couple of years, and I've tried to like be in the photography community at other places, and what Lancaster has is actually really special. Um, there are a lot of people here who genuinely care about other vendors. It doesn't feel like people are competition to each other, and I think that's great. Like, I want every couple to have the best fit photographer for them. So if that means that they're not booking me and they're booking my friend who's a photographer,
Community Over Competition In Lancaster
SPEAKER_00I think that's great. Like I will send them to my friend who's a photographer if I think it's a better fit. Um, and I think that when you have a group of photographers all doing that for each other, it it just works because everybody's on the same page of like, hey, we are a community here. Um, yeah, I love it. I think I think we have the best photographer community in the country.
SPEAKER_02I mean, there's also just so many great weddings that are happening around this area too. But when you have people in your corner doing the same thing that you're doing that want the best for you, believe the best of you, and you're doing that same thing with them, like everyone's gonna go like the tide's gonna raise them all.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02Right? Like it's not, we're not just like one-off kind of pillars out there.
SPEAKER_00Well, and everybody makes everybody better. Like, uh, one of my second shooters, she is incredible at the direct flash. And like I was telling you, I'm trying to get better at that, and I like this has been my year of learning it. I literally had to go to her and be like, you need to tell me exactly how to set my camera. Yeah. Because I like these do not look right. And she explained it to me, taught me, and now I can go do that for my couples because she taught me how to do that um at one of the weddings that she second shot. One of the weddings that she second shot for me. So I like, yeah, I just think the more that we help each other, the better we all grow, and the better our couples products are in the in the end.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, we're able to serve our couples better. I mean, it's like a win-win win win, maybe. I don't know. Everybody wants. Yeah, everybody wants. There's winning everywhere. Um you've been in business for for five years. Uh, maybe speaking to the person who's like just starting out, and it doesn't necessarily have to be uh a photographer, so just thinking like business ownership, entrepreneurship. What's something that you wish you knew when you started your business? That if you know, if you could go back and be like, hey, don't forget about this thing, like what would that thing be?
SPEAKER_00You go further, faster together. Um, and finding someone who's ahead of you is the most beneficial thing that you can do. Um, so find someone, like look and see like that's where I want to be in two years. Like, you don't need to be that's where I want to be in 10 years, because that's like in wedding industry world, that's pretty far down the line.
SPEAKER_01It's feels very far.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's just like it's a different world. But find someone who's like one or two steps ahead of you. Um, and if you're just starting out, like go work with them, like assist them, offer to like take them out for coffee, like build relationship there and let it be an actual relationship and not just you trying to get something, which can be a hard line when you're like trying to start business. But I think the like actual relationship is where you grow and that's where you have those moments where it's like we have this community and we can learn from each other. Um, so that I would tell myself that and I would also tell myself to invest in education. I think at
Advice For New Creatives And Education
SPEAKER_00the beginning I was scared to spend money on anything because I was like, I'm not making any money. Like um when I was at the very beginning of my business journey before I was full-time and I had another job, I was not making any money because everything that I was making was going into gear and going into like having the things that I needed to eventually be full-time. Um, but like the idea of spending a thousand dollars on a business course, I was like, there's no chance. And then I told myself, like, if I invest this much money and I book one wedding from it, yeah, then I make the money back. And I also told myself, I'm expecting my clients to invest a lot of money in me. And so I need to invest in myself because that's what's fair to my clients. Like, I need to be growing and I need to be worth what I'm expecting my clients to pay me.
SPEAKER_02Um, so are there tools or habits or systems that you feel like you've put in place? Kind of staying in that like business mindset that have helped you as a business owner, keep things running smoothly, you know, not drop communication, like what kind of stuff do you feel like you're doing like day to day, week to week to kind of systems, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Systems are everything. Um, building the systems is the hardest part. So at the beginning, it was like, I don't know how to start. Uh, but once you get a system in place, everything kind of, I mean, doesn't run itself, but it kind of runs itself. So I use um Honey Book as my CRM. I love it. I know there's a lot of like I also use Honey Books Honey Book controversy right now. So like, sorry. Um, but I've always used it and I am the type of person that like I am loyal. Like I'm I use my canon cameras, like you will not like pry them from my hands. Like I have used Honey Book since the beginning. Like, unless they go out of business, I probably will continue to use Honey Book. That's just how I operate. Um, but it's great, like all my emails go through there, all of my like all my communication, my contracts, my clients can pay me through there. Like when I need to do my taxes, I pull my thing from Honey Book. Like it makes my life so easy. Um, so I use Honey Book, I use QuickBooks to like keep track of all of my expenses and things. Um I mean, those are really I there's a bunch of other things I could use, but I don't need to list them. But like those are the two main ones that like help me run on a on a day-to-day basis. Um, and just making sure that I'm checking it every day. Um, so I just go in and look and make sure that nobody's like inquired. I make sure I respond to people. Um, and if you do it once a day, you will have responded to everyone within 24 hours, and it doesn't take that much time.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, I love that. I'm curious what the honeybook controversy is.
SPEAKER_00Have you not heard about this?
SPEAKER_02No, what happened?
SPEAKER_00Well, they raised their prices.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I heard that. Yeah, well, I felt that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was like I felt that. I paid that, and people did not like it because they were like, that's a it was a very large price hike. Yeah, and they were saying that it was because you were getting all these features, but like it was really just like mostly AI features that person my personal opinion is that they're not that helpful because they keep trying to write my emails for me, but like Oh, you don't like them? I don't like them at all. It doesn't sound like me.
SPEAKER_02Mine, mine are like a couple tweaks, then it's like good to go.
SPEAKER_00Oh, it drives me insane. Like, it'll be like because I write very like uh specific responses to my couples when they inquire, so it'll pull things where it's like, I'm really glad that you like ice cream, and it's like I don't want to say that that's not has nothing to do with this.
SPEAKER_02Definitely don't use the inquiry response AI stuff, but the back and forth email AI stuff, I love that because I always get emails and stuff, and I'm like, oh, what do I say? I don't want to sound weird, but. I want to be clear and I want to communicate and ask a question at the end because it's all good stuff, whatever. And then it just like puts the stuff in there. I'm like, oh yeah, I would say that.
SPEAKER_00That's so interesting. I don't feel like I get a lot of like emails other than inquiries.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00So
Systems, HoneyBook, And Fast Communication
SPEAKER_00like I get a lot, I get inquiries and then I have my consult call. And then usually people like will book from there. And then again, bad business owner habits that I have. Like, I text with most of my clients. I do too. Yeah. And people will be like, don't ever do that. It like is unprofessional. I don't think so. My clients love it. Like it makes it so much easier. I can answer them faster. Yep. It's just better, in my opinion. For me.
SPEAKER_02Fellow videographer friend who was like, Oh, I text all my couples. And I'm like, What? You text them? And I was like, That sounds weird. He's like, they respond right away. We get on a call faster. It's easier. Email sucks. It does. Um, and I was like, you know what? I'll give this a shot. So I set up uh Google Voice. Okay. So I didn't use my like personal number. Worst thing about it is it comes over as a green message on iPhones.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I hate the green messages.
SPEAKER_02Whatever. But I usually am texting them within like a few minutes of them reaching out. At least I do that. I might not like respond to the next thing right away, but like I'm texting as quickly as I can. So if they inquire and they get a text from someone who says they're from the business that they just inquired, hopefully they're more likely to be like, oh, this isn't spam. I also don't have a link for them to click in it. I'm just like, hey, it's me. Is this you?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah, I do the same thing. I like they inquire with an email and I let them check off like how they want to be communicated with.
SPEAKER_03Oh.
SPEAKER_00And if they check texting, I'll text them. Sometimes I get inquiries where I'm like, I can tell that this person does not want me to like be texting them. Yeah, and then I don't text them because like then I feel like I'm being invasive. But most of my clients who book with me know that I kind of take more of a personal approach to things. And so they're happy to text back and forth.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, I love texting. I feel like texting is the way to go if you're a vendor and can swing it. I know some categories probably doesn't make sense. Yeah. But um I think it's helpful for the the clients too. They don't have to jump into like a portal on Honeybook or figure out emailing and um I think it's a little bit more personal. Um but Ashley, it's been great having you on. Your insights have been super great. And I I hope everyone that's listening, if you're a couple or a vendor that you've learned something from Ashley's perspective, um curious where can people find you and follow along with the work that you're doing?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's just Ashley Warren Photo. So I'm on Instagram, I'm trying to be on TikTok.
SPEAKER_02Trying.
SPEAKER_00We see how that goes based on the day, but yeah, Instagram, TikTok, and then my website, I think, is also the same. So it's just Ashley Warren Photo.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Is there projects or or stuff that's coming up that you're excited about?
SPEAKER_00Honestly, just fall wedding season. Hearing that a lot today. Yeah, my um uh this is not like photo related, but my husband uh surprised me with a puppy. So we have a brand new puppy. I was gonna ask. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I I'm assuming you're not a dog person based off of what I saw related to the dog.
SPEAKER_00So I was never a dog person before, but I know the person that like their pup their dog had these puppies. And I mean, it she's just the cutest thing I have to do.
SPEAKER_02Well, my dogs are cute too, but the your dog is very cute.
SPEAKER_00So cute. And so um, I my birthday was last weekend, and I like had been saying to my husband, like, I just really want this puppy. And he was like, No, there's no chance you're getting this puppy. And lo and behold, he went and bought the puppy. So, but like didn't tell me about it. So I have all of these like work things and plans. And if you've never had a puppy before, which I haven't, um I have learned in the past 48 hours that it's very akin to having a baby, like into like not the same, but it's the logistics, she just requires a lot of attention. Like, I can't leave her at home for more than like two or three hours at a time. So we're trying to figure out all of the logistics of wedding season.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it does get better. It does get better. Our dogs, our dogs are good for wedding days, but
Texting Clients And Practical Workflow
SPEAKER_02it does, it does get better once they figure out how to not pee in the house.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I'm only two days in. She's great, except for the fact that she pees on literally everything. So that's what we're yeah, that's what we're working through. But yeah, that's what's new with me. Nothing, nothing work-wise, but we we've got a puppy in the mix.
SPEAKER_02So well, that's all for today's episode. Ashley, thank you so much for being on. Um, I appreciate everyone tuning in, listening. Um, make sure you guys are subscribing and uh following along with the preferred list podcast, and we'll catch you next time.