One of the biggest rushes you can get as a photographer is landing a client you’re truly excited to work with. Whether it’s a destination wedding, an intimate elopement, or a quirky backyard celebration, these bookings are the ones that keep your creative fire burning.

Over the years, as I’ve booked weddings, portraits, and elopements, the experiences have only become more rewarding and diverse. From photographing a music festival-inspired backyard wedding to documenting self-uniting elopements in Pennsylvania, each client has brought a unique story to tell.

But how do you make those dream gigs happen consistently?

Let’s explore how to book photography clients—especially how to book more wedding photography clients—with a strategic, business-minded approach.

Step 1: Get Clear on Your Offer and Brand

Your portfolio alone isn’t enough. Beautiful images are essential, yes, but they’re just the baseline. What really helps you stand out is how you present your brand and value.

In the early days of my business, I made the mistake of assuming my photos would speak for themselves. I believed that if the quality was good, the bookings would come. That belief held me back. It wasn’t until I became intentional about my brand that things began to shift. I moved from working for scraps to commanding higher prices and attracting clients who genuinely aligned with my style and values.

• Define Your Audience: Who do you want to work with? Get specific. Are you drawn to laid-back couples who value creativity over formality? Then speak directly to them in your messaging. A good starting point here is to do a client persona exercise!
• Find Your Differentiators: What makes you different from the dozens of other photographers in your area? Do you bring a calming presence to high-stress moments? Do you excel at capturing candid, unscripted emotion?
• Craft Your Unique Selling Propositions (USPs): What specific benefits or experiences do clients get when they hire you? Perhaps it’s your ability to blend into the background while still capturing every detail, or your knack for making camera-shy clients feel at ease.

Your photos should reflect your brand’s essence and appeal directly to your dream clients. The clearer and more intentional you are here, the easier it becomes to book the right clients.

If I was to simplify all of this to a single sentence or two, I’d have this to say – have good photos (of course), but how you package what you offer is going to be even more important when it comes to generating more consistent bookings.

Commitment to brand – your purpose, your desired clients, and how you represent these things to people through your marketing is, perhaps, one of the single most important things that impact your ability to book more photography clients!

If this sounds like something you want more help getting solid on, check out our Branding for Photographers course!

Step 2: Build a Marketing Engine

Marketing is how people find out you exist.

Sounds easy enough…right?

The key to marketing well is creating a sustainable system that goes beyond just posting pretty pictures or hoping that leads will come.

“Hope marketing” (as we like to call it) gets you no where, and makes it impossible to replicate getting new bookings in the door on a regular basis. Let’s change that!

When photographers come to us for coaching, one common issue is that they rely solely on Instagram (or over reliance on really any single form of marketing). While it’s a powerful tool, it’s not enough by itself. To create consistent inquiries, your marketing needs layers.

Here are several marketing channels you can use:

• Blogging & SEO: Create content on your website that answers questions your dream clients are searching. For example, write guides on eloping in your state or feature past weddings. Not only does this attract traffic, but it also builds trust.
• Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and others are great for visibility and connection. Stay consistent and engaging. Use captions to share stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and client testimonials.
• Networking & Referrals: Build relationships with vendors like venues, florists, and DJs, as well as past clients. Some of my best bookings have come through referrals from other professionals in the industry.
• Paid Ads: Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads can get you in front of the right people fast—but make sure you understand your audience first. When done right, ads can jumpstart your visibility and bring leads quickly (while of course carrying some risk with your ad budget).

Marketing is, at it’s core, really about identifying a couple of things you can be doing that have a clear pathway that bring new leads in your door.

In The Photography Business Academy, we cover how to attract new leads to your business throughout multiple courses we’ve created including marketing (helps you build an overarching strategy), branding (helps you clearly identify how to target specific people), websites (shows you how to move people deeper into your marketing funnel), and SEO and Blogging where we show you how to create content that generates more organic, consistent leads over time.

Step 3: Create a Thoughtful Sales Process

Once a lead reaches out, you’re in the sales phase.

Many photographers lose potential clients here by not having a defined process, and (wrongly) believing that someone inquiring = they all want to work with you 100%, full stop, without anything additional.

I would actually make the argument that your sales process is an extension of your marketing effort (your “bottle of funnel” marketing) – but now marketing should look a little differently including email marketing and regular follow ups.

If you take this view, it leads you to view new inquiries a little differently – and to be more pro-active to do things that serve them at this stage…instead of just believing they fall off because of “ghosting.”

Here’s what to focus on:

In the beginning of my photography career, I used to wait days before replying to inquiries.

Big mistake.

Now, I prioritize quick responses, and it makes a noticeable difference in booking rates.

• Respond Quickly: Speed matters. Follow up fast and keep the conversation going.
• Schedule Consults: Video or phone calls are a (relatively) low-effort way to connect deeply and close more bookings. I find that video consults give the best of both worlds: personal connection without the logistics of meeting in person.
• Guide the Decision: Make it easy for people to say “yes” by clearly explaining what they get, how you work, and how to move forward. I walk clients through what their experience will look like from start to finish.

If you need help actually moving people from inquiry to booking (and getting that booking on your calendar), our Sales for Photographers course covers the key processes you need and includes accompanying resources you can implement into your business right now to get results quickly.

Step 4: Simplify Your Booking Process

When a client says “yes” (like during a sales consult), make the next step seamless and as easy as possible.

This is unfortunately a spot where a lot of businesses (photographers including) lose bookings…and we want to highlight some ways to fix it to help you book more photography clients (like…actually book them).

The worst feeling in the world is losing a booking after someone already told you they want to move forward…but it happens! We can 100% control this process and reduce the likelihood of this happening by making our booking process fast and efficient.

In the early days of my business, I would write custom contracts and send them by mail. I’d then wait on a check to come in before making things official.

Today, I cringe thinking about that inefficiency and am literally shocked I was able to get any bookings at all!

Now, I use Honeybook, a CRM for photographers that lets me send contracts and invoices within minutes. Here’s what the process now looks like for someone to book with me:

• Confirm they want to move forward, then –
• Use a CRM to send contracts and invoices quickly (in Honeybook, this is a “proposal”)
• Have templates ready to go so you’re not scrambling – I template my contracts and emails to make this process take me about 5 minutes
• Prioritize sending paperwork and taking retainers ASAP to lock in the booking. Accept credit/debit card payments online to make this even faster.

The faster and easier it is for someone to book you, the more likely they are to follow through. Delays introduce doubt. Efficiency builds confidence!

By the end of this stage – you will have a business process in place then ensures you can book more photography clients for any style of photography (weddings, elopements, portraits, etc.). The core processes will remain the same regardless of your niche!

Bonus Step – Deliver a Stellar Client Experience

Booking photography clients is just the start.

The experience you give them can lead to:

• Repeat bookings
• Glowing reviews
• High-quality referrals

Often when I talk to other photographers, I pick up on this sense that their “experience” is more like good customer service (which is important – but not the same). By intentionally blowing people away (and we can actually measure this!), it leads to generating more bookings as a photographer over time naturally.

So…how does this work in practice?

Think of it this way – every interaction should reinforce the value they saw when they chose to work with you.

Personal touches, prompt communication, and thoughtful guidance throughout their journey go a long way. Of course, really good work quality is significantly important here to – so make sure the photos you are taking for these new clients have comparable qualities to past blogs and galleries they’ve seen of your work prior to booking.

I strive to go above and beyond, even after the shoot. Whether it’s delivering a sneak peek gallery quickly or sending a small thank-you gift, these details create lasting impressions.

Clients who feel cared for become your biggest advocates.

If you need help making a better client experience (that can actually be measured), check out our Client Experience for Photographers course.

Final Thoughts

If you want to get serious about how to book more wedding photography clients, remember this:

• Define your offer and brand with clarity.
• Use multiple marketing channels to attract leads.
• Build a consistent sales process that nurtures inquiries.
• Make booking you easy and fast.
• Deliver an experience that turns clients into raving fans.

Booking more photography clients isn’t just about hustle or hoping it’ll happen—it’s about building a system that works. And when you put that system in place, the dream gigs start becoming your regular reality.

Need help making this reality your own? Check out The Photography Business Academy to learn more about how we can help support you creating a business like this!

Christian Romans

Chris is a business strategist at Shoot and Thrive and co‑owner of Hand and Arrow Photography alongside his wife. With over a decade of professional shooting experience (and a passion for photography since high school), he helps creatives grow through smart websites & SEO, blogging, branding, and sales strategies. When he’s not behind the lens or refining a marketing funnel, you’ll find him playing guitar, skateboarding, or planning his next adventure—his favorite so far was campervanning around Iceland. Chris holds degrees in Psychology and Philosophy, which inform his human‑centered approach to both art and business.

www.shootandthrive.com