Are you ready to level up your wedding photography business and make more money in 2023? Here are a few handy tips when you decide to review your workflow, changes you could make will help optimise your business. Whether you're starting out or have been in the business for a while, you can use our tips to learn how to make more money long-term as a wedding photographer.

Define Your Brand and Ideal Clients

If you're still unsure about what your brand stands for, prospective clients are likely guessing that, too. You may want to appeal to all clients who come across your website. But, that will put you in competition with many other photographers in a similar boat, and the only thing that sets you apart is price. 

However, if you allow yourself to show your personality in business and lean into niches, you are one step closer to demanding a higher price. For example, if travel fits your lifestyle, you can focus on destination weddings and elopements. If you build your business centred around that, you can show yourself as the go-to photographer for couples who want to get wed abroad. 

Having a niche — or at least a particular style — will also help you focus on branding materials that reflect it. You will not have to struggle to tie your brand together through fragmented blog articles or social media posts. Instead, you will have a clear focus on where you're heading and what kind of content to create.

Once you define your brand, it's essential also to understand what your ideal client is. Noting down your ideal client's characteristics, like their age range, average household income, interests, and so forth, will help you be more targeted with your marketing approach. 

If you need help to get started, take a look at this brand identity guide or template to create your ideal customer profile.

Don't Undersell Yourself, Increase Prices Instead

Wedding photography is, for the most part, a premium service. Unlike a product-based business, like a clothes store, your business is based on an emotional connection with your client. This is particularly true when you start charging more.

For example, once your client establishes an emotional connection with your brand, whether you charge $3,500 or $4,000 is irrelevant. Also, whether your competitors in the local area charge more or less than you is not your clients' main concern.

But, you need to increase your pricing first to get to that stage. You may find it daunting, but it will help you step away from budget-conscious couples who often compare wedding photographers based on their package prices alone.

As you start to charge more, you have a larger wiggle room for your prices, too. The exact cost of your services will matter less in the eyes of your potential clients. Instead, their focus will be on the value you bring, as well as how well your services fit their needs. 

This is where your brand identity and client profile come in handy, too. The more you know about what your ideal clients are looking for, the better you can customize your services and packages.

The same applies to print products you offer. Emphasize the value they bring to your clients. For example, if you sell hand-made albums, you can explain how they are responsibly sourced and last for decades as a family heirloom.

Remember, your pricing and packages don't have to appeal to everyone who visits your website. Instead, focus on how your business can serve your potential clients' needs, and how the experience will make them feel. Doing so will help build that emotional connection and let your clients see why you are the right person for the job.