Trading Wedding Ballrooms For Corporate Boardrooms
The ballroom was an unsettling mixture of expensive perfumes, catered food, wilting lilies, and the disco hit "Celebration" by Kool & The Gang. I stood there, camera in hand, my low back screaming after twelve hours on my feet, watching a drunk uncle do the worm, poorly. I was tired and I was sore. I knew that my Sunday would consist of little more than recovering from my Saturday. I felt a twinge of annoyance, frustration and resentment. In that moment, I was unsure what the solution would be; nevertheless, I acknowledged there was an issue. A seed was planted that day that Emily and I watered, nurtured and nourished until it grew into the opportunity we never knew we needed but eventually couldn't live without.
For years, I believed that the only reasonable option for being a successful professional photographer was shooting weddings. I initially chose the wedding market because I had a friend that was willing to mentor me. I learned that there was a relatively low barrier to entry and there were plenty of celebrations happening each weekend for every creative to book their fill. As time went on, things started to change. The wedding market became increasingly saturated and competitive and finding a fresh batch of new couples every year became a real frustration. The sales process got harder and took longer. The "perfect day" pressure and emotional labor was a weight I no longer wanted to carry. Toss in what felt like a never-ending pile of images that needed to be culled, edited and delivered and we were rapidly reaching the end of our professional tether. We knew something needed to change, but we had no idea what that was...YET.
"Quit" Like a Boss
Silly as it may be, there's a stigma around "quitting" because some people like to make assumptions about the gossip-worthy reasons you made the shift. They like to pass silent judgement, assuming that you stopped shooting weddings because you couldn't hack it or your bookings dried up when nothing could be further from the truth. We didn't fail. We weren't forced out. We proactively and courageously decided that weddings just weren't a good fit anymore and that it was time to change our market.
We didn't surrender. This wasn’t a retreat; it was a tactical advancement. We strategically shifted because our hearts weren't in it anymore. We were thinking of starting a family and we were tired of missing out on celebrations with the people we love. We decided that we still enjoyed what we were doing but not the market in which we were doing it.
From Ballrooms to Boardrooms
Our transition wasn't just about changing what we were photographing; it was about changing our entire business model. When we first started focusing on corporate event photography and professional portraits, I was worried we’d miss the emotional connection with our couples and afraid of such a big shift. Turns out the energy of a 5,000-person conference, the feeling behind a nonprofit gala and the excitement of an incentive destination trip to Costa Rica was waiting on the other side of the fear. We quickly created connections with our professional corporate clients and soon financially benefited from their loyalty. Our revenue increased and our emotional labor decreased. That was genuinely wonderful but it wasn't just about the money. It was about the time. We were not longer routinely meeting with couples in the evenings and rarely worked weekends.
Becoming a Creative Extension of Their Team
As couples open their wallets and write those checks, they are spending their own money on the wedding. Everything about a wedding is emotional and that includes the budget. Allocating money, picking their wedding professionals and their deep desire to create their "perfect day" is all emotional. It also sets the bar pretty damn high. Conversely, professional corporate clients are seeking a strategic partner to document their live event or design, create and capture their creative project. In this environment, they have a budget line to pay you and they see you as a valuable investment rather than a necessary expense. They look to you as their subject matter expert, trust in your knowledge, appreciate your talent and reward you with their loyalty.
We stopped waiting for the phone to ring and started building an elite network. We created a unique brand, developed creative marketing campaigns, built refined offers and ensured remarkable experiences so that our Signature Studio would stand out in a crowded marketplace.
As we hoped, we were documenting the foundation, story and evolution of global brands. We were creating the fuel for their content machines long into the future and providing clear Event ROI. This shift created wonderful opportunities and established cherished connections. We found ourselves photographing political leaders, a-list celebrities and global icons like Sting, Michelle Obama and Tony Robbins. If you're going to work in these environments, it's important that you understand there are considerable professional expectations before you'll be trusted as an extension of the planning or production teams. That's exactly why we created the Corporate Client Capture System. We're leveraging our knowledge and experience to create courses, a community and coaching containers to teach wedding photographers how increase corporate bookings and bringing their revenue right along with it.
Shedding the Wedding (and Finding Your Soul)
The process of Shedding the Wedding was the most liberating thing we’ve ever done for our business. It allowed us to lean into Commercial and Editorial projects with a fresh perspective and a renewed energy and passion.
When you’re no longer drained by the "wedding hangover" (that physical and mental fog that hits every Sunday), your creativity explodes. You start seeing light differently. You start interacting with clients with more energy. You become a better version of yourself because you aren't running on fumes. After all that, it's became all about the life we built behind the lens. We wanted a business that served our life, not a life that served our business. It's empowering to set the terms rather than scrape & settle for what you can get.
Is Today Your Day and Now Your Time?
I know there are many of you out there right now, sitting in front of a monitor, culling through hundreds, maybe thousands, of reception photos, feeling that familiar pit in your stomach. You love photography, but you’re tired and frustrated. You’re working too many hours for too little money and you're being rewarded by missing the important milestones in your own life to capture them for other people. If you're feeling the full weight of all of this and you're ready for a change but you have no idea where to start...I see you.
The corporate market and its clients represent a business to business world of opportunity, scale, and professional respect. It’s where your photography skills, knowledge, experience and creativity can develop into a Signature Studio with a roster of high-value clients, exciting projects and repeat revenue potential.
Join the Movement
If you’re ready to reclaim your weekends and transition into the lucrative world of corporate events and commercial photography, we’ve built something specifically for you.
Our Shedding the Wedding educational platform is designed to encourage, support and guide you to make the fear less daunting. You're a business owner, but you don't need to do this on your own. We teach you the Corporate Client Capture System so you can work less and make more on your own terms.