There is something unique about being a wedding photographer. This is a work that is filled with joyful moments and happiness. A wedding photographer plays a significant role in someone’s best day. In addition, you can make good money by filming these joyful moments. Could this be a career for you? Well, this is, of course, a great idea, but there are some things you need to know before you take the decisive step.

Before you begin your journey as a professional wedding photographer, here are 10 things you should know:

It all starts with the right set of equipment

It makes no sense to become a wedding photographer if you do not know anything about your equipment. Photographers rely on their equipment, just like birds rely on their wings - this is an absolute must!

You need to understand what equipment works best in wedding formats and what settings you should use to get the best shots.

Here is some equipment a wedding photographer should have:

*Cameras (main and 1 spare)
*Medium zoom lens, e.g. 24-70 f / 2.8
*Telephoto lens, e.g. 70-200mm
*Wide angle lens and fixed lens
*External flash (speedlight)
*Memory cards and batteries
*Tripod
*Flash diffuser
*Camera bag

This is just the basic set that I use when shooting weddings. Do not forget about lighting. Lighting can save or ruin a photo shoot, and when it comes to weddings, light is part of art, and it is very important.

Get ready for a long and tiring day

As a rule, you forget how long the wedding lasts. When someone hires you to photograph their holiday, they usually want you to be with them all day.

This means that you should start in the morning, before the guests begin to gather, take photographs during the ceremony, which can last several hours, and then shoot the banquet. And this is not to mention the travel time to the place of shooting.

After the official part is over, everyone goes to the banquet hall and can have fun until late at night. This way you can work until almost midnight.

It physically and mentally depletes, so make sure you are ready for it. You better sleep well the day before and check and assemble the equipment in advance. Keep a few bottles of water and some snack foods next to you. This will allow you to work with great comfort all day.

Remember that to maintain inspiration you should have a good rest and periodically look for new ideas for shooting, otherwise everything will become a chore and you will lose interest in the job.

Find out who specifically hired you

It can be a bride or one of the parents. In any case, you should know who your boss is on this big day.

What for? Because he dictates what and how you will do. Talk to them so that you understand what they want from you and what type of photos should come out. If you do not know who hired you, then you do not know how to please them!

The easiest way is to ask a couple of questions before shooting to understand their vision for this big day. Each wedding has its own story, perhaps they have a certain idea or place in which they would like to shoot. Find these stories and use them as a guide to create a wedding photo shoot story.

It's all for your reputation.

Wedding photographers are usually hired directly by couples or those who plan and organize the wedding. Thus, confusion may arise over who you really work for. Technically, you don’t work for the organizer, but you still need to take into account his opinion and take into account his schedule and schedule of events.

Basically, you need to make sure that you meet such a high standard of professionalism that your work can be used on the sites of event organizers. Thus, you and they will receive advertising. As a result, everyone will gain an increase in reputation.

If you establish good relations with the organizers, they will recommend you to their customers, which will help develop your business!

By the end of the day, and after the couple sees a beautiful wedding album, they will write a review, positively affect their reputation and bring more orders.

You need to be different

Why should someone hire you if your photos are identical to other wedding photographers? So, you have to make yourself stand out, which is done with a unique photo.

Practice is paying off. Start practicing as often as possible, even while at home. Design a wedding photography style that is different from what you already have. This will give you a unique sales advantage and make your services more attractive.