1. Define Your Ideal Client and Speak Directly to Them

The biggest mistake elopement photographers make is trying to appeal to everyone. When your marketing speaks to everybody, it resonates with nobody.

Why this matters for your income: When you clearly define your ideal client and craft your messaging specifically for them, you attract people who already value what you offer. These clients don’t need convincing. They don’t shop on price. They see your work and think “this is exactly what we want.”

How to do it:

• Get specific about who you want to work with. What are their values? What kind of experience are they seeking? What’s their budget range?
• Write your website copy, Instagram captions and blog posts as if you’re talking to one specific person
• Showcase work that attracts your ideal client, even if it means removing portfolio pieces that don’t align
• Use language and references your ideal client uses. If they care about sustainability, talk about leave-no-trace principles. If they’re adventurous, emphasize epic locations and physical challenges

The clearer your positioning, the less you compete on price and the more you can charge premium rates.

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Piss People Off

This sounds counterintuitive, but the photographers who earn the most are often the ones with the strongest, most specific point of view. Having a clear stance on what you do (and what you don’t do) naturally repels people who aren’t a good fit while attracting dream clients who align with your values.

Why this increases your income: When you try to please everyone, you end up working with clients who don’t value your work, who nickel-and-dime you on price and who leave reviews saying you were “fine” but not exceptional. When you’re willing to be polarizing, you attract passionate clients who genuinely love what you do and are willing to pay premium prices for it.

Examples of polarizing positions:

• “I only shoot elopements in wild, remote locations. If you want a manicured venue, I’m not your photographer.”
• “I don’t deliver 500+ photos. You get 150 carefully curated images that tell your story without filler.”
• “I require a minimum of 8 hours coverage because elopements deserve the same investment as traditional weddings.”
• “I don’t shoot posed portraits. My style is entirely documentary and emotion-focused.”

Strong boundaries and clear positioning separate you from competitors trying to be everything to everyone.

3. Lock In Your Editing Style and Stop Chasing Trends

Nothing screams “inexperienced photographer” louder than a portfolio with five different editing styles. One gallery is moody and desaturated, the next is bright and airy, another is warm and film-like. Clients notice this inconsistency and it makes them nervous about what they’ll actually receive.

Why consistency increases your income: When clients look at your portfolio, they need to know exactly what they’re going to get. A consistent editing style builds trust and positions you as an expert with a signature look. This is what allows you to charge premium rates, because clients aren’t just hiring a photographer, they’re hiring your specific aesthetic.

How to develop and maintain your style:

• Choose an editing direction that feels authentic to you and stick with it for at least a year before making changes
• Create Lightroom presets or Capture One styles that you apply as a starting point to every image
• Ignore Instagram trends. Moody and dark might be popular this year, but if your style is bright and vibrant, own it
• Your editing style should complement your shooting style. If you shoot in golden hour with backlight, your editing should enhance that rather than fighting it
• Review your portfolio quarterly and remove any images that don’t match your current style

Signature style equals recognizable brand equals higher prices.

4. Streamline Your Workflow and Reclaim Your Time

Time is money in the elopement photography business. Every hour you spend managing spreadsheets, coordinating vendors through scattered WhatsApp chats or manually building timelines is an hour you’re not shooting, marketing or improving your craft.

Why workflow efficiency directly impacts income: Inefficient workflows cost you money in three ways. First, they limit how many clients you can realistically serve. Second, they burn you out, leading to lower quality work and missed marketing opportunities. Third, they make scaling impossible, you can’t grow beyond solo work if every elopement requires 20 hours of admin.

Where most photographers waste time:

• Coordinating vendors through multiple communication channels
• Building timelines manually for each shoot without templates
• Answering the same client questions repeatedly
• Creating mood boards and shot lists from scratch
• Writing social media content and blog posts after every elopement

This is where purpose-built tools like Elopement Buddy become game-changers. Instead of juggling WhatsApp groups, email threads and Google Docs, you centralize everything in one platform. Features like AI timeline planning, vendor magic links and automated content generation eliminate hours of repetitive work. The free plan includes essential workflow tools, while the Pro tier (£49/month with a 30-day free trial) adds AI content generation and advanced planning features that can save 5-10 hours per elopement.

When you streamline workflows, you either serve more clients at the same quality level or maintain the same client load while having more time for marketing, education and personal projects that showcase your best work.

5. Stop Chasing Social Media Trends

Instagram Reels trends come and go weekly. Dance challenges, transition effects, viral audio clips, they’re designed to maximize engagement for the platform, not to build your business. Yet countless photographers waste hours trying to keep up with whatever format is currently getting pushed by the algorithm.

Why trend-chasing hurts your income: When you chase trends, your content becomes generic and indistinguishable from thousands of other photographers doing the same thing. You’re competing for attention rather than showcasing what makes you unique. Worse, trends often require significant time investment for content that becomes irrelevant within days or weeks.

What actually works on social media:

• Consistent posting schedule over viral moments. Three valuable posts per week beats one viral Reel followed by two weeks of silence
• Behind-the-scenes content that shows your process, personality and expertise
• Educational content that helps potential clients understand what makes a great elopement experience
• Client stories that showcase real experiences rather than just pretty photos
• Your unique perspective on locations, planning or creative approach

Build a content strategy around your expertise and unique value proposition, not around what’s trending this week. Your ideal clients are looking for a photographer who knows elopements inside and out, not someone who can nail the latest TikTok dance.

6. Understand Why Referrals Don’t Work Like They Do for Traditional Wedding Photographers

If you’ve come from traditional wedding photography or you’re taking business advice from wedding photographers, you’ve probably heard that referrals are the lifeblood of a photography business. For elopements? Not so much.

The math that doesn’t work: Traditional wedding photographers benefit from natural referral networks. A bride has 6-10 bridesmaids, each with their own friend groups getting engaged. One wedding can generate 3-5 referrals over the next few years. But elopements are different. Of our last 100 bookings at The Sassenachs, only one came from a referral. Here’s why:

• Couples who elope often don’t have large friend groups getting married
• Even if they do, how many of those friends will elope to the same location or region?
• Elopements are often private decisions. Couples may not broadcast their plans or photographer choice widely
• The timeline doesn’t work. By the time a friend gets engaged and decides to elope, your style or availability may have changed

What this means for your business strategy: You cannot build a sustainable elopement photography business relying on referrals. You need consistent, proactive marketing. This means:

• Maintaining an active social media presence
• Investing in SEO through blog content and website optimization
• Building partnerships with elopement planners, celebrants and venues
• Running targeted ads to couples in your ideal client demographic
• Creating content that ranks for location-specific searches

Don’t misunderstand, provide excellent service and ask for referrals. Just don’t count on them to fill your calendar. Successful elopement photographers are always marketing.

7. Raise Your Prices (Don’t Lower Them)

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: unless you’re charging £10,000+ for a single-day elopement, you’re almost certainly not overpriced. You’re underselling your offering, your experience or the value you provide. Or your photos aren’t good enough yet (but if you’ve made it this far in building a business, that’s probably not the issue).

Why photographers underprice themselves:

• Fear of losing bookings: “If I raise my prices, people won’t book me.” Reality: the right people will book you, the wrong people were going to be difficult clients anyway
• Imposter syndrome: “Other photographers charge this much and they’re better than me.” Reality: pricing isn’t just about technical skill, it’s about the entire client experience and your unique perspective
• Comparing to local markets: “The average photographer in my area charges £X.” Reality: elopement clients often travel significant distances and aren’t shopping locally. You’re competing globally, especially for destination elopements
• Undervaluing what you deliver: You’re not selling photos. You’re selling confidence that their once-in-a-lifetime day will be captured beautifully. You’re selling expertise in remote locations. You’re selling problem-solving when weather or logistics go sideways

How to raise prices strategically:

• Raise for new inquiries immediately. Honor quotes already sent but increase rates for everyone else. You can raise £200-500 overnight without losing bookings if your work is strong
• Add value to justify increases. When you raise prices, consider adding something (second shooter option, longer coverage, engagement session) so the increase feels justified
• Raise prices every year. Even 10-15% annual increases keep you ahead of inflation and position you as in-demand
• Track your inquiry-to-booking ratio. If you’re booking more than 50% of inquiries, your prices are too low. Ideal is 30-40%, which means you’re attracting quality leads who value your work
• Test higher pricing on specific packages. Add a premium tier at 50% higher than your current top package. You might be surprised how many people choose it

Higher prices attract better clients. Couples who invest more in photography take the experience more seriously, trust your creative direction more readily and provide better testimonials and referrals.

Putting It All Together

Earning more as an elopement photographer isn’t about working harder, it’s about working smarter and positioning yourself strategically in the market. Let’s recap:

1. Define your ideal client and speak directly to them with specific, targeted messaging
2. Develop a strong point of view that naturally repels wrong-fit clients and attracts dream clients
3. Lock in your editing style to build a recognizable brand and client confidence
4. Streamline workflows with purpose-built tools to reclaim time and scale efficiently
5. Ignore social media trends and focus on consistent, valuable content
6. Don’t rely on referrals and instead build proactive, consistent marketing systems
7. Raise your prices to reflect the true value you provide

Each of these strategies works independently, but together they create a flywheel effect. Better positioning attracts better clients. Better clients allow higher prices. Higher prices give you resources to improve workflows and marketing. Improved workflows give you time to create better content and refine your craft. Better content attracts more ideal clients. And the cycle continues.