i see this question all the time online. but are they your ideal client?

photographers never know what to say to that. they haven’t sat down and really thought about who their ideal client is.

from the very beginning i knew who my ideal bride was…so here is a quick outline i have when i think about marketing to my ideal bride

• she enjoys sitting down regularly for a cup of coffee
• she appreciates fine art imagery
• she is obsessed with my work before we’ve ever had any type of communication
• she understands the value of a tangible product, like an heirloom wedding album versus a usb full of images she will never get printed
• she values me and my time
• she is invested in the planning of her wedding
• she loves little details
• she has a relaxed and laid back personality but knows when to step up and get things done
• she has a loving family that is there to support her and her dreams for her big day
• she views her fiancé/boyfriend/husband as her first true, genuine friend
• she uses social media to keep in touch with family and to share images
• she connects just as well in person as she does through an email or a Facebook message

does everyone fit this mold? no. very few do. but that’s why i only take a limited number of weddings and portrait clients a year. i want to have a connection with each of my brides. i want them to know that i am there for them. i am there to curate the most important day of their life. i want each bride to have a wonderful and unique experience when working with me. i want to become their friend. i want them to know that as they say their vows, i am standing there with my camera, silently wiping away a tear because i have grown to love them as my own friends and i am so happy that they are happy!

now for a bride, that is a very specific list. i’ve met with a few brides that are not my ideal bride…i never have to tell them that they don’t fit the mold because it goes both ways…i am not their ideal photographer. i know right off when i meet with my bride if we are a good fit or not.

let’s take jessie {pictured above} as our example…

our first meeting together jessie mentioned how she reads my blog and loves how i inform brides of things that will go on during their wedding day, that she never would’ve thought of! {she was already in love with my work}

she rearranged her schedule to meet with me and she brought her fiancé along to the meeting. {she is invested in planning her wedding and wanted her fiancé’s opinion as well}

she was very laid back and cool at our meeting, she had a few questions and i was able to answer them on the spot with my bridal magazine {she had a relaxed and laid back personality}

we met at a coffee shop {she may not have been big on coffee, but she found something she liked!}

she emails me whenever she has a question or a need and waits patiently for me to answer {she values me and my time}

these are only a few things that were reminders of why jessie was my ideal bride.

my ideal portrait client list can be painted in the same way…they hold dear their tangible products from their sessions, they want a canvas or an album and only look at the digital files as a bonus or a backup. they know that the album is what the grandkids will want to flip through every time they come to visit and that a usb or cd will be obsolete in a few years.

what i really strive for, with any client whether it is a portrait client or a bride and groom…is connection. i think there has to be a good personal foundation set before a professional one can be formed. i love to capture the connection between my clients…so why would i not want a connection with them?