[Read Time - 5 Minutes]
I know you don’t need a lesson in being a good person and respecting your peers, but everyone falls victim to the feeling that they are the most important person (or vendor) at a wedding.
I really hate to break this to my fellow photographers, but sadly, we are NOT the most important vendor.
There are a lot of different wedding professionals working to make this wedding day perfect for the couple. Florists, bakers, makeup artists, printers, hairdressers, drivers, caterers, musicians, DJs, planners, designers, bartenders, servers, and yes, even photographers are ALL doing their thing to make this day epic for the bride and groom. We are ALL the most important.
Now, I mispoke in that last line, so I’ll repeat it with the fix.
There are a lot of different professionals working to make this wedding day perfect for THEIR couple.
Your couple is THEIR couple. Your client is THEIR client, and we all want to crush it on this wedding day, get paid and be referred to thousands of brides-to-be, making us the most sought-after wedding professional ever known.
Sounds about right to me. What about you?
So yes, it’s really important to play nice with all of the wedding professionals because our goals are all the same.
But what happens if we do more?
What would happen if we went the extra mile and helped others achieve their goals?
One of my favorite quotes is from Zig Ziglar. He says, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”
That’s a pretty nice concept, but finding out what other people need is the biggest trick...but not with us.
As wedding professionals working for the same person, we already know what the finish line looks like.
What can we do so we ALL get a big shiny gold medal for Team Wedding Day?
It’s like we’re on a crazy kind of Olympic team. We’re all competing in different events, but all wearing the same team colors (some of those color combos are less fortunate than others at times).
Let’s look at some ways we can help other wedding pros.
Now, before you get all grumpy and start complaining about having to do even more work than you already planned to do on the big day, let me start with an easy way to help others.
#1 Stay out of their way
OK, this is probably my favorite suggestion to other vendors, but I’m guessing it goes both ways.
Don’t impede traffic. Don’t make life difficult for others. Be patient. Be kind. Be professional and let me, I mean everyone, do their job.
#2 When you can help, DO!
Yes, the video crew can be vexing at times (many times), but that’s more my problem than theirs.
It’s a common turf war - we all get it, but when you step up and become the better wedding professional, you become a better person.
“Hey, they’re getting ready to throw the bouquet in five minutes,” you might tell the video person heading in the opposite direction to change batteries.
“The bride is looking for her mom,” you might tell the coordinator, who usually knows where everyone is.
“I just heard the groom say the car is on its way,” you might tell the DJ, who thinks he still has another 45 minutes to rock out with the crowd.
We uncover these little nuggets of insight because we have special access to this day, unlike other vendors. It’s not a superpower, more like insider information because we are a super-trusted advisor.
Do you have to share what you know?
No, but it’s not helping you by keeping it to yourself, is it? I forgot, what’s the Golden Rule?*
#3 What can you shoot today to help other vendors tomorrow?
Ooo, now we get to really flex our muscles!
There aren’t many wedding professionals who can help other fellow wedding professionals get more business by simply doing what they do.
Can you imagine a DJ spinning you a sick beat that books YOU another wedding for next summer?
Can you imagine a caterer making you a delicious pasta dish you can share with a prospective bride that makes her say, “Wow, you’re an amazing photographer!”
Of course, that’s crazy, but you, the wedding photographer, are different.
YOU get to take photos of cakes, cars, decorations, dresses, food and flowers and then SHARE those photos with the florists, caterers, designers and everyone who hand-crafted their work for your shared client.
And yes, those photos, YOUR photos, will absolutely help these wedding pros book more weddings!
That’s their portfolio, just like it’s yours.
You have a talent, and you can help others in a surprisingly substantial way, and that makes you valuable.
I’ve yet to meet a bride who didn’t look at my photos for inspiration.
Hearing something like, “Mom, I love those flowers!” creates the perfect opening for you to offer a referral to the florist who owns that creation.
Now you get to help your fellow wedding pro AND the bride-to-be you’re courting.
So yeah, you’re in a pretty powerful position.
Respect that power and remember the words of Uncle Ben to Peter Parker.
The local wedding industry is very small. It all comes back around...every time.
Be the type of wedding professional people like and respect, and you’ll build a business that lasts. You’ll also build a reputation as a great referrer (and those come back around as referrals TO you!).
Being a wedding professional is a great game to play, and you get to play it with some pretty great people.
Work together, share the challenges on the field, and you’ll build a community of friends and colleagues you can share celebrations with off the field.
“With great power comes great responsibility”
Uncle Ben to Peter Parker (also known as Spiderman) just before he died.
* Treat others the exact way you want to be treated (in case you forgot what the Golden Rule was)
Helping other wedding professionals is just one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography.”
THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.
If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.
If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.
If you’re starting as a photographer and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something to help you.
It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.