Want to break into the luxury wedding market where budgets are high and your photos are frequently published but not sure how to get it done? We reached out to Brian Callaway of Callaway Gable, the renowned L.A. wedding photography team who is well versed in celebrity and society weddings and got an insider’s look at what you can do to create your dream career.   

Here are five tips from Brian that will help you get noticed by top planners and an elite clientele so you break into this highly-sought-after market: 

1. Become a master interior and product photographer.

Why? High-budget weddings come from luxury wedding planners who rely on exquisite photographs of their decor and details. Beautiful reception shots, close-ups of table-tops, flowers, food, cocktails – are all critical shots to get right. If you want to be featured in international publications like Vogue or Brides you’ll need to submit the stunning detail shots that their readers are looking for and provide planners with photos they can share on their websites and social media. When you consistently deliver these photos to the wedding planners you work with, you will start being referred and getting noticed. 

2. Create relationships with planners and venues that will refer you.

To begin, ask high-end venues in your area if you can come in and just shoot the details at weddings and events, pro bono. Give them the photos to use on their social media. Use this time wisely to experiment and improve. It’s important to learn how to light details in any situation whether at night or in a dark ballroom. To get the notice of planners, provide stylized shots of their designs they can use for promotion and magazine submissions, whether they are taken at styled shoots or real weddings. Then, get the photos to them quickly. In LA the turnaround time is 24 hours. To this day, after 15 years, we still work with the same planners and venues that we met through this process. 

3. Go to every industry event you can find.

Meet the planners and designers and show them your work. Look up the style of the professionals you meet and let them know why you love their work and how much you would like to collaborate with them. Keep at it, and don’t get discouraged. Making good relationships with just a couple of busy planners can be your starting point to a much more lucrative career. 

4. Here’s what to do when you get the big job.

This is where the fun begins. First design your day so that you have sufficient time to focus on the details without missing the moments. At Callaway Gable, we bring multiple photographers to super high-end weddings to ensure the planner and clients are happy with the results. One person’s focus is solely on all of the ceremony, cocktail and reception decor, while the other photographers are focused on the people and events throughout the day. Immediately after the wedding, we create a simple gallery with the best detail and decor shots, along with a few hero shots of the couple. Then we send the planner the highlights within no more than 24 hours so they can start posting them to social media the next day. We have found that this is one of the most important pieces when it comes to getting additional referrals and becoming their go-to photographer. If it takes two weeks or two days, it’s just too late. 

5. Finally, show luxury to sell luxury.

This isn’t just about your personal appearance (which is highly important); it is also about your online presence and marketing materials. Keep your designs and proposals clean, simple, and modern. Curate to show only your best work and showcase weddings with lots of luxury details. 

It takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to break into the luxury market but it is ultimately more than worth it in the long run. Do the work now and watch your profits soar in the years ahead. 

Here’s to your success!