The new thing taking weddings by storm

GM. This is Work "After" Work, the newsletter that dishes up a great blend of side hustle inspiration, clever sarcasm, and enough coffee-fueled humor to make your co-workers wonder why you're grinning at your desk.

 Happy Hump Day! Let’s jump in:

• 💃 Wedding Content Creator

• 😂 Meme of the day

MARRIED TO SHORT-FORM CONTENT

You already know how much short-form content has exploded. Just look at your TikTok watch time - boom roasted 😂

In all seriousness, 90% of global advertisers increased their ad spend this year!

If you wanna know where the demand is, follow the money. It’s clear - all eyes are on TikToks, Reels, and Shorts 👀 (because that’s where the people are)

Now take weddings, a time that brings family together you haven’t seen in a while (or didn’t even know existed) and you get people who are eager to show the world their awesome wedding - vertical style!

And couples are willing to dish it out… I found that couples can spend upwards of $8k-$10k on photography and videos for their wedding (~3k on average)

As we all know, pics (and videos) or it didn’t happen. And not just the ones we hang on the wall, I’m talkin IG reels and TikToks.

Wedding content is becoming increasingly popular on social media. On TikTok alone, #weddingTikTok has over ~42B views. Here’s one that has 6.9M likes!

Here's the thing though: More couples want to post short-form wedding videos on TikTok but they can't because of one big reason: the videos a videographer takes are in horizontal format NOT vertical format!

Yes, they could always just turn the camera the other way but no photographer advertises this way. Intimate wedding videos are sweet but when it comes to social media, many are looking for something more “lit”. I’m talking cool transitions and music.

This is where you, the “wedding content creator,” come in!

Here’s your edge: Every other videographer is shooting horizontal, do the opposite. Be an expert social media photographer. Newlyweds want to post all over IG and TikTok because that’s where their friends are. Give them what they want.

Record the dances (while you bust out some moves yourself 😉), the walk-ins, the reception, everything. Then edit them so the bride and groom can post what looks like the coolest wedding ever.

Interested? Here’s how I’d get started:

1. Gather supplies

You’ll need the usual camera supplies:

• Tripods - $20 on Amazon

• Gimbals - don’t go crazy like this thousand dollar setup:

Something simple like this will work just fine:

• Lights

• Chargers

• Multiple phones, of course!

Now onto the fun part - how much you can make:

• Fixed-rate: You can charge, say 10 videos for $500 or 20 videos for $1,000. Maybe $1,000 for the whole night and you send over the best videos you can. Some creators like Lauren Ladouceur charge as much as $5,000 for a wedding.

• Hourly packages: You can offer packages like Taylor Richardson who charges up to $1,450 depending on how long the couple wants her to be at the event.

How to get clients 🤵

Getting your first few clients will be tough there’s no doubt about that. Here’s 3 bases to make sure you’re hitting:

1. Word of mouth

Fortunately for you, wedding content creators are not competitive for newbies (yet). Put out the word of your new business to your close circle – you just need one client to get your instagram popping where people are then reaching out to YOU.

As you do more events, make sure you’re posting on social media (our #2 way of getting clients).

Trust me, when people start to see the great work you’re doing on socials they get FOMO and reach out. Then it’s just a matter of telling them the price!

Pro Tip: offer your services at a bachelorette or wedding proposals as well to meet potential clients.

2. Social media

As promised, social media is also going to be a big one for you. Every event you shoot is another added to your portfolio.

That means you’re adding it to your website, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, heck even Nextdoor - it doesn’t matter. Wherever will get the most eyes and give you the most chances at more inbound gigs!

You could even get fancy and use one of your “lit” wedding videos as a FB & Insta ad. Set it up to only hit users in your area and see what sticks.

Pro tip: hashtag your location on your social media posts for more visibility. Something like #weddingcontentcreatornyc

3. Network with wedding vendors

Last but not least, get in the game! Wedding vendors can connect you with potential clients, you might just have to offer a referral bonus.

Make friends with other wedding photographers, videographers, and planners in your area – you never know when one might need a “second shooter” or refer you clients because of your relationship!

Trust plays a big role in this industry. The moment only happens once, you have to capture it!

Pro tip: Use directories like The Knot to find vendors to network with if you have difficulty locating any near you.

And there ya have it. How to break into the wedding photography industry and provide a niche not many others are!

As always, let me know if you have any questions by replying to this email and I’ll get back to you ASAP!! While you do that brb Mr. Worldwide just came on🕺

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MEME OF THE DAY

😂😂 too good

That's a wrap ladies & gents!!

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.