S01:EO2 Becoming Wedding Photographers: Our Not-So-Perfect (But Hilarious) Beginnings
Before we were wrangling wedding parties and silently judging your DJ’s song choices, we were just two slightly unhinged humans with cameras, figuring it out one very sweaty wedding at a time.
In this episode, we dove into the origin stories that started our careers. Aisle Be Honest, no one dreams of wrangling 10 groomsmen for a triangle pose at golden hour, but here we are. And weirdly enough, we Love it.
“I Started in 4-H. At Nine. With a Horse.”
No, seriously. One of us (Brittany Sidwell Photography) picked up a camera for a 4-H competition, snapped a photo of a horse, and beat out a 40-something-year-old to win second place. It was that moment when a kindly judge told her she had talent that a lifelong obsession was born.
She photographed her friends in fields, dragged living room lamps into the wild for “artistic lighting,” and eventually shot her first wedding at 15. It was at the high-dollar amount of $25. The wedding was twelve hours long, and Brittany still has no regrets.
“I Just Thought Wedding Photographers Were Cool.”
The other one of us (Erin Morrison Photography) got married, admired the photographers, and thought, “I could do that! How hard could it be?” Spoiler: VERY HARD. But ignorance is bliss, right?
At Christmas, her husband tricked her with a mop box, only for it to reveal a camera he’d been saving up for. One class at The University of Tennessee hooked her into photography. Then she started blogging about photographing babies in baskets like every millennial photographer, which spiraled into a career.
From Hobby to Hustle: The Turnaround Point of a Wedding Photography Business
For both of us, it wasn’t just one wedding that made everything click. It was a slow burn. One wedding led to five, which then led to ten. Clients referred friends. We blogged. We figured out SEO before it was cool. Eventually, we looked up and realized we were IN the wedding photography world with a real income (and taxes). We now have the backstage pass to one of the best day of people’s lives.
Why Are We Telling You How We Started?
Because we think it matters. When hiring a wedding photographer, you’re not just hiring someone with a “nice camera.” You’re hiring someone who’s been in the trenches. Someone who can pivot in chaos, find the best light in a dim church basement, and so much more.
We’re not just vendors. We’re storytellers and emotional support humans. And we got here by saying “yes” to the first terrifying gig and learning everything as we went along on the photography business ride.
If you want to hear all about it, Episode Two is live on Spotify and YouTube.
