Wedding Photography Workflow 

Not in my experience (UK), the DJ isn't even at the wedding, just the reception.

Well, the wedding planners really have nothing to do with the wedding itself, if it's held in a place of worship. Usually the priest, pastor, preacher, rabbi, or whoever runs that show. If the wedding is being held at the place of the reception, the DJ definitely runs the show with the timing of all the events that take place.

Charles Coverly I would say you are both wrong, the bride and her family call all the shots. I would be hard pressed to believe you say "yeah i'll DJ your wedding but everything is going to be on my schedule!" lol And if a wedding planner is present and you try this with them I would say you aren't very business savvy, since this would obviously result in you not being recommended by that wedding planner again!

Might be hard for you to follow, but I didn't say that I don't work around the bride and/or wedding planner. I said that in the ABSENCE of a wedding planner, the DJ is the person who takes the initiative and keeps the flow of the reception and the required activities on track. I've NEVER seen the photographer take that initiative. Ever. I've done over 200 weddings as a DJ and several of them as the photographer too or instead of. How many weddings have you worked again?

+Charles Coverly In The UK, there is not really many Weddings that have a Wedding planner... I shoot over 50 Weddings a year and have don over 2000. The Photographer does not call the shots but a good one will check the timings before and make sure that it works well for he/she has to do. A Master of Ceremonies usually keeps track of the timings and once the speeches have finished passes the control of the night over to the DJ. This Girl on this Video outsources everything and unfortunately this is not what people pay for.. anyone can outsourse .. I work on my own images and upload to Smugmug which the guests can view once the couple have viewed them first here at a Private Viewing. People pay for me to do it... take less work on charge more and do it yourself... that way your brand is stronger

Hi Rich Matlock, you can find Vanessa Joy's site here at this address: vanessajoy.com/ Thanks for watching!

7 minutes into the video she clearly states that if your editing is what makes you unique then you do not outsource it.

well then its not about photography, but just making money... :D Wrong channel!

Why not both?

my apologise, i've just seen a tab at the bottom left "see her work". i was expecting it to be at the top as "portfolio" or something.

Unless you live in a great market with little competition where you can be a high end wedding guru and charge a ton, wedding photography is a low profit\high workload job where you never get a weekend off and you make a couple bucks an hour after you subtract all your hours, travel, and the cost of all your equipment. You have to be crazy to do it full time, so you better be excited about it at least. A lot of photographers look down on wedding photographers as the barrel scrapers of the industry, picking up the jobs like weddings that they are too good for (i.e. it's too hard for as little as they would make). She obviously has a head on her shoulders and a great business going so she can do 24 weddings a year and outsource a lot of the dirty work. There is usually only a couple outfits like her in each market and the rest are schleps doing good work for peanuts in a market glutted with "photographers".

"I thought the attraction of being a wedding photographer is that you could NOT work every day." Only those who have never actually looked at running this as a business and not as a mom with a camera for Christmas on Facebook, think this is how it is, this is a business and like any business the owner will put in a lot more hours than any regularly paid employee would ever dream of putting in for the return. "What happens if you get sick or have an accident?" This is called indemnity insurance, you have it, or you shouldn't be running your business, you network with other professionals who are as good or better than you and you make sure that you have a clause in your contract allowing you to substitute a different photographer if you are disabled for whatever reason. "Life is short." Yes it is, which is why we want to work for ourselves doing something we love. "Why are wedding photographers also so 'excited' about every wedding they do?" Because we are excited, because it is fun, each and every single event is a once in a lifetime opportunity for that couple, and they have chosen ME to record that memory, its exciting, terrifying and humbling all at the same time. "It sounds insincere. " But it isn't. See above.

Jim Henline And you know all this how Jim? Regarding insurance, that will only cover claims made against you, not health and future earnings.

canturgan Because I am a wedding photographer. As for the insurance, that is a risk you take. Does your regular 9-5 cover your future earnings in the event of an accident? Yes some do, and this same insurance is available to self employed persons as well.

Most business owners work 60-100 hours a week, not just behind a lens or a computer editing. That may include her blogging, meeting with clients, etc. I agree with her with outsourcing. Especially with photos. My turnaround is a little faster than hers, but I do not have as much details as she does the day of. As far as getting sick, that is always an issue. The experienced wedding and event photographers usually have backups in place, or belong to guilds that will help them out incase of a jam. I know I have done for other photographers. As for the last comment. I am actually genuinely excited about each couple that allows me to photograph as much as I get psyched up to doing a swimsuit fashion shoot in Aruba. You are capturing their story, a story, hopefully that you know how and are able to tell through your photos.