by Tracey Manailescu, WPIC Co-founder and Vice President
Whether you are new to the wedding industry or have years of experience, your wedding portfolio is a selling feature for you and your company. It shows potential clients that you have some or tons of experience, knowledge and connections in the industry. This article discusses ways to create a wedding portfolio that your clients will love.
In most cases, we as wedding planners are not the photographers, designers, stationers or florists. Therefore it is extremely important to be crediting all wedding pros that you are showcasing in your portfolio. You will need to explain your role in the wedding or event. This way it won’t confuse the potential couples and give unrealistic expectations of you and your services offered. If you are offering design as part of your services, than you will have a much more hands-on role with the overall look and feel of the event.
Our role as the wedding planner, consultant and coordinator is to be the event manager and producer. We are guiding our clients from the moment they hire us. As wedding planners, we recommend, suggest and implement ideas based on their wants and needs. We also are there to find a better alternative, or to flat out talk them out of something that doesn’t work.
The photos shown are elements of the overall look and feel of the event that you collaborated on with the wedding team.
While we do cover this topic quite thoroughly in our course content for our students in our WPIC certification course for wedding planners, coordinators and consultants. We will also share some ideas here in a blog for all.
Firstly, why should I have a wedding portfolio?
- Your clients don’t know what you are capable of unless you show them
- It’s a collection of moments and memories that show your expertise and ability to manage an event
- Clients like to see something tangible and be able to look through it at their own pace
- Establishes credibility
- Showcases your professionalism and style
Where do I share my wedding portfolio?
- On your website
- Social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, etc.)
- Blog articles
- A hard copy photo album
- On your laptop to show during a client consultation
What should I put in my wedding portfolio?
- Client testimonials
- Professional real wedding photos
- References from wedding industry professionals that you have worked with
- Photos of you and your clients on the wedding day
- Behind the scenes photos of what you do on the wedding day
- Styled Shoot Images
- Any publications that you have been featured in whether it is a real wedding or a styled shoot
- Links to articles that you were interviewed in
- A letter of appreciation or professional photo showing you speaking at an industry related event
Finally, if I don’t have any previous wedding planning experience what can I put in my portfolio?
- Any educational certificates, diplomas or degrees that you have obtained
- Certificate or photos that show you have attended a conference or seminar that is wedding related
- Letter of reference from a wedding/event company that you have volunteered, or worked for
- Proof of membership from a wedding/event Association
- Behind the scenes photos of you volunteering/working at a wedding/event
- Styled Shoot images
What was your biggest takeaway from this article? Do you have anything to add to it? We would love to hear from you.
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