Hi friends!
You may have noticed a lot has changed around here since I first got started on this photography adventure and I thought it might be good to let you in on WHY!
Just to give you a little back story before I go into too much depth – when I was first starting my business, a question I was asked a lot was “are you going to do weddings?” My response was always the same. I would laugh and say “absolutely not, just thinking about that gives me anxiety.” Now here I am, 2 years after deciding I wanted to pursue a career in photography, with a totally different mindset. I now want to specialize in weddings and only take on a handful of portrait sessions throughout the year. Because I was so “anti-wedding” when I was first starting out, my website reflected that. I only wanted to showcase engagements, families, senior sessions, and portrait sessions and that’s exactly what it did. Shortly after starting my business, the cousin of a good friend of mine asked me to photograph her wedding. I was so excited but so nervous because I barely had portrait sessions under my belt! I decided it would be good experience for me and a way for me to serve the couple well so I agreed and walked away hooked. I fell in love with photographing weddings and everything about them. I soon edited some wording in my website to say that I am a wedding & lifestyle photographer instead of just a lifestyle photographer. But that wasn’t enough. I was getting feedback from people saying “Oh you do weddings? I had no idea!” Inquiring clients would ask to see more wedding images but I only had one wedding to show. I knew something had to change or I would never attract the clients I was now looking to attract – couples getting married! That’s where Danait came in for the rescue.
I use a client management system called HoneyBook. It keeps all of my clientele in one place and everything is done online meaning clients can view and sign their contracts, pay invoices, and email back and forth with me all on this one platform. It’s amazing and I can’t imagine my business without it. It also has an “Opportunity” section, where you can post about different jobs and opportunities to other members in the HoneyBook community. This is where I found Danait. Danait is the beautiful soul behind Heart & Vine Creative who does branding and website design for creatives. Her post on HoneyBook said she was looking to increase her Showit website portfolio and offering an amazing deal to those looking to make the switch. I couldn’t believe my luck! Showit was the platform I had been wanting to switch my website over to, I was just waiting until I could afford it! I emailed her immediately explaining my enthusiastic interest and the next day I was a Heart & Vine Creative client.
I wanted my new brand to feel more elegant and professional and I wanted my new website to express my heart behind my business while showcasing my wedding portfolio. When I started taking on more and more clients, I realized that the pretty images I was able to deliver was only half of my heart behind this business. With every email, every engagement session, every wedding, my heart was drawn to the relationships I was building with these people. I found I was placing great value on our time getting to know each other while laughing and having a blast during the engagement session; I wanted to be a source of comfort for them on a busy wedding day; and I wanted to provide images they would cherish and be proud to show their kids and grandkids someday. Danait brought my vision of showcasing all of this to life and I couldn’t be more thankful. I’m so incredibly excited to announce the brand new Erin Marie Photography, and if you’re a future bride reading this, wanting a friend instead of another vendor on your wedding day, you’re in the right place and I truly can’t wait to meet you and see if we’re a good fit!
If you’re a creative looking for a client management system, I would HIGHLY recommend HoneyBook! It’s where I’ve connected with vendors in my area, found second shooting gigs when I was just starting out, and I seriously couldn’t run my business without it! Use this code to get 50% off your first year!
If you’re new around here, or if you forgot, here is a little trip down memory lane!
This is what my logo USED to be:
And this is my shiny new logo!
Here is what my homepage USED to look like:
And here is my new and improved homepage!!
