7 Blogs You Should Publish First As A Wedding Photographer

Table of Contents:

• 7 Blogs That Wedding & Elopement Photographers Should Publish First
• Adding These Blogs to Your Email Templates
• When to Publish These 7 Blog Posts

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Trust me when I say I KNOW how difficult it can be to start blogging as a wedding or elopement photographer. Maybe you have zero ideas, or maybe you have hundreds that you simply can’t choose from! Either way, the hardest part is just getting started – and once you’ve done that, it’ll be a hell of a lot easier to get in a flow & really start using blogging to benefit your business. 

If you already know all the benefits of blogging, and you know that it would serve your business + your clients but you reallyyyy just need somebody to tell you where to start, allow me! Instead of giving you 50 blog post ideas for wedding photographers that’ll just keep you frozen with decision fatigue (but that will come later for those of you who want it, don’t worry!), I’ve narrowed it down to a list of the 7 blog posts that wedding & elopement photographers should publish FIRST. 

These 7 blog posts will each serve one major purpose for your business, and will provide a really great variety of posts for you to start with! And I can almost guarantee you that your clients will find SO much value the moment they land on your blog if you simply have these 7 types of posts available for them to binge.

Nowww let’s get started, so that YOU can get started making magic for your clients with these 7 blogs! 😉 

7 Blogs That Wedding & Elopement Photographers Should Publish First

For each of these blogs, I’ve included a list of quick example ideas from yours truly! While I’m not actively shooting weddings & elopements anymore, I’m pretending that these are ideas I would publish to my blog, as a Washington/PNW-based wedding & elopement photographer. Adjust as needed for your market + target audience, of course!

Keep in mind as well that these blogs will usually overlap, so a blog that saves you time will probably also save your clients time, and vice-versa. But for the sake of this guide, we’re just going to be focusing on the MAIN purpose/intention of each blog!

1. A blog that saves you time

Honestly, EVERY blog post you publish will save you time in some form. If it’s a location-based guide, it’ll save you time helping your clients get all the info about that location. If it’s a general planning guide, it’ll save you time helping your clients plan every little detail. If it’s a blog post that ends up performing well on Google, it’ll save you time actively marketing to reach that audience because the blog post is doing it for you. And even if it doesn’t perform well on Google the first go-round, it’ll still save you time answering the same questions over & over from your clients!

So really, any & every blog post can fall into this category – but for the sake of these 7 blog posts you should publish FIRST, choose a blog post that will no-doubt save you a good chunk of time, no matter how well it does or doesn’t perform metrics-wise! This can be ANY kind of resource that answers the questions your clients are always asking & you’re always answering. 

Blogs are kinda like email templates: you write them once so you don’t have to continue typing out the same answers to the same questions, which is just a waste of your time. Instead of typing out your answer to the question “should we do a first look or not?” 10 separate times for 10 separate clients, all you need to do is send over the link to the blog post where you answer that Q – and bam! You’ve saved yourself time, and you’ve probably delivered a more in-depth, organized answer, too, than if you were to simply answer in an email.

Example ideas from Danielle:

• Engagement session outfit & accessory guide – saves time when clients ask for help planning their outfits!
• How to choose your perfect elopement location – saves time having to help clients choose a location from scratch, and gets the process started
• 10 tips for your day-of wedding detail photos – saves time having to tell clients how to gather their details, what to include, how to make sure the getting ready area is clean, etc.
• First look or no first look? – saves time having to explain the pros & cons of doing a first look and how it works
• 5 unique ideas for your wedding exit – saves time if clients ask for non-traditional exit/sendoff ideas

2. A blog that saves your clients time

Next up, you should be publishing a blog post that primarily saves your CLIENTS time! They already have enough planning to do, so why not give them a helping hand with your years of experience to back it? This can be any kind of resource that will help make planning easier and/or faster for your clients. Supporting them with the knowledge you’ve gained over the years will take a huge weight off their back, and will also immediately show them that you’re an expert they can trust! 

Your blog post will likely also deliver the information in a way that specifically targets them, and makes it easier for them to understand. So instead of searching the internet for info about, let’s say, overall weather in the PNW, they can read your blog post about the best time to get married in the PNW that was specifically created with weddings in mind.

Example ideas from Danielle:

• 5 best wheelchair-accessible adventure elopement locations in Olympic National Park – saves clients time having to research locations that they/their guests are able to visit
• Best time of year to elope on the Washington Coast – saves clients time trying to figure out what time of year is best for the lighting, weather, views, & activities they want
• 8 best PNW wedding attire shops/designers for non-traditional couples – saves clients time having to research for high-quality, trusted shops/designers that are more unique
• How to get permits for your Washington National Park elopement – saves clients time having to research info about the permitting process, and breaks it down to be easier for them to understand
• Best places to elope in the PNW in the winter – saves clients time having to check if their desired location is accessible in the winter, and gives them other options

3. A blog that may take longer to rank on Google

I know you’re probably thinking, “Okay Danielle, these are great, but I want to start ranking on Google ASAP” – so let’s talk rankings!

I’m not going to get crazy in-depth about this since it’s not the main focus of this blog post, but in general, blog posts about broader topics will typically take longer to rank high on Google, whereas blog posts about more niche topics will typically climb the ranks more quickly. 

This is because broad topics will usually have a LOT more competition out there (e.g. “Wedding planning tips” will have wayyy more results on Google than “Seattle wedding planning tips”), which makes it more difficult to rank for. You’ll be competing against blog posts that have likely been up for a while, and probably against high-quality websites that Google already trusts. 

Blog posts focused on more niche topics, however, tend to rank more quickly, because there is less competing content already out there. Let’s say you want to rank for Texas wedding-related keywords: a “Best luxury wedding venues in Dallas” blog post will likely rank quicker than a general “Best wedding venues in Dallas” blog, because the word “luxury” narrows down the search quite a bit. 

For this reason, I recommend publishing a good mix of broad & niche content. This way you can cover all your bases, target all your ideal locations + topics, and give your broad blogs more time to rank while your niche topics hopefully get into the rankings more quickly.

So this third blog you should publish is a blog that may take longer to rank on Google – meaning a more broad topic, or a topic that has quite a bit of competition already. Again: these kinds of blogs will usually take longer to rank, so it’s best to get them out into the Google sphere so they can start gaining momentum ASAP!

Example ideas from Danielle:

• Oregon elopement guide – lots of competing content out there from SEO-optimized, trusted websites
• Washington elopement guide – ditto!
• Mount Rainier elopement guide – ditto again
• Best locations to elope in the PNW – aaaand again
• How to plan an elopement – you already know

4. A blog that may rank more quickly on Google

On the opposite side of things, you should also publish a blog that may rank more quickly on Google. This should be a blog about a more niche topic that barely has any competition, such as a Hurricane Ridge elopement guide versus an Olympic National Park elopement guide. Fewer people are searching this topic, but chances are the people who ARE searching it are great clients for you – plus it’s likely you won’t be competing with as much content. It’s great to get a blog out there that can help you rank quickly and get in front of your ideal clients as soon as possible!

(P.S. I’ll be publishing another blog post soon about targeting broad vs. niche keywords – so keep your eyes peeled, because it’s going to be a goood one!)

Example ideas from Danielle:

• Cannon Beach elopement guide – a more niche location than just “Oregon,” has less competing content
• San Juan Islands elopement guide – a much more specific location than just “Washington,” also less competing content
• Mt. Baker elopement guide – a slightly less popular elopement location than Mt. Rainier, less competing content
• Best locations to elope on the Olympic Peninsula – much more niche than locations in the whole PNW, therefore – you guessed it – less competing content!
• How to plan an elopement in the North Cascades – wayyy more niche than just “how to plan an elopement” in general!

5. A blog about your primary market/location

Publishing blogs about your primary market/location is a GREAT strategy for wedding & elopement photographers to start with, for multiple reasons:

1. It shows Google that you are the expert in your location
2. It shows your clients that you’re the expert in your location
3. It’ll serve the majority of your clients right off the bat

Bolstering your credibility in your area is a must, especially since the wedding & elopement industry is becoming more saturated by the minute. Blog posts are an awesome way to set yourself apart and build trust with inquiring clients right off the bat, because think about it: would you be more likely to inquire with a photographer who had 10 value-packed resources about your elopement location readily available for you, or a photographer who had 1 resource about your elopement location and 10 more about other locations? Probablyyy the former – because you can trust that they know their shit about the location you want to get married at.

If you need just *one* easy blogging strategy to start with, let it be this! Begin by building up a resource library about the primary, main market/location you work at, and then move onto other destinations.

Example ideas from Danielle:

• Best adventure elopement locations near Seattle
• How to elope in Seattle
• 30 best wedding vendors in Seattle
• How to get your Seattle marriage license
• 15 fun activities for your Seattle elopement

6. A blog about your favorite location

A great rule of thumb when it comes to blogging is to only blog what you want MORE of. So if there’s a location you hate working at, DON’T blog about it! And vice-versa: if there’s a location you fucking love – the scenery is amazing, it’s easy to get to, your clients always love it, etc. – blog the hell out of it. That’s why number 6 is a blog about your favorite location to work at, where you will ALWAYS want to book more work! 

This could be a specific venue, a national park, a state park, a specific location within a national park, etc. Put together one big guide with everything your clients could need to know about that location, or divide it up into multiple, more niche posts that go over each topic individually (e.g. weather, permits, where to stay, activities, etc!). 

If you choose one specific venue to target, I recommend following the outline provided by my Venue Feature Plug N’ Play Template! This template tells you exactly what to write if you want to showcase your favorite venue to rank on Google + serve your clients who want to get married there. Snag it now for just $47, and check out my other low-cost blogging templates here!

Example ideas from Danielle:

• Mt. Baker elopement activity ideas
• Best Airbnbs near Mt. Baker for an Airbnb wedding
• 10 best hiking trails at Mt. Baker for adventure elopements
• 12 best vendors for a Mt. Baker wedding
• How to get permits for your Mt. Baker wedding or elopement

7. A blog about a new location that you want to work at

Finally, number 7 is a blog about a new location that you want to work at, but either haven’t yet OR have only worked at once/a few times. This can be anyyyy destination that you want to book clients at – maybe you’re dying to shoot at Yosemite but you never have, or maybe you fell in LOVE with Ireland on your trip there last year, and you’d love to shoot an adventure elopement in those lush green hills.

If you’re blogging about somewhere you’ve been but don’t have elopement/wedding-specific photos from, you are totally allowed to use personal photos, landscape photos, even photos from your phone! Feel free to use anything you have that shows the location and may be helpful to a couple planning their elopement. If you do NOT have any photos of the location you’re writing about, you have a few options:

1. Use photos of a location that resembles it – and add a disclaimer that the photos are for inspiration only
2. Use photos from a fellow photographer – post on your IG or in any photo Facebook groups you’re in, and see if anybody is willing to let you use their photos of that location in exchange for crediting their website!
3. Include only detail shots/photos that don’t show a location – if you have no photos to use, just stick to photos of florals, details, or generic portraits that don’t identify any location.

And if you’re blogging about a location you’ve never visited, I do recommend including a disclaimer at the top to make your clients aware. It’s always best to be transparent, because some couples prefer to hire photographers that have been to/shot at their desired location, so it wouldn’t be fair to them if they were misled about your experience. 

Example ideas from Danielle:

• Best elopement locations in Tucson
• How to elope in Saguaro National Park
• Tucson elopement guide
• Best luxury wedding venues in Tucson
• 20 best Airbnbs in Tucson for your elopement

Pro Tip: Add These Blogs to Your Email Templates

To make the most out of your blog posts (and make sure that your clients actually know they exist + have the chance to read them!), I highly recommend adding relevant blog post links into your wedding workflow! 

When I was photographing weddings, I had a workflow set up in my Dubsado that would send out check-in emails before a couple’s engagement session, as well as before their wedding. In these emails, I would deliver tips + advice that was relevant to that point in their planning process, and I eventually turned all of that advice into blog posts!

Here are a few examples of touchpoints where you could include an in-depth blog post to serve your clients:

• 6 months before the wedding – send a blog post to help them decide whether they want to have a first look or not
• 3 months before the wedding – send a blog post about how to create your perfect wedding timeline
• 1 month before the engagement session – send a blog post with your top tips for prepping for the session
• 1 month before the wedding – send a blog post about 5 last-minute things not to forget on your wedding day
• 1 week before the wedding – send a blog post with tips on how to rest + relax before the big day

Whether you add these into emails manually or you insert them into email templates that’ll be sent out as part of an automated workflow, this ensures that your clients know these blog posts exist, and helps you answer their questions before they even ask + deliver an above & beyond experience at every point of the process.

Here’s an example of a real email template I used to send out to my couples 2 months before their engagement session, to let them know what to expect:

“Hi you two!

I just wanted to shoot you a quick email to tell you how excited I am for our session together (it’s coming up so soon!), and wanted to tell you a little bit about what to expect from our time together. I’ll be sending you a questionnaire one month before your session to get to know a little more about how you interact with each other so I’ll know how to keep you comfortable in front of my camera. For now, I want to make sure you feel 100% comfortable and know how our session is going to go, so that you can get excited and not be anxious at all – I know that planning for these things can get a little intimidating and stressful! So relax, get a glass of your favorite drink, and hopefully I’m about to answer your questions before you even ask them!✨⤵

I typically include this in email format, but I put it all into a blog post so that this email wouldn’t be 100 miles long. Click HERE to read it!

Let me know if you have any questions after reading it, or feel free to send photos of potential outfits to me if you’d like some advice.”

When to Publish These 7 Blog Posts

Now that you know the 7 blog posts you should publish FIRST as a wedding or elopement photographer, let’s talk about WHEN to publish them. 

Should I publish these blog posts all at once, or spread them out?

I recommend spreading these posts out over time so that your website is consistently pushing out high-quality content! You are totally free to batch-write them all at once, if you’ve got the time to do it, and then you can schedule them out to auto-publish in advance. The frequency of publishing depends on what’s realistic for your schedule: do you realistically think you’ll be able to complete two blogs per month? Three? It’s TOTALLY okay if one/month is all you have time for – quality > quantity here, so take your time packing value into each and every blog. Whether you publish all 7 blogs in 2 months or 7, your clients are going to love them – and if you optimize them well, so should Google, babyyyy!

What if I already have blog posts up on my website? Should I delete those?

No! It’s totally okay if these aren’t actually your “first” blog posts – maybe you have a few blogs up that you published last year or maybe you’ve already been blogging, but you just feel stuck and need a new place to start. Take these 7 types of blogs & run with ‘em!

Is there a certain order I should publish these in?

Nope! I’d recommend taking a look at your priorities and current business goals, and publishing these accordingly. For example, if your top blogging priority right now is to save yourself time, start with blog number 1. If your top priority is solidifying your expertise in your home market, start with blog number 5. If you’re exhausted of answering the same client questions over and over, start with blog number 1 or 2! 

Whew! That ended up being a lot longer than I expected, but I just had to include ALL my thoughts. If you start with these 7 types of blog posts as a wedding photographer, you’ll be off on a damn good start to your blogging journey – you got this! 🙌🏼

If you use one of these ideas to create & publish a blog post, send me the link to the final product at danielle@defycreativeco.com so I can see it! Bonus points if you’re down to have me feature it on my website to show other readers a fabulous example – let me know in the email 😉