When your dream job just so happens to be in an industry that some may say is crowded, you’ve got to find a way to make yourself stand out!

Interestingly enough, one of the most frequently asked questions I get from potential brides & grooms is, “What sets you apart from other wedding photographers?”

There are so many photographers like me who have beautiful work, are skillful with their composition, pay extra special attention to light, and have an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly gallery system. There are also plenty of photographers with a similar light & airy style who pay close attention to their greens and whites, love black and whites, and have an outgoing personality.

But something that really sets me apart from other wedding photographers is my “relationship-driven, client experience”!

Believe it or not, my favorite part of the job isn’t taking photos or editing them like you might think, it’s serving my clients well! It’s the personal friendship we form before the big day and continue with after the wedding is over.

Those relationships with our couples? That’s the most important and most enjoyable part of my job! Human connection, there’s really nothing else like it.

The number one thing that makes my client experience so unique is what we call “our date-night consultation”! So what exactly IS a date-night consultation? I’ll tell ya!

It’s a night where we get to treat each couple who books me (if schedules permit before the wedding!) to dinner & a double date with me and my husband, Jon!

It’s where we really get to know our couples the most and ask all the questions about how they met, how the proposal happened, what types of jobs they have or what they are in school for, what they like to do for fun, etc! We, of course, talk about some wedding details and draft a day-of timeline for photography, which helps them have a clearer picture of what their wedding day might look like! (We make sure their photography schedule meshes well with their planner’s day-of schedule later on in the planning process!)

Now, you may be wondering… How did this tradition of date-night consults start?!

For those of you who don’t know, Jon (my husband) used to be my second shooter on wedding days for about 8 of the 13 years I’ve been photographing weddings! In 2021, a year after moving to Greenville, SC, he stepped back from photography, since finding a babysitter that we trusted for such long hours on weekends was much more difficult than finding a great second shooter. It was sad ending our time as a husband and wife team, but it was definitely the right decision for our family.

However, we still wanted Jon to be a part of the client experience, so date nights with our couples was a must-keep! Also, Jon and I will be married TEN years this May!! So it’s extra special being able to love on our couples who are just entering into that amazing season of life and being able to be there for them if they ever need anything! We are always happy to share nuggets of wisdom whenever any couple asks 🙂

Once a couple is officially booked, we start figuring out a timeframe that might be good to plan the date night. Sometimes we plan it on the same day as our couple’s engagement session and check two things off our list back to back! That especially happens for our out-of-state couples or couples that drive several hours to their engagement session (or if we drive to them).

There have been many times when one or more of our sons have joined us on date nights (especially when they were younger) and Alden has tagged along multiple times lately since I’m still nursing! Often it’s a child-free date night though!! Haha

We’ve also done virtual date night consults over the years with couples out of state. And even though it wasn’t in person, it was just as beneficial and helped us really get to know our couple.

The biggest benefit of the date-night consult is that we don’t feel like just another vendor taking photographs, but a friend who our couples can feel extra comfortable with on their wedding day. It makes capturing our couples’ most genuine selves a piece of cake! What a joy it is to serve our couples!

I could write all day about how much these date nights mean to me (and Jon!) but I thought I would let you hear from our couples that have already had their date-night consultation instead!

“I loved that between the engagement shoot and the date night, we really got to know you. I had a lot of anxiety going into the wedding because I don’t like being the center of attention and didn’t know how I’d feel about having so many eyes on me, so feeling like I had a friend and someone I was comfortable with taking the pictures made me feel a lot better.” -Emma B.

“We loved it! It helped us get to know you better which also made us more comfortable in front of the camera for our wedding day. We had a lot of good conversations & fun as well on the date night. ❤️”
-Katie B.

“It was so fun! We loved getting the chance for Mason to get to know you a little more and get to know Jon a little more as well! It definitely makes the experience special because it helps us feel more like friends than just someone hiring you! When you get to know your clients, it helps you bring that extra element to the experience. You made my wedding so special and knowing I could count on you as a friend and not just a photographer was amazing ” – Brittney C.

If you have any questions about our wedding experience or already know you want to book me as your wedding photographer, please send me an email, I’d love to chat!
Hugs, Tiff