Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrea Brandt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Andrea, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I started my business back in 2011, and had no idea what I was doing! I just knew I loved photography and was good with people and that was that. Looking back, I do wish I had waited a couple of years and learned more about the business side of things – marketing, money, how to actually make a profit. I did learn these things eventually, but it would have saved a lot of energy and mistakes if I had learned them sooner.

Andrea, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Andrea Brandt, and I’m the owner of Lume Photography, based in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I’m an elopement photographer, planning guide, and officiant who specializes in nature-centered elopements, intimate weddings, vow renewals, and couples sessions.

Photography has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve loved it since childhood, both as an art form and as a way to document the world around me. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that a photograph can preserve a moment that would otherwise be gone forever. For me, photography has always been connected to nostalgia, beauty, curiosity, and storytelling.

While photography was my first passion, it was my own elopement that inspired the direction of my business. My husband and I chose a small, personal wedding experience that focused on our relationship rather than the expectations that often come with a traditional wedding. That experience showed me how meaningful a wedding day can be when it’s built around the couple instead of a long list of obligations. I realized there were probably other people looking for the same thing.

Today, I help couples create wedding experiences that are centered on both their relationship and the natural world around them. Most of my work takes place in the wild places throughout Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Rather than treating nature as a backdrop, I encourage couples to slow down and truly experience the places they’ve chosen. That might mean hiking together, watching the sunset, swimming in the lake, searching for rocks along the shoreline, sharing a picnic, or simply taking a quiet moment to appreciate where they are. Some couples choose to exchange vows alone, while others invite a small group of loved ones to join them. The common thread is that the experience feels personal and connected to what matters most to them.

Photography is one part of what I provide, but I also help with location scouting, timelines, permits, vendor recommendations, and ceremony planning. As an ordained officiant, I can perform ceremonies as well, which allows me to support couples throughout the entire process.

Artistically, I love blending documentary storytelling with creative imagery. Alongside natural, unscripted moments, I often create in-camera double exposures, reflections using prisms, and animated GIFs that add movement and a sense of playfulness to a gallery. I’m drawn to images that feel a little unexpected and that reflect not only what a moment looked like, but what it felt like. These creative techniques allow me to approach photography as both documentation and art.

I’m also a Certified Leave No Trace Photographer and care deeply about helping people enjoy wild places responsibly. Protecting the landscapes where I work is just as important to me as creating beautiful photographs within them.

What I’m most proud of is the trust my clients place in me. My goal is to help people create wedding experiences that feel meaningful, personal, and deeply connected to each other and the places they love, while creating photographs that help them revisit those memories for years to come.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken in my business was deciding to focus almost exclusively on elopements and very small weddings in nature.

When I first started photographing weddings, the industry message was pretty clear: the more people you can serve, the better. Most photographers tried to appeal to everyone, and niching down too far was often seen as risky. At the time, it felt counterintuitive to intentionally narrow my audience.

But the more weddings I photographed, the more I noticed a pattern. The couples I connected with most were often introverted, creative, nature-loving, and a little non-traditional. Many felt overwhelmed by the expectations surrounding weddings. They wanted something more personal, more meaningful, and less focused on putting on a production for other people.

At the same time, I was discovering that I felt most energized when I was photographing smaller celebrations outdoors. Give me a couple, a forest, a waterfall, a rocky Lake Superior shoreline, or a quiet mountain overlook, and I was completely in my element.

The scary part was that embracing that direction meant saying “no” to a lot of work. It meant turning away from being a general wedding photographer and accepting that some potential clients would no longer be the right fit. From a business perspective, that felt risky. There were definitely moments when I wondered if I was making a mistake.

Instead of trying to market to everyone, I rebuilt my brand around the people I most wanted to serve. I rewrote my website, changed my messaging, shifted my portfolio, and focused almost entirely on helping couples create small, nature-centered wedding experiences.

What happened surprised me.

The more specific I became, the more the right people found me. Couples started reaching out and saying things like, “I feel like you’re describing us,” or “I didn’t know this was an option until I found your website.” Instead of competing for every wedding inquiry, I was connecting with people who were already looking for exactly what I offered.

Looking back, that leap of faith completely changed my business. It taught me that sometimes growth doesn’t come from reaching more people. Sometimes it comes from having the courage to serve a smaller group of people exceptionally well.

Today, I work with couples from all over the country who are looking for a wedding experience that feels personal, intentional, and connected to nature. Building a business around that vision was one of the scariest decisions I’ve made, but it was also one of the best.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been surprisingly simple: being genuinely myself and consistently showing up.

In an industry where it’s easy to feel pressure to follow trends or present a polished version of yourself, I’ve found that people connect most with honesty. I share who I am, what I value, and how I approach my work. The couples who reach out are often people who resonate with that and feel like they already know me before we ever have our first conversation.

I’ve also built my business around the idea of giving more than what’s expected. I work hard to make the planning process easier, communicate clearly, answer questions thoroughly, and help my clients feel supported from start to finish. I try to deliver an experience that goes beyond simply taking photographs. That often means providing extra guidance, solving problems behind the scenes, sharing local knowledge, or delivering work sooner than promised whenever possible.

Another important factor has been consistency. I regularly share my work, ideas, and educational content through my website, Facebook, and Instagram. My website in particular has become one of my most valuable marketing tools because it allows me to answer questions, share resources, and help potential clients understand what an elopement can look like long before they ever contact me.

I think the combination of those things has been the key: being authentic, consistently putting in the effort, creating a great experience for my clients, and showing up regularly online. Over time, that builds trust, and trust is ultimately what drives most of my referrals and bookings.

Some of my best marketing has also come from simply taking great care of people. Happy clients tell their friends, leave reviews, share their experiences, and become advocates for my business. No marketing strategy is more powerful than someone genuinely recommending you because they had a great experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lumephotography.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lumephoto
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/lumephoto
• Other: Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/lumephoto

Image Credits

All images copyright Lume Photography