We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jamie Akers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jamie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

Communication. The best lesson I have ever learned from a prior job is communication. I worked for 15 years as server/bartender at the Shellhouse Restaurant in Savannah, GA. My manager, Phil Cooper, taught me many things but the most important would be communication to your client/customer. People want to be seen and acknowledged. If you get sat at a table for dinner and 15 minutes passes and you see waitresses standing or walking past you and no-one acknowledges your existence, it can be incredibly frustrating. But, if a waitress looks at you and speaks to you saying “I have to go do such and such but I will be back to take you drink orders as soon as I can”, that customer is going to be a lot more understanding and patient. This translates into all areas of life and all facets of business including communication to your employees, your friends/family, etc. Respond promptly, address your clients needs, acknowledge that you see and hear them and your relationships with them will be more fluid and less stressful and more productive. I believe people can get caught up in thinking that a client may be upset if you tell them, for example, you’re behind on completion of a task, so one can tend to avoid communication in hopes they can complete it without any questions or confrontation. When in reality, the client will usually be happier just being informed and not felt like they’ve been forgotten or ignored. In my business, communication is and will always be the key.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Jamie Akers and I am a full time wedding and elopement photographer based out of Savannah GA. I went to school at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online for my bachelors in Photography. However, I did not get into photographing weddings and elopements until after my own wedding. I was not impressed or pleased with how my wedding was photographed and how my family was treated and thought to myself I could do way better. It basically lit a little fire under me and dove head in. I began educating myself in all things wedding! I am now going on my 6th year offering my services to the area and beyond. I offer full-day wedding coverage, local elopements, adventure elopements (my fav), maternity sessions, and engagements. My style is very movement oriented and has been described as adventurous elegance with earthy vibes. I really like to befriend my couples and create a connection outside of their wedding and as a creator I like to tell the whole story of their special day in its entirety. This is why I only offer full day coverage. Not only does it make it simple on the couples not having to decide how much time is enough or needed or what they want to have included photography wise, they get it all. From getting ready to the final exit, I am by your side to capture it all. My all time favorite thing to do, however, are my adventure elopements. We spend the whole day together, usually hiking to a beautiful location, and getting to witness the beauty of love surrounded by nature. Nowhere is off-limits! My main goal through my craft is to make you feel emotion when you look at an image. I want my couples to remember that moment as it was and remember how they felt when they were in it. I want them to feel at ease with me and I strive to tell their story in its most imperfect perfectness. And I will not hesitate to throw in all the bloopers to your wedding gallery!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for me is easily word of mouth as well as keeping close relationships with vendors in the wedding industry that I love working with! Like I said, I really enjoy building relationships with my couples outside of just their wedding. With building those relationships comes a very strong word of mouth referral chain, which I love. I love it because it usually means I get to see previous clients in attendance and get to give them a good hug and say hey! I also love when clients are referred to me through other wedding vendors, such as wedding planners, because working with people you love just makes the day go so good for everyone involved.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Consistency and networking. Within the wedding industry, building a good reputation is incredibly important. I feel being consistent in my style, my work ethic, my communication, and eagerness to help when needed have all fostered building myself a great reputation with my clients. Networking and being involved in the community has helped build those relationships with other vendors in our wedding market, and those relationships have been incredibly beneficial to myself, my business, and my clients. Always community over competition.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.magnoliawyld.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/magnolia_wyld
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagnoliaWyld

Image Credits
myself: Magnolia + Wyld Photography