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

Meghan, appreciate you joining us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

In a lot of photography circles, I often see discussions around whether or not you should post your full pricing on your website. A lot of photographers argue for listing a starting price, and then getting potential clients into a meeting or phone call to discuss services, packages, and pricing so that they have a real opportunity to share the value of their services and their unique offerings.

I see the value in this. A lot of clients have a vision in their head of what they want their wedding day or elopement to look like, but haven’t had an opportunity to learn about the industry or learn what they truly value. A conversation with a professional can certainly help them understand the value of the services we offer.

Here’s my hot take: If I’m out of budget, I’m out of budget. I would rather save the client and myself time with price transparency right up front and give clients as much information as possible to make an informed decision about who they inquire with. Wedding and elopement planning can be stressful, hectic, and confusing. But if I am transparent about my services and pricing–and am authentic in my website copy–then I believe that those that inquire with me are serious inquiries and the conversations we have can be deeper and more meaningful.

Meghan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an elopement and wedding photographer, working with couples from every walk of life. Inclusivity, intention, authenticity, and adventure are at the core of why I do what I do and the wonderful people I work with.

I firmly believe that each couple should celebrate their love in a way that truly represents them–whether that’s them and their dogs in the mountains or in the city with all of their friends and family (and everywhere in between). Whether they want to climb a mountain in the dark and say their vows at sunrise or profess their love in their hometown church. The way a couple celebrates their love is theirs to decide, and I’m here to honor that story with documentary-style photography that captures the emotions felt that day.

My services also expand beyond the wedding day and include pre-wedding/elopement consultations, engagement sessions, boudoir sessions, honeymoon photography, and more. For every step along the journey, I’m honored to be there.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me has been word of mouth. I’m honored that my clients have enjoyed working with me so much that they recommend me to others in their circles. The majority of my business in the last couple of years has been referrals from friends and families of couples I’ve worked with. After a while, these people begin to feel like old friends to me because I’ve done their wedding, their sister’s wedding, their cousin’s engagement photos, and their grandparents’ anniversary photos, and so on.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was to grind until you die. So many influencers and “business people” will tell you it’s a dog-eat-dog world and if you want your business to succeed you need to never stop grinding, never stop hustling, and never stop pushing your way to the top.

But that’s not the whole story.

Sure, starting and scaling your own requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice. But it can’t be non-stop. You will burn out. If you want to succeed at running your business you need to draw healthy boundaries, take breaks, and give yourself grace. Non-stop hustle is not the way.

Hard work? Yes. Driving yourself to the point where you hate what you’re doing, and your friends and family never see you because you’re too busy? No.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://meghanblanton.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghanblantonphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mblantonphotos
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meghan-blanton-photography

Image Credits
Meghan Blanton Photography