We were lucky to catch up with Wesley Harden recently and have shared our conversation below.

Wesley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. undefined

The idea of being able to build your own business is far more common than when I had first begun, primarily because I had a lot to learn about the intricacies of all that would go into a feat such as starting to work for yourself. While developing my company, I spent countless hours after my eight or ten-hour shifts from my then job, well into the night, researching what I should be doing and learning from others who had already accomplished what I was now beginning. It took over five years of trial and failure before someone I now consider a great mentor reached out to me and saw my potential. At the time, I was severely under-experienced for the position I was offered. Still, I was able to spend the next year learning from someone who had built their own company and who was lucky enough to travel around the world to photograph destination weddings and elopements. Their outlook on their clients, their business design, everything began to make sense, and I could see the changes I would need to make in my strategies to establish a clientele and find my niche in the saturated market. Over the next year, I worked as an assistant for other photographers. I photographed over a hundred weddings while beginning to market to one of California’s most well-known National Parks, Yosemite National Park.
With a live portfolio on my website and after changing my company name on social media and my website, I was able to hone in on Yosemite National Park destination weddings and elopements. After nearly three years dedicated to marketing and learning from other professionals, I established my own clientele. I told myself it would be a dream to have twenty weddings on the books for a year, and almost immediately, that number was surpassed by nearly fifty weddings in a year. By far, this was the most busy season my business had ever experienced, but it was also a lot of work for only one person. Going into the next two years of business from 2021 onward, I had to rethink my strategies, not only because of how much work had to be done but because I would also be entering grad school. As one person, there was no way I could handle the demand, and I couldn’t bring myself to turn so many clients away.
After much convincing and long conversations about what would need to happen for my business to reach the next level, I had to face the reality that I needed help; I needed to hire. Luckily, I had worked with other amazing photographers and was part of a few social events where wedding photographers would spend time in person discussing our businesses. With the help of this and social media, primarily Instagram, I reached out to local photographers I saw potential in and began to arrange interviews and develop a working relationship before officially bringing them on as a part of my team. Thus, the WHP (Wesley Harden Photography, LLC) team was created. My team now consists of three amazing photographers who specialize in Northern California surrounding area and have been a fantastic help in taking my business to the next level.
Sure, I have had the idea of what I could have done differently, but looking back, everything happened when it needed to. Sure, I could have begun building my team sooner, but who knows what would have occurred. I chose to make changes to my company when I was ready to do so, and after a lot of work, I got here, and I am happy where I am. There are so many other things I want to do to expand my company, but that will take more time and research. Ultimately, though, it will also happen when I need it to, at the right time, for me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Wes, and I am the lead photographer and owner of Wesley Harden Photography, LLC. My team and I specialize in destination adventure elopements, weddings, and all things couples. In particular, we are wedding professionals who work closely with our clients to bring their vision for their special day to life. We guide our couples through every step of the wedding and elopement process to help bring their dream wedding to life! We are located in California but travel all over the country and internationally. We will be there every step of the way to make the process as simple as possible. Often, we are our couple’s first experience with a professional photographer, and we know what it feels like to be in front of the camera, so we understand our clients concerns and hesitation. It can and will be so much fun, that is our promise! Our clients are in very capable hands, and we help them every step of the way. It is always our hope that the memories we create will last a lifetime, and when our clients look back at their photos, they will have a smile on their faces that reminds them of how fantastic their special day was.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

From the view of a wedding photographer, it is important, first and foremost, to understand exactly who our clients are and what makes them uniquely themselves so we can implement these qualities into the photos we capture. Every couple is distinct, every wedding is different, and every day is full of its own remarkable memories. Focusing on who our clients are and learning what is important to them through live meetings over the phone, Zoom, and emails with questionnaires help us identify the specific needs of each of our clients so we can ensure every aspect of the day that is important is captured and preserved for a lifetime to come.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

The amazing people we have had the honor of working with have told us that the reassurance, guidance, attention to detail, and care we provide in our specialty help our clients focus on what is important while leaving the rest to us. We are an open ear, most of all, and have the knowledge and experience to provide guidance for every event, no matter how unique. Helping our couples with a step-by-step process from proposal to post-wedding, we are there from the very beginning to well after the event, ensuring all questions are answered, obstacles are overcome, and stress is turned to enjoyment. The process is demanding, but our clients are not alone; we are there for them every step of the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hardenwesley.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardenwesley/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wesphoto

Image Credits
© Wesley Harden Photography, LLC. All Rights Reserved