How Wedding Photographers Can Use Email Marketing to Book More Clients with Candice Coppola

Social media has its place, but let’s not pretend it’s a sustainable plan for growth. For wedding photographers, it often feels like being chained to your phone—juggling client work, editing marathons, and a busy season that never ends. Posting just to stay visible isn’t a strategy; it’s a fast track to burnout. That’s why email marketing for wedding photographers matters—it gives you a way to connect with couples and book work without being at the mercy of the algorithm.

That’s why I wanted to bring in my past business coach, Candice Coppola. She built and sold a multi–six-figure wedding planning business and now spends her days helping wedding pros build businesses that don’t just look good from the outside, but actually feel good to run.

In this episode, Candice shares why email marketing is one of the most overlooked tools in the wedding industry, and how you can use it to attract right-fit clients, build trust, and bring in steady revenue—without being at the mercy of the algorithm.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why email marketing for wedding photographers gets ignored in the industry (and why that’s costing photographers real bookings)
• How to create location-specific opt-ins that attract couples who are actually ready to hire you
• The “serve, serve, sell” approach to nurture sequences that builds trust instead of burning bridges
• Simple ways to increase revenue from existing clients through albums, prints, and add-ons
• Why email is a key piece of running a sustainable wedding photography business—especially when social media feels like a hamster wheel

Keep scrolling for the full transcript

My Results Using Email Marketing as a Photographer

I’ve relied on email marketing for years, but the moment I committed to it strategically, the results were undeniable.

• Over 80% of fall mini bookings and 90% of holiday minis came directly from my email list
• I only sent four emails: the launch, a value-packed encouragement, a halfway reminder, and a final call
• Total result: $5,000 in sales

That kind of return doesn’t happen on social media. For photographers managing chronic illness or burnout, this is where email becomes a game-changer: you can batch, schedule, and let your systems keep running—whether you’re in a busy season or on your worst day.

Free Resource for Wedding Photographers

Want to see how these strategies can work for you? Grab my Busy Season Email Survival Kit for Wedding Photographers — a free resource designed to simplify your inbox during peak months.

Full Transcript

Accessibility note: The interview below has been reformatted into Q&A headings for readability. This full transcript is provided for accessibility and for anyone who prefers to read. Only spelling and grammar have been edited; content remains unchanged.

For any listeners who are maybe new around here, why don’t you take a quick second to introduce yourself and let everybody know what you’re all about?

Candice Coppola: Well, Sandra, thank you for having me on your show. It’s a great honour to be here. I’m so flattered that you wanted to have this conversation, and the feeling is mutual in terms of love and respect and admiration.

What you’re doing here is amazing, and I just think the world of you. So thank you so much for having me on this show. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Candice Coppola. I’m a business coach for wedding pros, and I help you build a profitable business with purpose.

In a former life, though, I was a wedding planner. I understand all the weird things about the industry firsthand because I lived it myself, growing a business over 12 years. I helped clients all over the world celebrate moments that matter in their lives.

In 2019, I decided to sell my business and go all in on helping wedding pros build their business. That was a long time coming—I had slowly started to not love my job as much as I used to in those growth years. My lifestyle had changed pretty dramatically, which definitely played a role.

And I just love doing stuff like this: talking to Sandra, talking to you guys, exchanging ideas, and helping people build a business that really supports their life.

Why do you think that email marketing is so overlooked in the wedding industry as a whole, especially for wedding photographers?

Candice Coppola: You know, I think wedding pros are just getting by with the marketing that they can muster. We’re really focused on Instagram. That’s kind of our place where we focus and network. I like to call marketing for wedding pros this holy trinity of Instagram, networking, and blogging/SEO.

I think those are the three things that work best for wedding pros, but I feel like email marketing is one of those things that wedding photographers might find to be scary. Maybe you tried it before and it didn’t work, and I can understand why. It is something that you have to be very strategic about. You can’t just throw something on your website, ask people to sign up for your newsletter, and then expect to be making thousands of dollars from your email list.

It requires that you understand how email marketing works. But once you get the gist of it, then you can see the opportunities and the possibilities. It just needs to be better described for wedding pros because my email marketing is a lot different than what a wedding photographer would do.

Why do you think that email marketing is important for building a sustainable wedding photography business?

Candice Coppola: Yeah, it’s true. Instagram has become more difficult to stand out on because everything kind of looks the same over there. And Instagram has moved in the direction of serving creators.

Let’s be honest—you didn’t open your business to become a creator. It’s sort of a byproduct of having a business these days. You need to create content, but what you really want to do is photograph weddings. You want that connection with your client. That’s where you want to spend your time.

Instagram has evolved into this almost unsustainable channel for marketing. We have to be there—it’s sort of a necessary evil. And I think that if you can diversify your marketing channels and really make that top of funnel broader where you’re bringing people in…

So think of your marketing as a funnel. For most photographers, the top of their funnel is going to be word of mouth. You’ve got networking, you’ve got Instagram, and then hopefully you’re blogging. If you’re not blogging and doing SEO, that’s a separate conversation. Those are the top of your funnel.

We’re looking for interesting ways to add to that, that don’t take too much of your time or don’t require you to be front and center like Instagram does daily, multiple times a day. So email marketing is great in the sense that it’s something you can kind of set and forget.

You can’t truly set and forget anything—you have to pay attention to all areas of your business—but you don’t have to monitor email marketing the same way. You could essentially set up a funnel, an email funnel that you create, and that automatically helps to bring in leads, helps to nurture those leads, helps them go through know/like/trust, and that leads to bookings.

But you can also use it for the very same purpose on your existing clients. Here’s something wedding photographers really mess up: product sales.

What are some ways that wedding photographers can actually grow that list and gain inspiration for those top-of-funnel steps?

Candice Coppola: Right. This is a great question. And this is where I think email marketing gets—it’s a make-or-break situation—because how you bring people on your list really matters.

Think about it like this. You have this funnel. You want people entering the top of your funnel at or around the point where they’re ready to buy. And if they’re entering your funnel with “10 things to have on your wedding day” or “how to prep for your engagement session,” they may be entering with a photographer already.

It’s guaranteed. Somebody Googling engagement session ideas is looking for ideas to use with their photographer—who is not you.

So you want to think strategically about getting somebody on your list at or around the point where they’re ready to buy from you. For weddings, that might be “best wedding venues in [your area]” or a checklist tied directly to booking.

We also want the opt-in to be location-based. If you’re a destination photographer, speak to the destinations you’re known for. If you’re in Connecticut, an engagement prep guide could attract anyone from anywhere. But “10 best wedding venues in Connecticut” attracts local leads that you can actually serve.

Do you think that it matters if photographers create something that other photographers in their area have already done?

Candice Coppola: It is absolutely not a problem to create something that somebody else has already created. If you see a lot of people using a certain type of opt-in, the likelihood is they’re using it because it works.

So that’s validation. Don’t feel restricted, like, “Oh, I can’t do that because she’s doing it.” See it as validation.

What you’re going to do is put your brand on it, your approach, your thought process. Maybe you see another photographer doing “10 best wedding locations in [area]” and you do the same. You may not even list the same locations.

I wouldn’t download their opt-in—I’d just note, “Okay, I’m seeing that a few people are doing this. That must mean it works. Let me take that concept and do it with a fresh set of eyes.”

When wedding photographers are creating these opt-ins and thinking about how they’re going to lead people through their funnels, what are some ways that they can make sure that exchange is profitable for both sides?

Candice Coppola: I think one of the biggest hang-ups around email marketing is that we don’t want to bother people. This is what detracts people from getting into it.

Even I sometimes hit send and think, “Ugh, I hope I’m not bothering anybody.” But that’s ridiculous. You have to shift your mindset to: maybe I’m helping someone.

When people opt in, they’re telling you they want to hear from you. They’re interested in this subject. You have permission to speak to them.

And there’s an unsubscribe button. They can filter themselves out.

When you think about email marketing, remember this: write emails people want to read. The best ones tell stories, have personality, maybe some humour. They’re not formulaic or corporate. They speak to one person.

What are some things that wedding photographers should be keeping in mind in those other steps of the funnel?

Candice Coppola: Do not put up a form on your website that says “subscribe to my newsletter.” Nobody wants to subscribe to you—unless it’s gossip or something juicy.

And also, you’ll never send the newsletter. People opt in and then never hear from you, and a year later you suddenly email them. They’re like, “Who is this?”

When somebody opts in, think: how can this connect to a product or service I offer?

Example: “10 best wedding venues in Connecticut.” Someone downloading that is venue shopping—they definitely haven’t hired a photographer yet. Perfect timing.

Deliver the guide, then use automated emails:

• A check-in after a few days, offering help.
• A follow-up linking to related blog posts and portfolio work.
• Then: invite them to schedule a consultation.

That’s the serve, serve, sell model. Serve with information, serve again with resources, then sell by offering the next step.

You can have different nurture sequences for different opt-ins. A venue guide attracts someone earlier than a “how to hire your photographer” checklist.

Do you have any final takeaways that you would love to share—or that you hope listeners walk away with?

Candice Coppola: A few things:

• Don’t be scared to sell. The easiest way to make more money is to sell to the people who already bought from you.
• Consider email marketing seriously, and do it strategically.
• Create opt-ins around problems or questions your couples have.
• Then build nurture sequences that support them and invite them to work with you.

One last fun question: if you were to go out for dinner with one TV star, would you go out with Jax from Vanderpump Rules or The Situation from Jersey Shore?

Candice Coppola: Why are you making this so hard?

At first, I’d lean toward The Situation because he loves food. You know he’d order the whole menu. But Jax… he’s an absolute prick, but I kind of like him in some weird ways. I’d want all the Vanderpump Rules tea.

So I’d probably pick Jax.

Sandra Henderson: Honestly, me too. The Situation brings food and quotes, but Jax brings all the gossip. And you know he’ll spill it. I’d go with the tea too.

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Looking for more?

Candice and I actually swapped roles, and I joined her on The Power in Purpose Podcast for episode 130: Creating Business Systems & Workflows That Honor Your Health.

In that chat, I pulled back the curtain on what it’s really like to run two businesses while living with a chronic illness—and why your systems can’t just function on your best days. We dug into how simple workflows can keep burnout from running the show, plus the practical stuff: inquiry workflows, autoresponders, client communication, and building a business that supports your life instead of draining it.

Listen to my episode with Candice here

About Candice Coppola

Candice Coppola is an author, podcast host, business coach, and entrepreneur who believes you shouldn’t have to do business (or happy hour) alone.

She built a multi-six-figure wedding planning company, Jubilee Events, during the recession in 2008 and ran it for 12 years. She later sold the company to focus on coaching creatives.

Candice hosts The Power in Purpose Podcast, rated in Apple’s top 100 entrepreneur shows, and has co-authored two books: The White Dress in Color and The White Dress Destinations. She now lives in Barbados with her husband and two pups.

Follow her on Instagram, visit her website, or listen to The Power in Purpose Podcast.

Tools & Resources Mentioned

• Flodesk – My favourite email platform. It’s simple, gorgeous, and doesn’t punish you for wanting your emails to actually look on brand. You can even save 50% on your first year through my resources page.
• The Client Cocktail by Candice Coppola – This is the opt-in strategy framework that completely shifted how I think about list-building. If you’ve ever wondered what to offer beyond “join my newsletter,” start here.
• Busy Season Email Survival Kit for Wedding Photographers – My freebie built to help photographers manage inbox overwhelm during peak season. It’s practical, straightforward, and saves you hours of back-and-forth when you need it most. Get it here.

Ready to Streamline Your Systems?

If your HoneyBook feels more like a junk drawer than a streamlined client experience, you’re not alone. Most photographers don’t need to rebuild everything from scratch—they just need a cleanup, a system that makes sense, and workflows that actually support the way you work.

That’s where I come in. I help wedding photographers and creative pros clean up, organize, and optimize their HoneyBook accounts so they finally run smoothly. From quick housekeeping to done-for-you workflows, my services are designed to protect your energy and free up your time.

Explore my HoneyBook services for photographers and let’s get your backend working as beautifully as your client work!