Wedding Photography Unveiled

Seventeen years in, wedding photographer Aiden Priest joins me for a wide-ranging conversation covering everything he's picked up along the way.

From a chance start second shooting for his postman to running one of the fastest turnaround workflows in the industry, Aiden shares the systems, mindset and hard-won lessons that keep him consistent after hundreds of weddings.

We cover so much including editing efficiency, kit philosophy, second shooter selection, data security, handling negative reviews and some of the more extreme situations weddings can throw at you, all tied together by the idea that experience teaches you what actually matters and what you can let go of.

Website: https://adenpriestphotography.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adenphoto/

Two years after Cloe was a guest at a wedding I shot, she got back in touch to ask if I'd reshoot her portraits and key moments after being unhappy with her original gallery.
In this episode I have a chat with Cloe about:
How she found her suppliers and specifically her photographers.
What she felt her gallery missed and what hindsight has taught her.
Why Cloe booked a content creator despite having two photographers and a videographer already.
Why she chose not to leave a review, and how the reshoot completed the story for her
Her advice to photographers listening to this episode.
Conclusion
This is a conversation I'm genuinely glad I recorded. Getting an honest account from a bride who was not thrilled by her wedding photographs isn't a conversation many of us genuinely hear. And I'm incredibly grateful that Cloe shares her experiences without bitterness and with real generosity toward the photographers involved. Her reflections on communication, expectations, and timelines are lessons we should all take on board and her advice on getting involved earlier in the planning is something I'm going to take seriously.

This week, Daiga & I have a honest mid-year catch up. We share what we've done this year so far, what's worked, what's not.

What we cover
How this year has felt versus the cold hard stats which tell us something else
Daiga talks about her experience with using a virtual assistant to take over her social media posting
I talk about my advertising efforts using Google and meta ads. And which is working better.
How we've both launched revamped websites
Our new sponsor!
And the growth of the website/hosting business.

Links and Resources
Studio Ninja - use code UNVEILED for 50% off your first year

Wedding Workflows - the VA service Daiga used for social media management

Wedsite Wizards - Martin's hosting/website design brand

Wedding Photography Unveiled Community - join the Facebook group and let Martin know how you are finding the current market

After seven years and around 200 weddings in the UK, Frances made one of her bravest moves. She bought a farmhouse in Normandy, moved mid-pandemic and rebuilt her entire business from scratch in one of Europe's most competitive destination wedding markets.
In this episode, we talk about how she pulled it off, from the early days with almost no local portfolio and no budget, to now shooting luxury chateau weddings and averaging £3,000+ per booking.
What we cover:
Her decision to leave the UK.
Starting over with almost nothing.
The portfolio problem and how she solved it.
Networking over paid ads: No SEO, no paid ads.
Pricing strategy and rapid growth.
The reality of destination weddings in France.
Why being British is a competitive advantage.
The documentary vs editorial debate.

Find Frances:
Website: francesmarysales.comInstagram: @francesmarysales

In this episode I sit down with Jade Greenbrooke, a Kent-based editorial and documentary wedding photographer who has been shooting weddings since the age of 16. Jade is fully self-employed, shoots around 50 weddings a year, and has generated over 430 enquiries since January alone, almost entirely through TikTok and Instagram.
We cover a huge amount of ground in this conversation. Jade opens up about her rocky start in the industry, including hiding in a cupboard crying at her very first wedding at 16 and why her photography degree left her with little more than a dislike of film photography. She shares how a snowy January wedding at 18 reignited her passion and set her on the path to where she is today.
One of the things I find most compelling about Jade's approach is her philosophy that couples want to look their best, not just be photographed as they are. She explains why the anti-posing narrative has done couples a disservice, how she navigates portrait sessions so couples never feel overloaded with pictures, and why building genuine rapport before you even pick the camera up is one of the most important skills you can develop.

We also dig into how she structures her wedding days to get the best from portrait sessions, why she times everything around golden hour and the first dance, and the practical techniques she uses to put couples at ease including knowing their best angles and hyping them up in the moment.

On the business side, the numbers Jade shares are extraordinary. Over a thousand enquiries last year, a starting price of £3,500, and a diary that fills itself without paid advertising, a PR strategy, or SEO investment. It all comes down to posting work she is genuinely proud of and letting that speak for itself. She also shares her thoughts on managing social media without letting it consume your creative vision, including why she follows fewer than 100 people on Instagram.

We wrap up talking about gear, shooting on aperture priority, the Canon kit she has used from her first 1100D through to the R5 Mark II, and why a simple approach to flash can often serve couples better than technically complex lighting setups.

This is a brilliant episode for anyone questioning whether the pure documentary approach is always right for their couples, or wondering whether organic social media can still build a genuinely thriving business. Jade is proof that it can.

Key Topics Covered
Shooting her first wedding at 16 and the anxiety that came with it
Why her photography degree nearly put her off photography for good
The editorial versus documentary debate and why couples often want more than pure candids
Portrait session structure and keeping couples energised throughout the day
How she uses TikTok and Instagram to generate enquiries without paid ads
Why following fewer accounts can protect your creative vision
Camera settings, gear choices, and her thoughts on flash
Advice for photographers starting out at less-than-glamorous venues
Find JadeWebsite: jadegreenbookephotography.co.ukInstagram: @jadegreenbrookeTikTok: @jadegreenbrooke