The Virginia House: A Richmond Estate Wedding

The hardest thing about moving to a new area as a wedding photographer is that so many clients and bookings come from referrals and word of mouth. When you willingly upend your life and move 20 hours away to a place you'd never visited before, it's a bit difficult to rely on those methods! Luckily, like with many things, there are Facebook groups for that.

Through the handful of photography related Facebook groups I've joined since moving to Virginia, I've been able to pick up a few gigs second shooting weddings. While I would much rather make my own bookings (don’t worry, I am for 2026!), I'm still thrilled to be doing these shoots. After all, I don't have to deal with all the background and clerical work, I just get to show up, do my favorite thing in the world, eat some good food, and go home!

One of the coolest things about shooting weddings, especially as a second shooter, is that you get to connect with the other vendors, many of which are so cool! At The Virginia House, I spent quite a bit of time with their on-site staff in between my photo responsibilities. Getting to meet and spend time with other media professionals, gabbing about gear, discussing the behind-the-scenes things that no one ever seems to want to talk about is so special and beneficial as a working creative.

Ashley Sieg, the lead photographer for this Richmond, VA wedding, is the reason that I’m blogging here right now actually! While I consider myself decent at social media, the intricacies of SEO and discoverability have long been lost on me. I’ve always said “I know, I know” when people have told me to learn it, that doing things like blogging on your website can lead to actual, real, tangible results and bookings.

Welp. Here I am. The word of mouth, friend-of-a-friend stuff just isn’t cutting it at this point. Facebook groups only carry so far and I’m not quite sure that I’m ready for the $300/month commitment to The Knot and Wedding Wire. I know that blogging is a long term commitment and investment, that I’m not just going to immediately start seeing results, but I’m ready for that. Whether it’s my own bookings or someone else’s, I’m excited to share my work with you.