It has been a year since I started painting weddings. A full year dedicated to Hannah Brauckmann Art. How time flies!
This time last year, I was fresh on the scene. My friends graciously allowed me to paint at their wedding with no portfolio to prove I could do it. I painted for 6 hours straight (including 2 relocations!), finished the painting on-site, and ended the day with an awesome reaction from the couple. That day lit a spark in me that I had to chase.
Fast forward one year, and I have a few paintings under my belt. I have much more confidence in my craft than when I started, and so much to look forward to in 2024. Over the last 12 months of being a wedding vendor, I have learned some incredibly important things that are crucial for success. Today, I’d like to share those things with you! If you are a creative in the wedding industry, this is for you.
1 - Connection is key.
Getting your name out there is the most practical way to build your customer base. It’s also the hardest thing to do in an ever-evolving industry. Thankfully, making connections with people interested in your services can be done in a multitude of ways. The ways I’ve seen to be most impactful are through my website, relationships with other vendors, and consistency with social media.
Your website is your most important tool. Make it your new best friend. I had no idea how huge having an effective website would be when it came to my reach. My website has exposed me to more people than anything else I've tried. If you are doing all the background work yourself (like me), then the best tips I can give you for your website are to update it often, keep a consistent style throughout each page, and use keywords that relate to your work! WIX has made all these things super easy for me as someone who has no clue about web design or SEO optimization.
Relationships with other vendors are another thing to prioritize. Introduce yourself with reckless abandon at each event you work. Hand out your business cards. Remember people’s names. Tag everyone in your post-event uploads to Instagram and Tik Tok. You don’t even have to wait for an event! Reach out to local venues - ask if they’d like a stack of your cards or if they have any couples potentially interested in your services. Ignore the jitters and get your name on everyone’s radar!
Social media can be so tricky. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that this is where people spend their time. Socials are your chance to catch someone’s attention and hopefully lead them to your website. Be consistent with your posts, reels, stories, whatever you like the best.
2 - Use your resources!
We live in an age where information is accessible within seconds. The breadth of your resources is endless. Following other painters has given me countless ideas for how to paint quicker, color mixing, setup efficiency, my booking process, supplies to use, capturing content, you name it! Don’t be afraid to borrow ideas and find out what works best for you. However, there’s a fine line between inspiration and copying. Make sure you are aware of that line. Listen to podcasts, watch videos, see what other artists are doing, but make sure you are keeping your gathered ideas unique to you.
The people in your life are another great resource! I find that opening up my work to suggestions can sting a little, but it’s also super helpful. Other artists and creatives will be gentle, but honestly it’s best to hear completely outside perspectives. Some people are so outside the world of art that they don’t even realize their comments on your work can hurt your feelings - and that objectivity is exactly what you want. Grow some thick skin and welcome those critics in your life!
3 - Practice, practice, practice.
I struggle with this, but it’s by FAR the most important as a live painter. We all go through dry spells, and it can be so hard to pull yourself out of one, but you HAVE to show up even when you don’t want to. Even when it sounds like the literal last thing on earth you want to do, think of it as an investment in your future. Every choice you make right now is a trade with your future self. Bottom line: you can’t get better if you’re not actively working at it.
Now, go and build!
Being a novice live wedding painter, I have found connection, resources, and practice to be extremely beneficial. By concentrating on these three elements, you can achieve success! Adapt them to your own work in any way you can. Although I still have a lot of room for growth, focusing on these fundamental aspects has been crucial for me in establishing and advancing my business. I am excited to see what the next year has in store!
HB
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