Want to start a wedding photography business. tips and advice please :)?

hi

im 19 and have this crazy idea that i want to be a wedding photographer :D i did a full time fashion course at college and also a part time photography course...went to do fashion at uni, then decided i wanted to be a photographer! lol so i know a fair lil bit about taking pictures and posing models. i know its best to become a pros assistant first before starting anything so ive mailed loads of photographers in my area but not one has got back to me :( i have also checked out wedding photography courses where you pay hundreds for a few days in a small group photographing pro models. but are these courses a good idea? i mean, they know how to pose ect. a real bride doesnt. i have thought about setting up a website and building up my own portfolio online. but im not really sure!! have my own nikon d40 camera and 18-55mm lens. have thought about hiring out the rest of the equipment i need for the moment. do not know anyone who is getting married yet. so would like some help!! xx

First, your camera and lens are just fine ... you WILL need a SB600 or SB800 flash and a few 2GB memory cards ... that is the good news.

The maybe bad is that before you get going on your own ... work for a successful pro wedding photographer (best if they are also a portrait photographer with a studio) for a couple of years. You will learn how to work with irate mothers of the bride, what traditional wedding shots are supposed to look like when you are finished shooting and learn the business of selling prints. As you may know the shooting fee ($3000 and up) only covers the photographer showing up and taking the photos. The families then get a CD of "proofs" in which to choose the photos they want to buy. Selling those prints is the other half the job of being a wedding photographer.

By the time you have a few years working with and for a pro, you will be ready to go out on your own ... and by then there will be better cameras for you to use ... BTW, some clients may want their photos taken with real film, so you will have to be ready for that as well.

I think you should totally start something. You're a little older than me, but already I think I'm capable of giving you some advice. Don't go through life debating, do something. Start now so that you don't pass through your life never coming to an agreement of what you want to do in life. Start any ware, just don't sit around waiting for answers and never doing something. Be what you want to be, be a wedding photographer, a professional one if that's what you want.

What exactly did you say to these professionals? Did you offer to shadow them (most likely without being paid) for experience? Did you show them your portfolio? Were your letters / e-mail polite?

Research wedding photographer websites. Join a photography forum like dpreview. You really should assist for quite awhile before before taking on the responsibility of wedding photography. You will always need a back-up camera and different focal lengths in lenses. Some dslrs don't do well in low light situations and most churches don't allow flash. Insurance is a must. Weddings are hard work!

Wedding photography is a serious business. Before starting any business first check were your credit stands with the bank. Since you sound like a rooky only by being a professional's assistant would you get the best tips and advice.
It is not as simple as Peter Parker selling his pics to The Daily Globe or whatever.

If you need to setup a photography portfolio online try Carbon Cookie, you can build from scratch or use a selection of their pre-built photography templates to get you started.