Meet Cassidy Kohlert | Wedding Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cassidy Kohlert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cassidy, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Starting my own business has been one of the most rewarding, but challenging, things I’ve ever done. Some of the most worthwhile things in life take time and effort, which was definitely the case with starting my own wedding photography business!

Photography has been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember. Growing up, it was always something I was interested in pursuing. I did family sessions for friends in high school, but it wasn’t until college that I decided to start my business. I had told my boyfriend (now my husband) about my dreams of being a photographer and he helped me realize that now was as good of a time as any to start. His encouragement and support was enough for me to take the leap. That same day, I spent my savings on my dream camera and got to work building my business!

Getting started was really hard! I wanted to get into weddings but didn’t have any experience in the wedding industry. I was confident in my abilities as a photographer but I didn’t have any wedding galleries to advertise myself with. I am so grateful for the first few couples who took a leap of faith in trusting me to photograph their weddings.

Since then, I’ve photographed 74 weddings in the last 3 years. It has been an absolute blast and I am so happy and proud of myself for chasing my dreams.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Although there is a lot that goes into being a wedding photographer, the two most important things to me are client experience and photography. Those are the two reasons why I started my business and they continue to be at the center of it. Everything else (social media, travel, accounting, marketing, revenue, etc) comes second.

Client experience is extremely important to me. I absolutely love getting to know my couples and befriend them. Before booking, I set up an inquiry call with potential clients to meet them and to hear more about their wedding day. It’s important to me to make sure we’re a good match and that I can meet/exceed their expectations. I also want to make sure the couple feels comfortable around me, so they feel more confident in front of the camera and can trust me to capture their wedding day.

Wedding planning was a very stressful experience for me, so I try my best to ensure my couples have a better experience than I did. I have a lot of resources I offer couples, like a wedding planning guide, vendor recommendations, location guides, and session guides. I always tell my couples that I’m happy to be as involved (or uninvolved) in wedding planning as they want me to be. I try to make myself very accessible and always strive to communicate clearly.

On the actual wedding day, I try to make the day as fun for the couple as possible. It’s common for weddings to run behind and, when that happens, I never show or express any stress or frustration. My priority is the couple and I do everything I can to ensure their day runs smoothly, they enjoy it, and I capture it well.

In addition to client experience, my photography sets me apart. I’d describe my photos as warm, bright, and candid. I strive to accurately capture the couple, their love, and their wedding day. My priority is creating timeless memories for them to be able to look back on for the rest of their lives. I feel honored every time someone trusts me to do so and it’s something I don’t take lightly.

Getting to where I am today has not been easy by any means. It took a lot of patience and hard work but it’s been so rewarding. Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned have come from experience. It’s all helped me become a better photographer and serve my clients better.

I want the world to know how passionate I am about wedding photography! I feel so lucky to be a wedding photographer and I have a blast doing it. I am most proud of my client experience and the photos I create and I am so grateful for those who entrust me with both!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a fun question! We just moved to South Florida a few months ago so I feel like I’m the one in need of recommendations!

If my best friend was visiting, I’d spend every day at the beach together! I love being in the sun and outdoors. So far, my favorite local beaches are Fort Lauderdale Beach, Hollywood Beach, and North Beach. I would love to go to the Keys!

It would also be fun to do some shopping. I’m convinced every time I go to Sawgrass Mills I end up in a different part of the mall I haven’t been before. It’s a huge mall and they have a ton of great stores!

Some of my favorite local restaurants are Pummarola (pizza), the Mermaid Queen (Mexican), and Phat Boy Rolls (sushi). We would definitely have to go to those and then I think it’d be fun to try out new places!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The biggest shoutout goes to my husband, Tyler. Not only did he encourage me to start my business, but he has supported me every day since. He picks me up whenever I feel discouraged and does so much for me and my business behind the scenes. I love you, Ty!

I’d also like to give my family and Tyler’s family a shoutout. Their support means the world to me and I am seriously lucky to have them in my life. They send me encouraging notes, engage with social media posts, and go above and beyond to show me their love and support. Thank you!!

I also want to give a shoutout to the many photographers who gave me advice while I was starting out and exemplified “community over competition”. Their willingness to help made a lasting impression on me and I will forever be grateful for them. I try to pay it forward and am always happy to help other photographers where I can.

Lastly, I want to thank all of my clients in the last few years. Thank you for trusting me to capture your memories. I feel so blessed to be a photographer and you are the ones who have made it possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Website: https://cassidykohlertphoto.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassidykohlertphoto

Image Credits
Cassidy Kohlert Photo