Claim OwnershipLEVEL UP: A Wedding Photography + Videography Podcast
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Description
Ready to take your wedding photography or filmmaking business from mainstream to luxury? We are on a mission to equip YOU with the information and resources you need to scale your business into the premiere and luxury markets, where you can successfully 2-3x your prices.
Every Tuesday we invite you to tune in on conversations with Kelley and Taylor, luxury wedding cinematographers and business coaches, as we teach you what we have learned over 22+ years of combined experience in the wedding industry.
Learn the ins and outs of the luxury market, how to align your brand within it, and become fully prepared to take your business from mainstream to luxury.
In a nutshell: this is the wedding filmmaking + photography podcast for creatives striving for MORE in their businesses.
The wedding industry can be a challenging place to build a career, and we are here to help.
https://thelevelupco.com/
251 Episodes
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Many wedding photographers and filmmakers hit a frustrating ceiling in their business. Your work is strong. Your clients love you. But somehow… your pricing, bookings, and growth feel stuck. In this episode, we sit down with Chicago wedding filmmaker Kyrie Copeland to talk about the mindset shifts, branding changes, and business strategies that helped her raise her average booking from around $3,500 to $6,500 in less than a year. We dive into breaking into the luxury wedding market, raising...
So many wedding photographers and filmmakers believe there’s a ceiling on their income. That $7,500 packages are “just how it is.” That planners are gatekeepers. That luxury clients aren’t for them. In this episode, we sit down with Alyssa and Matt, a husband-and-wife photography team who shattered that belief. They went from hoping for a $7,500 booking to landing a $15,000 wedding before Mastermind was even over. But the real shift wasn’t just pricing. It was mindset. They moved from scar...
We can shoot more. We can post more. We can work harder. But if we never refine what we’re building, growth eventually stalls. A rose garden doesn’t flourish just because it gets sunlight and water. It flourishes because it’s pruned with intention. The same is true for your wedding photography or filmmaking business. In this episode, we’re talking about what it actually takes to elevate: archiving old work, refreshing your portfolio, upgrading your client experience, and letting go of habit...
We can work hard. We can set big goals. We can stay consistent. But if we’re constantly sharing those goals with people who doubt us, downplay them, or don’t understand them, it slowly chips away at our confidence. We are the product of the energy around us. In this episode, we talk about building a business village that pushes us forward instead of pulling us back. Because wedding photographers and filmmakers often work in isolation, and isolation can stunt momentum. We’ve seen it over and...
So many creatives set goals that feel safe. Goals that won’t rock the boat. Goals that guarantee you won’t fail… but also won’t grow. In this conversation, we’re unpacking how playing small quietly limits your income, your opportunities, and your confidence—and what actually happens when you decide to aim higher. We talk through real examples of saying yes before you feel ready, making strategic moves that don’t pay off immediately but compound over time, and why momentum only shows up after...
In this episode of The Level Up Podcast, we talk about what momentum really looks like at different stages of business and why the strategies that once worked stop working as you raise your prices and take on fewer weddings. The goal isn’t to stay busy. It’s to stay growing. We break down the shift from volume based momentum to intentional momentum. Why fewer weddings require more strategy. Why consistent, qualified inquiries matter more than a packed calendar. And how playing it safe, even ...
So many photographers and filmmakers are doing all the “right” things and still feel stuck. You’re booked, but not excited. Busy, but not progressing. Your goals feel safe. Too safe. And more often than not, that safety is rooted in fear. Fear of saying no. Fear of raising prices. Fear of outgrowing the market you’re in. Fear of believing you’re capable of more. In this episode, we talk about the shift from booking everything to booking intentionally. Why filling your calendar too early can ...
In this episode, we are pulling back the curtain on the wedding industry and share the real conversations that usually only happen behind the scenes. From unhinged client requests and early-career mistakes to red flags, pet peeves, and the boundaries that actually protect your creativity and your income, this episode is equal parts honest, educational, and entertaining. We’ve both been there. Saying yes when we should’ve said no. Offering things that sounded great on paper but burned us out ...
What if the thing holding your business back isn’t your talent or the market, but your hesitation to let go? In this episode of The Level Up Podcast, we sit down with Cheyenne of Cheyenne Films to talk about the power of niching down, choosing specialization over being everything to everyone, and making strategic decisions that actually move the needle. Cheyenne shares her journey from offering everything under the sun to going all-in on filmmaking, and how that clarity transformed her brand...
The new year always gives us that fresh-start feeling. A little more clarity. A little more motivation. And a quiet nudge that maybe this is the year things finally shift. In today’s episode, we’re kicking off 2026 by talking honestly about visibility, branding, and what it actually takes to become in demand as a wedding photographer or filmmaker. Not just busy. Not just posting. But booking the kind of clients and weddings that move the needle and light us up creatively. So many of us are ...
This episode is a year-end exhale and a mindset reset. We are closing out 2025 with an honest reflection on the growth, risks, and decisions that shaped the year. From expanding revenue beyond weddings, to building League, to redefining what it means to work hard without burning out, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what real evolution in business actually looks like. If you’ve been feeling torn between wanting more and wondering if you’re doing too much, this episode will hit ho...
Today we are running back the tapes with one of your favorite episodes from 2023! Enjoy this rerun and hope you are having a wonderful holiday season! As you grow into higher-end weddings, your ability to communicate with planners becomes just as important as your filmmaking or photography. In this episode, Taylor and Kelley break down the key shifts wedding creatives need to make to build trust, stay professional, and become planner favorites. In this episode, we cover: ✅ How communic...
This week on the show, we sat down with Liza Kirk to talk about something we rarely highlight in the wedding industry: your energy on a wedding day. Your presence can shape the entire experience for your couple, and once you learn how to read the room, support them emotionally, and show up with confidence, everything shifts in your favor. Liza spent years moving from rural markets into bigger cities and higher-end events. For a long time, she believed her work needed to fit a certain look to...
This week on the podcast, we are sharing what really happens when a big opportunity shows up out of the blue and you have to decide whether to go for it or play it safe. Kelley walks through her Four Seasons Lanai FAM trip, the whirlwind four day turnaround, and the creative growth that came from trusting herself and saying yes even when it felt overwhelming. This episode is about rising to the moment. The kind of moment that stretches you in the best way and reminds you that you are more ca...
This week on the podcast, Taylor and Kelley walk through two weddings we filmed just weeks apart at the same venue, Santa Lucia Preserve. If you have ever worked a massive property with no cell service, winding roads, and multiple locations that all demand precision and calm, you will feel this one. We break down the experience of navigating first looks in the Redwoods, dealing with rain delays, swatting off bugs, trusting our team when we cannot communicate, and staying composed when timeli...
In this week’s debrief, the conversation turns toward one of the most personal chapters shared on the podcast. Instead of highlighting a luxury wedding or a creative challenge behind the scenes, this episode opens the door to real life and the quiet moments that unfold beyond the work. While preparing for a September wedding, the week was shaped by the final days of a beloved grandmother’s life. Balancing deep grief with the responsibility of showing up for a wedding day required a level of ...
We’re continuing our Debrief Series, where we pull back the curtain on our biggest weddings of the season and share what really happens behind the scenes. In this episode, Kelley walks through the story of a legacy client family that has trusted 618 Studios for over a decade, four daughters, four weddings, and countless lessons about what it means to serve with excellence, build connection, and create work that stands the test of time. From building lifelong client relationships to evolving...
We’re continuing our Debrief Series where we pull back the curtain on our biggest weddings of the season and share the real stories, lessons, and creative decisions that shaped them. In this episode, Taylor takes you behind the scenes of a two-day Napa Valley celebration, one of her most colorful, high-energy, and portfolio-worthy weddings yet. From navigating vendor boundaries with confidence to protecting your brand presence online, she shares the exact mindset and strategy that allowed he...
We’re continuing our new Debrief Series, where we pull back the curtain on real weddings and share what it looks like to lead, create, and grow behind the scenes. In today’s episode, we’re talking about the incredible destination wedding Kelley filmed in Maui. A multi-day celebration that pushed creative limits, tested logistics, and reminded us why preparation and mindset matter more than anything else when you’re working in the luxury space. From travel planning and team dynamics to handli...
We’re kicking off something new and exciting, our Debrief Series. In this series, we’re taking you behind the scenes of real weddings to break down what went right, what challenged us, and the lessons that can help you grow as a creative and business owner. In today’s episode, we’re diving into a 3-day luxury wedding weekend that Taylor filmed in Lake Tahoe. From the welcome party to the field day to the wedding itself, this event pushed every part of the process, planning, communication, te...
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