Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms for wedding photography business owners. Using Instagram to attract new clients and grow your wedding photography business is a smart strategy, but where do you turn to attract viewers to your Instagram page? Hashtags are the #1 way to drive traffic to your Instagram account, and we’ve done the research on the top wedding hashtags on Instagram.
Hashtags on social media are not a new concept. Other social media platforms allow you to use hashtags, as well. On Instagram, though, hashtags are one of the top ways to skyrocket your reach to find and book potential clients. Using hashtags properly allows for you to get noticed by couples that are in your target market. But how can you find the most relevant hashtags for your account?
Over the past year, we’ve gone out and done the research for you. ShootDotEdit is the first choice post processing partner for the professional wedding photographer. We provide wedding photo editing for pro wedding photographers and portrait photographers. Here are the 19 hashtags we’ve found you need to use on Instagram, along with a few advanced tips and tricks to maximize your Instagram strategy. Lastly, don’t miss the bonus we have for you!
Wedding Hashtags for Instagram
When a bride is searching on Instagram for inspiration, she will likely search for wedding-related hashtags. Including wedding-related hashtags on your posts, even ones you wouldn’t think have a lot of traction on them, help place you in front of clients who are ideal for your business. Bridal hashtags on Instagram that are best to use for your wedding photography are:
1. #Weddingphotography: This hashtag is a top performer for photographers on Instagram, as it describes what a client is looking for when they search for a photographer to shoot their wedding day. Include this on your posts which share your work from a past wedding day.
2. #Weddingphotographer: When you want ideal clients to find you, include this hashtag with your posts. An ideal client who is looking for someone to take stunning photos of their day is looking specifically for a wedding photographer, which is something they will look for on Instagram.
These two Instagram wedding hashtags alone can bring lots of traffic to your IG page.
3. #Photo: This may seem like an obvious choice, but #photo is of the highest ranked hashtags on Instagram. After all, as a photographer, you provide your clients will stunning photos from the wedding day!
4. #Engagement (or #Engaged): For many of your clients, your first interaction with them will be during their engagement session, which is why you need to be using the engaged hashtag! Before clients book you, they may search for this hashtag to envision what their shoot could look like. Any of your engagement photo shoots should include this hashtag to share that photo with couples who are searching.
5. #Portrait: If you desire to be more specific with your descriptions, use this hashtag to share exactly what image you posted on your account. A bride who wants to see how you shoot couple portraits may search for this hashtag while she is narrowing down her choice.
6. #Family: When your ideal clients think of their wedding day images, they will likely imagine what their family portraits will look like. This is an important moment that includes the bride and groom’s loved ones, meaning ideal clients may search for this hashtag when they desire to see examples of family portraits.
Advanced Tip: When you use hashtags on your posts, make sure you know if they are the top ones for wedding photography. A few helpful sites to use for this are Websta, where you can uncover popular hashtags you may or may not be using. When you use Hashtagify.me, enter a keyword and it shows you a web of how related hashtags rank on the social platform.
Business-Related
In your role as wedding photographer, you are both the artist and the owner. Business-related hashtags can appeal to clients looking for your business, or a fellow photographer who needs help with their photography business. Do you share about certain techniques you use or promote upcoming workshops or courses on your account? Add these business-related hashtags to your posts, so you can attract those followers. Hashtags on Instagram which best connect to business topics are:
7. #Business: Use this hashtag to reach other photographers or vendors who are looking for business quotes, inspiration, or posts which link out to relevant articles. For example, if you are giving away tips on how to market your business and you share a photo about it on Instagram, use this hashtag to appeal to those who are searching.
8. #Photographybusiness: When you incorporate this hashtag, you are appealing to users on Instagram who are searching for a photography business. This may mean that other vendors are looking for reliable photographers to recommend to their clients, or a potential client is searching for photography business owners who are on Instagram.
Advanced Tip: Have you seen these hashtags before, and already used them for your posts? For more diversity in your posts, use apps like Hashme to find groups of hashtags that cater to the photo you share.
What strategies do Melissa Jill and Jose Villa use on Instagram? Find out here!
Detail-Related
Another way to attract ideal clients to your Instagram account is to include detail-related hashtags. As the bride decides what type of details she wants on her wedding day, she will likely search Instagram for inspiration. Detail-related hashtags help you show her how you capture these small and memorable details, which may encourage her to learn more about you. Hashtags on Instagram which are perfect for detail-related imagery are:
9. #Weddingcake: As one of the staples of the wedding day, the wedding cake was created by a vendor who takes pride in its appearance. Using this hashtag for the wedding cake not only gives credit to the vendor, it places it in front of ideal clients and others who are interested in this detail shot.
10. #Weddingdress: The bride spends months (or longer) picking out her dress for her wedding day. This is a detail shot you should always pay extra attention to and feature on your Instagram account. Including this hashtag on your images of the wedding dress shows potential brides how you photograph the details of the dress and create stunning images from it.
11. #Weddingideas: When a bride is searching for inspiration for her wedding day, she is likely to search various social media networks. When she is on Instagram, she may type in this keyword and make decisions of the details of her day. So she can see your work, and maybe decide to book you, include this hashtag on your posts (especially the detail shots).
Advanced Tip: Along with your hashtags for detail shots, include credit to the vendors involved. When you share a wedding dress photo, use the #weddingdress hashtag, along with the relevant handle to the designer. If the vendor has a custom hashtag, use that in the post, as well. This helps you place your photo in front of larger audiences.
Fine Art wedding photographer Jose Villa includes hashtags and vendor handles on his Instagram wedding photos. This gives credit to the vendors who helped on the wedding day and places his images in front of the vendors’ audiences.
Style-Related
Every client will have some sort of vision for their wedding day, and sharing your images with wedding hashtags will help them find yours. Help them decide exactly what they want by including style-related hashtags to your past wedding photos. These hashtags showcase the different types of weddings you shoot, so potential clients can envision what their wedding day would look like with that style. Hashtags on Instagram which best connect to style-related topics are:
12. #Beachwedding: Depending on the time of year, and your specialty, your ideal client may desire to have their wedding photos take place on the beach. When you want to share your images from past beach weddings with potential clients, use this hashtag on your posts.
13. #Winterwedding: When you are specific with your hashtags, you can appeal to a specific audience. Seasonal hashtags narrow down the clients who would be interested in that type of wedding, meaning they will see your work and know whether or not they want to book you.
Advanced Tip: For more traction on your posts, use a hashtag from each category to improve your reach and increase your following.
Wedding photographer, Melissa Jill, does this and also uses the hashtag “#melissajillphotography” on her posts, which helps her brand become more identifiable.
Photography-Related
Although many of your clients are unfamiliar with photography-related terms and techniques, there still may be a few who have a bit of a knowledge. Perhaps a friend shared with them something about the way a photo should look, meaning they look for those qualities. Photography-related hashtags can also appeal to other photographers and vendors, who may be interested in partnering with you or referring you to others. Hashtags on Instagram which best connect to photography-related topics are:
14. #Blackandwhite: If you are a photographer who likes to take some of your color corrected images and convert them to black and white, using a hashtag which can relate will help you reach clients who prefer that style.
15. #Exposure: Using this hashtag on your posts can help someone find your work who is interested in the way an image is exposed. Many times, adding this hashtag to your images shares with others your unique style for your images.
16. #Composition: Because there are many ways you can create a unique style after you receive your images back from a post production photography company, using hashtags which represent your style can help set you apart. When you incorporate this hashtag, you are reaching out to potential clients who know what they want for their images.
Advanced Tip: To create a clean look for your Instagram posts, hide your hashtags. How exactly can you do this? Find out here.
Wedding photography duo, Justin and Mary Marantz, use the hashtag #bringingblackandwhiteback for their wedding images that are black and white. This is a unique photography-related hashtag for them to use, and when people click on it, they can see all of the black and white photos they share with the hashtag.
Description-Related
When you post on Instagram, you have an opportunity to showcase your unique personality. The more your followers get to know you, the easier it is to connect with them. With your posts, add in fun and quirky hashtags to help them become more lively and interesting to potential clients. The more fun you can have with your hashtags, the more your clients will be interested in seeing your future posts. Hashtags on Instagram which best connect to description-related topics are:
17. #Gorgeous: As you shoot the wedding day, you take many photos with the bride and groom. Because this is a day when they get to shine, using this hashtag can help you give the couple compliments. You can also use this hashtag to describe a background or detail you shot during the wedding day.
18. #Beautiful: Most of the time, people who view photos of the wedding day will use this hashtag to describe each moment. Incorporate this hashtag on posts where something really is beautiful and you know everyone can relate.
19. #Awesome: When you shoot a wedding and enjoy yourself and the company you had, use this hashtag to express how you felt. This hashtag can also be useful for fun and exciting moments during the wedding day.
Advanced Tip: A program, such as Iconosquare, can help you to track the performance of the hashtags you use on Iconosquare.
Discover 8 quick tips to gain more followers on your Instagram account with our free Guide!
BONUS #1: Brand-Related/Couple-Related
As you build a following on Instagram, including branded hashtags can help clients easily find you. This applies to past, current, and potential clients who are familiar with your work. If you create a brand which is recognizable, your content is more likely to be seen by your ideal clients. It can also be fun to include couple-related hashtags. This is something you can work with your clients to decide, but using one hashtag for their wedding day and sharing it with others can increase ta number ofpeople who see your content. Hashtags on Instagram which best connect to brand-related/couple-related topics are:
20. #”YourBrandHere”: If your business is called Janet Jones Photography, create a hashtag which is a representation of that. Examples of this can be “JJPhotography” “JJWeddings” When you incorporate this hashtag on your posts, your brand can become more well-known to searching clients.
21. #YourBrandHere”Brides: Some of the most favorited images from the wedding day are of the bride from her bridal portrait. When the bride sees her photos, she will be excited to show them off to her friends and family. In addition to that, other brides who want to know what their images will look like may see your images and decide if they want to book you or not. Examples of this type of hashtag can be “JJBrides” or “JanetBrides.”
Advanced Tip: Share your brand and couple-related hashtags with your couple, as well as vendors you work with on a regular occasion. Encourage your couple to use the hashtag on any photo they post on their own, and inform them how to share the hashtag with their family and friends.
Bonus #2: Location-Related
When looking to place your images in front of ideal clients in your target market, location-related hashtags are perfect additions to your posts. Location-related hashtags invite followers from a specific location to view your account and images, and decide if you are the wedding photographer for them. Some of the hashtags which are best used for your location are:
22. #”CityNameHere”Photographer/Photography: If you are looking for clients who are in a specific city, this hashtag will help you reach out to those potential clients on Instagram. When a couple, who live in that city, search for this hashtag, they will see your images and be more encouraged to click on your account.
23. #DestinationPhotographer: This hashtag describes specifically what type of photographer you are. As a destination photographer, you appeal to a variety of locations. A couple who has a destination wedding in mind will search for this hashtag, and see that you are a photographer who may be perfect for them.
24. #”VenueNameHere”: When you use a hashtag for the venue you shoot at, your images are placed in front of that venue’s audience. Couples who want to get married at this location will search for the hashtag, and see images from your past shoots.
Advanced Tip: In addition to sharing hashtags of your location, ensure you take advantage of geotagging. The geotag you use on your post should match one of the hashtags in your body text.
Wedding photographers Ashley and Graham Scobey use location hashtags and geotags for their Instagram posts. This helps place their image in front of multiple audiences, helping them to expand their reach.
Bonus Tip: Interact with Hashtags
When you find hashtags that work for your Instagram posts, make sure you interact with them to encourage engagement from others using the same ones. For example, if you use #destinationwedding to describe a past shoot, click on that hashtag to see the other photos featured. Spend some time liking and commenting on some of the images under this hashtag. When you interact with the post, you encourage others to access your account and view your images. Continue this process for hashtags you use on a regular occasion. This helps you expand your reach on Instagram, which gets you closer to followers who are your ideal clients. Keep in mind, even though it takes time to interact with other hashtags, it’s worth the results you will receive.
Instagram is one of the top social media platforms for wedding photographers. When you are using hashtags with your posts, ensure they have purpose and can help you meet your social media goals. Discover additional tips and tricks for using Instagram to increase your reach with our Instagram for Wedding Photographers Guide!
