The Wedding School is a comprehensive online wedding photography education platform created by Susan Stripling, one of the most awarded and respected wedding photographers in the United States. Susan has been a working wedding photographer since 2002 and has been educating photographers worldwide since 2008. She is a sought-after instructor at major photography conventions and has led workshops from her studio in Brooklyn, New York. The Wedding School offers the most thorough online wedding photography education available, with over 100 hours of video content, textbooks, workbooks, and live Q&A sessions.

What You Will Learn

Wedding Fundamentals — over 20 hours of foundational training across five pillars: Business and Finance, Sales and Marketing, Wedding Skills, Post-Production, and Photo Skills
Business and Finance — creating a price list, understanding cost of doing business, profit margins, taxes, insurance, contracts, and financial planning for a sustainable photography business
Sales and Marketing — building a brand, developing a marketing plan, SEO for photographers, social media strategy, client consultations, booking workflows, and referral systems
Wedding Skills — shooting ceremonies (church, outdoor, venue), receptions, details (rings, invitations, decor), family formals, bridal party portraits, couple portraits, first dances, toasts, and cake cutting
Technical Photo Skills — lighting techniques (natural light, off-camera flash, reception lighting), composition, lens selection, camera settings for various wedding scenarios, and shooting in challenging conditions
Post-Production — editing workflows (Lightroom, Photoshop), culling strategies, color correction, black and white conversion, album design, client delivery, and outsourcing editing
Advanced topics — second shooting, hiring assistants, destination weddings, styled shoots, vendor relationships, and work-life balance

Why This Course Stands Out

Susan Stripling is not just an educator — she is an actively working, award-winning wedding photographer who photographs 25-40 weddings per year at premium rates ($8,000-$15,000+ per wedding). This means her teaching reflects current market realities, not outdated theory. The depth of content is unmatched: over 100 hours of video, 450+ pages of textbooks covering every aspect of running a wedding photography business. The Wedding School is consistently recommended by professional wedding photographers on forums like Reddit's r/WeddingPhotography as the best investment for serious wedding photographers. Susan's approach covers both the creative and business sides equally — many photographers are skilled with a camera but fail because they cannot run a business, and this program addresses both.

Who It Is For

Aspiring wedding photographers looking to break into the industry, established photographers wanting to transition into weddings from portraits or other genres, current wedding photographers looking to raise their prices and improve their work, second shooters ready to go primary, event photographers wanting to add weddings to their services, and photography school graduates who need real-world business education. Basic camera skills are helpful but not strictly required — the program starts from fundamentals.

Career Outcomes

Wedding Photographer ($30K-$150K+ depending on market and experience), Event Photographer ($25K-$80K), Portrait/Family Photographer ($25K-$60K), Photography Studio Owner ($50K-$200K+), Second Shooter ($500-$2,000/event), Photography Educator ($40K-$100K+), Photo Editor/Retoucher ($30K-$60K). Top wedding photographers in major markets (NYC, LA, Miami, Chicago) charge $5,000-$15,000+ per wedding. Building a successful wedding photography business typically takes 2-3 years of consistent work.

Format & Pricing

Annual membership subscription (pricing varies — typically $497-$997/year based on promotions). Membership includes full access to the Wedding Fundamentals course (20+ hours), 450+ pages of downloadable textbooks and workbooks, the complete Learning Library (hundreds of hours of additional tutorials), live Q&A sessions with Susan, and access to a community of fellow wedding photographers. All content is online and available on-demand. New content is added regularly throughout the membership year. The standalone textbooks have an estimated retail value of nearly $800, making the membership excellent value. 100% online, accessible worldwide.

The wedding school by susan stripling — professional wedding and event photography education

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