meet

the YOUNGRENS

Before the world travels, the dream weddings, and the commercial studio that brings in over half a million dollars every year, we were exhausted newlyweds working out of our kitchen, booking anything we could get.

Sit down with us. We’d love to tell you our story.

hugs,

Jeff & Erin

Farm Girl + California Boy + Big Dreams

We met in college, got married, and started corporate jobs when we discovered wedding photography.

_____

Jeff worked in cancer research (an extrovert stuck in a lab)

Erin worked in HR (an introvert processing layoffs)

Very quickly, we knew photography was our ticket out of corporate and into living life on our own terms.

So we hustled.

We shot weddings on weekends, edited at night, and booked anything we could possibly get.

_____

 

We burned the candle at both ends, chasing the dream of leaving our jobs so we could travel the world.


We dreamed hard. We worked harder.

 

And this worked ok... for a while.

We invested our hearts into every wedding, but our couples were all over the place.

 

Some were joyful, gracious, and life-giving, while others were discouraging, draining, and dismissive.

 

Some paid us what we were worth, while others

bargain-shopped EVERY. SINGLE. THING.

 

Some welcomed us like old friends while others

treated us like discount vendors.

 

In fact, we gave a huge discount to a couple getting married in Texas, traveled to the wedding on our own dime, and

the groom showed up three hours late to the ceremony…

 

_____

 

 

Dream life? Not so much…

There had to be a better way.

If we were ever going to make the money we needed to make, leave our corporate jobs, and live the life we knew was possible, we needed to call ourselves up into a better way of doing business.

_____

 

We could do better than…

 

…shooting anything we could get.
…bargaining and discounting our hard-earned paycheck.
…working three full time jobs just to get by.

 

What we needed were better clients. ASAP.

So we got to work.

We scrapped our website and learned how to: 

_____

✔️ Create a laser-focused brand and attract ONLY couples we adored

✔️ Shoot better images and build a portfolio we love

✔️ Raise our prices and get paid what we’re worth

___

And most importantly…

We learned how to build a thriving business that supports our dream life, instead of a joyless business that runs a stressed-out life. 🙌

In less than two years…

We went from barely booking 11 discount weddings in 2009 to 26 dream weddings in 2010… that were all over the world.

That year, we quit our corporate jobs, traveled Southeast Asia for two months and shot weddings in Italy, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Australia.

In total, we spent six months of that year traveling wherever our cameras would take us – all without discounting and all of our grooms showed up on time.

Dream Clients = Dream Business

Soon after, we decided to limit our weddings to 20 per year - and no more.

_____

 

 

Friend, that early decision to limit our weddings was the best (and most profitable) decision we’ve ever made.

 

Because it forced us to stay hyper-focused on our Dreamies in order to attract the RIGHT 20 couples every year.

 

And knowing our ideal clients has been the single most powerful engine that has driven our success.

 

_____

 

Today, we still photograph our 20 Dreamies every year, but we also run two other wedding brands plus a commercial studio in San Diego, CA, that brings in over half a million dollars annually. And we do it by only working the hours that fit into our life.

 

The other hours? We spend those living a joyful life raising our son, James.

Is your business really the business you want?

Friend, there’s something better than spinning your wheels, wondering if you’re good enough, and questioning whether this whole wedding photography thing is even worth it.

Here’s What We Believe :

1. You and I are in this business to have freedom.

2. You and I have completely different ideal clients that are perfect for us. (Brides that love what you do and pay you what you’re worth.)

3. Most photographers will work too hard, for too little, for too long because they’re attracting clients that aren’t right for them.

4. Most photographers will focus on the wrong things – fixing their images, fixing their websites, and fixing their editing.

But what if your images are amazing and you’re still not booking the clients you love at the prices you want?

Ready to Build a Better Business?

If you're tired of burnout and ready to book clients you love, let's get you there. The bad news? Knowing your ideal client is not an easy task. Most advice tells you to just “go hang out where your ideal clients are and they’ll find you.”

 

(If you ask me, that advice royally stinks.)

 

_____

 

 

But if there was a way to know your ideal client better than they know themselves and to book them every time they walk in your door, would you want to know?

 

Yes? Then take the next step here…

 

Sign Up for a Free Class

Let Joy Be Your Compass

- Jeff & Erin's Daily Motto