As a wedding professional, you know the importance of presenting your work in the best possible light. The imagery you choose for your website, social media, and marketing materials can make or break your business. While I believe that investing in professional photography and styled shoots is essential to growing your wedding business, I also know as a former wedding planner that budget constraints and time limitations may occasionally prevent that from happening.
On top of that, you might be brand new in the industry and not have any (or much!) client work to pull from yet! Fear not – today I’m going to share the best stock photos for wedding pros to help you book more clients and elevate your marketing game (I’m wearing both hats right now!).
A Preview of Where to Find the Best Stock Photos for Wedding Pros (+ Other Hot Button Topics)
Who am I? I’m a past destination wedding planner and founder of Love at First Travel. I’ve literally used stock photos for wedding planners from four out of the five places I’m going to share with you today too! Especially in the beginning of my business when I didn’t have work that reflected the type of clients I wanted (who can relate to that?). If you are a new wedding planner looking to book your first client, this post is DEFINITELY for you!
Should you use free stock photos as a wedding pro?
In one word – no.
Using free stock photos can be a risky decision, as it can make your brand appear less trust-worthy and even look the same as your competition. Potential customers will notice if you are using the same stock photos they have seen elsewhere, and this could give them the impression that you lack originality or at worst, they might actually think your business is not legit.
Additionally, using generic stock photos may not reflect the values of your company in a positive manner, and could cause customers to question how authentic your brand is. This is why it is SO important to choose the best stock photo subscription for you. If you aren’t willing to invest in your business, why should they?
The Best Stock Photos for Wedding Pros
Sourced Co: The Best Stock Photos for Wedding Pros
Sourced Co is the ultimate stock photo treasure trove for wedding professionals looking to take their business to the next level. Compared to other stock photo subscriptions, Sourced Co stands out thanks to its extensive collection of behind-the-scenes wedding photos, stunning styled shoots, and B-roll video content perfect for Instagram reels, websites, and social media posts.
Wedding professionals get exclusive access to hundreds of beautiful, high-quality photos and video content that bring their work to life. With endless options, there’s something for everyone. The company’s vast selection of BTS photos allows for an inside look at weddings that can provide wedding professionals with photos they can use to share insight into the planning process with their couples.
Meanwhile, the styled shoots provide endless inspiration and help captivate couples (which ultimately helps you book more weddings!).
While Sourced Co might seem like a pricier option at $365, that cost also comes with LIFETIME access to an immense database of images and video content. This stock photo subscription can quickly become the more economical choice when you consider that an annual subscription for most stock photo services ends up being considerably more expensive.
Need stock photos on a budget?
You can also buy bundles of stock photos “as you need them” which will give you cohesive content without sacrificing quality in the name of budget.
Just looking for stock video right now?
You can purchase high-quality stock video individually here!
Elevae Visuals (Formally Social Squares)
For wedding pros on a budget, Elevae Visuals (Formally Social Squares) is a fantastic stock photo membership choice. Their image-only monthly subscription is ultra-affordable, making it an accessible option for those just starting. They also offer a more comprehensive stock photo and video membership which is similar in price to other options.
Updated to add: Elevae Visuals just went through a major rebrand and have updated their stock photo subscription to include higher levels of curation – ensuring you have all the tools you need for a cohesive online presence. With over 150+ stock videos and 6000+ stock photos, they are now tied for the best stock photos for wedding pros in my books!
At the time of writing, pricing options include $149/quarter or $499/year for photo + video. If you just need stock photos, their monthly plan is as low as $39/month making it the most affordable stock photo membership for wedding pros.
Haute Stock
Haute Stock is a favorite choice for stock photo enthusiasts due to its absolutely stunning aesthetic. With its library of beautifully curated images, Haute Stock provides an extensive collection of vibrant and professional photos that are sure to make a statement. Wedding pros may find Haute Stock’s limited selection of wedding stock photos a disadvantage, although there are enough BTS options available to make it a decent choice.
Where Haute Stock excels is their ability to continually produce high-quality images that speak to the modern professional. Whether you are a blogger, influencer, or entrepreneur, their stock photo collections offer a beautifully designed, modern aesthetic that sets you apart from the competition. Along with their vast selection of images, they offer video options, allowing for versatility when creating content for social media or their website.
At the time of writing, pricing options include $149/quarter or $499/year.
Creative Market
If you have subscription fatigue, something like Creative Market can be a great place to find stock photos for wedding pros. This is the one I haven’t used before, because there weren’t as many options back in my day of being an wedding planner! If you are looking for a stack of stock photos to use now (maybe you are going through a rebrand or something?), this can be an incredibly cost effective choice (and easy way to ensure your photos are cohesive!).
Styled Stock Society
If you’re looking for premium, high-end imagery for your brand, Styled Stock Society is worth exploring. Their collection of photos blends both lifestyle and product images, all with a distinct and sophisticated aesthetic. With their membership program, you have access to a range of exclusive content, as well as mockups and templates, making this service a one-stop-shop for all your stock photo needs.
The only disadvantage is that while they do release wedding collections, they are rather minimal in style (unlike the styled shoots photographed by something specific for wedding pros, like Sourced Co).
While I do genuinely love their stock photos for wedding pros, it’s their Canva templates that make them stand out for me. If you are doing any kind of Pinterest marketing for your wedding business, their templates are incredibly high-converting (I know from experience!). They also offer customizable brand guides if you are in the beginning of your business and can’t afford a graphic designer (ye!).
At the time of writing, pricing options include $120/quarter, $360/year, or $900 for lifetime access.
Where can you use stock photos for wedding pros?
Stock photos are a must-have for wedding pros wanting to create a branded experience for their customers. Savvy wedding pros know that every piece of collateral should be a reflection of the brand, as it’s such a visual industry. Stock photos can come in handy when giving your presentations and client facing documents, emails, social media posts, marketing materials, and website design an extra boost.
Take your website design up a notch with visuals that communicate sophistication and modern style. Choose high-quality stock images that make potential clients feel like they’re getting the best possible service—one that communicates both elegance and creativity. Unlimited access to diverse stock images gives you loads of options for creating an classy yet contemporary look for your website.
When crafting emails, social media posts and other marketing materials, stock photos will help you stand out from the competition by showing off the professionalism of your services. Use visuals that highlight unique features of your work or capture moments to evoke emotion among viewers and urge them to take action quickly. Vivid descriptions and creative comparisons will help emphasize product customization options and communicate your brand’s sophisticated style.
Finally, stock photos are great for presentations too! When showcasing particular products before clients or giving seminars at local conferences use visuals that show off how well you understand their needs while also communicating what sets you apart from others in the industry. Be bold when making statements about specialized products; this helps set expectations right away and drive home the excellent quality of what you offer with just one glance at an image.
If you are using something like Dubsado or AislePlanner, for example, you can use stock photos in your proposals, forms, invoices, and more.
Is it unethical to use stock photos as a wedding pro?
Listen – I’m not suggesting you post a stock photo of a couple with the caption “loved Jack + Jill’s wedding last weekend #lovemycouples”. That would be unethical.
However, using stock photos for backgrounds, close-up images, places around your website and other purposes is completely different. As a wedding pro, you’ll benefit from having access to high-quality imagery that will help you start booking the kinds of clients you want. Don’t be worried about what others might think—it’s a waste of time! As long as you are doing right by your clients, that’s all you need to worry about.
Instead, use stock photos to create a beautiful branded experience and show off your professionalism. They also make it easy to stand out from the competition while still communicating both elegance and creativity. Stock images can come in handy when giving your presentations, client facing documents, emails, social media posts, marketing materials and website design an extra boost in sophistication and style.
Ultimately, Sourced Co has the Best Stock Photos for Wedding Pros
At the end of the day, I believe Sourced Co has the best stock photos for wedding pros because they understand what business owners in the wedding industry need. Their content is created with wedding pros specifically in mind, allowing them to create high-quality visuals tailored to the specific needs of their clients. However, ultimately you should choose a stock photo sucscription that matches YOUR unique aesthetic and will ultimately attract your ideal client to book their wedding with you!
Disclaimer: while some of the links on this page are affiliate links, the opinions are my own, as a marketer and former wedding planner. If you have questions about what stock photos for wedding pros might be right for you, I encourage you to reach out to me directly!
