Meet Vivian Darst

We were lucky to catch up with Vivian Darst recently and have shared our conversation below.

Vivian, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
There were a lot of imposter syndrome thoughts when I first started my business as an adventure elopement photographer. Nobody in the industry looked like me, as a woman of color, and I help couples elope outdoors in a white dominated field. Not only professionally, but I was feeling it in my personal day to day life when I hiked/climbed/skied outdoors. I was asked once if I spoke English on a 14,000ft mountain in Colorado because my ethnicity is Asian.

But I learnt to move forward and work on what I know best, which is photography and adventure. I knew I had the skills, knowledge, and experience to help couples elope outdoors. I didn’t look at other photographer’s websites/social media, instead I focused on marketing my true self. I showed my couples my genuine and authentic side. They saw that I absolutely cared about them and their day. They saw that I am confident in planning their epic day. They trusted me to have back up plans, tell them what they needed for each adventure activity, and have the proper gear.

I have helped couples elope in the snow, rain, and sunshine. I have been a full-time elopement photographer for 5+ years now. It’s an incredible job and I am so honored to be a part of their special day.

My advice for anyone who has imposter syndrome thoughts. Be you. Your ideal clients will come and book you because of you. Don’t get distracted by what other people in your industry are doing. They can’t be you and you can’t be them. You get to thrive in your business if you stay true to yourself.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Hi! I am Vivian. I am a Colorado Elopement Photographer who has helped over 100+ couples elope outdoors. My main goal is to show each and every couple that they can have an amazing authentic day that is true to them instead of being forced to have a big traditional wedding for their family’s sake.

I help with all the planning, location, wedding permits, officiant services (I am ordained), vendor recommendations, and timelines.

I offer videography services as part of my elopement photography packages where I get to capture your epic day in video form for you to share and enjoy with family and friends, or keep for yourselves.

I am obsessed with polaroids so I take them throughout the day so you get to go home with something tangible!

I am currently booking elopements in 2024. I have planned elopements in less than two weeks up to a year. I would love to be your elopement photographer if you think we are a good fit.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I would say customer service, photography, and marketing.

My main education and job experience were in marketing, advertising, and customer service. I felt like these skills were integral to my success as a full-time elopement photographer. Because I knew how to market and advertise my business, and provide 5 star quality customer service.

I have always had an eye for composition. I did practice photography for an entire year on my dog as I grew his Instagram page to over 17,000 followers. It really helped to capture photos in all sorts of weather. You need to be quick and know your camera well if you want to work in the wedding industry because you can’t miss a moment. I would highly recommend focusing on learning your camera, creating your art, and crafting your editing style.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
I saw that there was a gap in the elopement industry where couples wanted to book a videographer but they didn’t have the funds or they didn’t want a full production video, after they had booked their elopement photographer.

So I started offering highlighted videography as part of my business plan. I launched this offer last year and it was incredibly successful with 100% of my couples adding video to their day. They already trusted me so they knew I could deliver this too.

I learnt a lot about being a hybrid shooter. It’s a lot of fun but it definitely isn’t for the faint hearted. You really need to thrive under stress and be able to capture art in both mediums. There is more editing involved, post-production, but I think it’s worth being able to offer photo and video to my amazing couples.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Love Wanders Wild

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