Picture this: you just got engaged and are looking for vendors who can help make your day a success. You stumble upon a photographer who offers to help you with your planning process and nailing down a timeline while also collaborating with you to understand what your expectations and desired style of photography are. Now, what if I told you that you could get all of that with one photographer?
Chantel Miller Storytelling is more than just a photographer. With a vision for telling your story through her photographs, Chantel is there to be involved in your wedding day instead of just snapping pictures of it. She loves hearing from her couples about their wedding planning process, seeing pictures of her brides’ dresses and sending tips she’s picked up to help your wedding run smoother. We had a chance to sit down with Chantel and learn more about how she came to love photography and capturing her couples’ stories.
What inspired your business? What keeps you motivated?
"Growing up, my mother always had a camera in hand, capturing our lives. I never realized how much I would appreciate that as an adult, and now, it is my own passion to capture milestones of lovely clients so they, too, can remember their stories as they look back on photographs I captured. I look at my images as fine art rather than simply a gallery of photographs, and that is what motivates me to continue creating a unique experience for clients and keeps me inspired as a creative."
Tell us about your experience/skills.
"While I do have a B.S. degree in both Graphic Design and Photography, I have been a full-time designer in branding and marketing since 2017. However, in 2020, my 'part-time' photography business grew faster than I knew what to do! As of 2022, I have gone all in with my business to focus on telling stories and it has been the best decision. I now have over 50 weddings under my belt and countless editorials as I continue to grow in this industry."
As a business owner, what do you wish to accomplish with your customers? What can a couple look forward to when booking you?
"My number one goal as a business owner is to help my clients feel comfortable to be themselves in my presence. When you are able to allow someone to trust you enough to let their true personality shine, not only am I able to capture their most true selves, but they are able to relax and have more fun throughout the entire process. I want to give my clients a whole EXPERIENCE. Many of my brides will text me during the planning process to show me their dress, or talk to me about their anxiety, or just need an HONEST opinion. If I am going to ask them to be REAL in front of my camera, I need to be REAL with them. Many of my clients come out the other side as friends!"
Give us an overview of your services. What makes your business unique?
"Wild enough, I actually began my photography career in the athletic industry capturing your favorite D1 football and basketball teams. However, now I mainly focus on capturing Midwest weddings and engagements. I also offer creative editorial portraits and destination weddings. Again, something that sets me apart is the experience I offer, especially my couples. After booking, they receive a welcome gift in the mail, a complimentary engagement session to get to know me and a 45+ page welcome guide with tips and tricks I’ve learned to help them plan out their wedding day. I like to tell my clients I’m not just a photographer, I am a visual storyteller, and in order to do that well I am very involved with the details of the wedding day."
Tell us about your favorite part of your job. What keeps it fun for you?
"I love capturing everyone’s unique story. It sounds so cliché, but everyone has such a different creative vision for their portrait session or wedding! I LOVE that the clients who hire me are very original and artsy themselves, so it makes every project something new. Last year, one of my grooms surprised his bride with a custom addition to her dress. When she was a little girl, she used to wrap up in her blanket and pretend it was her wedding dress. So the night before the wedding, he had her mother sew a piece of the blanket over her heart inside the dress. No one else knew it was there but me and the couple. Stories with intention and pure love…that is what keeps this fun for me!"
What do you love about the industry you work in?
"I love not only being able to meet new people but being able to travel the world! I am based in the Midwest but have captured love stories in the mountains of Alaska, at waterfalls in Oregon, on the beaches of Hawaii and, next year, in the city of Paris, France. This industry has also helped me build a community of friends who have my back and can collaborate with on wonderful projects!"
Take a moment to brag about something you’re proud of.
"Part of my goal in making people feel comfortable with me is keeping myself humble. Whether I am shooting a high-end, black-tie Chicago wedding or a laid-back backyard elopement, I am more proud of the fact that I make every type of client feel the same way when all is said and done. The biggest feedback I get from clients and even their guests is how comfortable I made them feel."
What’s the most common question you get from couples? What’s your answer to it?
"I get a lot of initial questions about timelines and traveling. Around two months before your wedding day, I send out a day of wedding questionnaire and help you build a custom day of timeline! This is an absolute necessity to me to help your day run smoothly and create a less stressful wedding day! As far as travel goes, you name the location and I will be there! I have several flat rate travel fees to make the booking process easier and less stressful for you."
What are the best tips you have for helping couples prepare for their big day? Any other words of wisdom to share?
"My wedding guide goes a lot deeper into this subject but build a day-of timeline that feels true to you and your partner. Do not just choose a first look because it makes your photo timeline easier, and do not let anyone else’s opinions alter your wedding vision. This is YOUR day, so you do you, boo. I also recommend surrounding yourself with the people you love most on your wedding day including your photographer. You spend more time with your photographer than anyone else on your wedding day, so make sure you find the one that works with your personality as much as your preferred editing style."
How do you calm the nerves of anxious customers? What do you do to make them feel comfortable?
"I value honesty and I tell my clients that from the beginning. If there is something specifically that you are insecure or anxious about, tell me! We are all human, and it is important to bring the imperfect human connection back into the process. I use my engagement sessions as well as coffee dates or zoom calls to get to know each other so that by the time wedding day is here, we can joke around and relax!"
What are your future goals for your business? How do you see it growing in the future?
"This first full-time year in business has proven to myself that I can do anything I set my mind to. It is a scary thing taking the leap, but when you have the time to pour your heart and soul into your work, it blossoms! I look forward to improving my client experience for 2023 and 2024 couples and really honing in on the artistic editorial style of capturing a wedding day. This is more than just a little business for me. I live to create beautiful things and cannot wait to see how I interpret that in the future."
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