When I jumped into the wedding world, I knew nothing! On second thought, I knew one thing: I needed to build a portfolio. I started taking pictures of my designs on a Nikon D3000 that I had no idea how to use. I did my sister's hair and makeup, and she held my bouquet creations. I "edited" these photos and posted them. That’s how I got started!

Then, I got a lucky break. A few beginner photographers asked me to collaborate. I quickly Googled "how to collaborate as a floral designer"—and I got nothing!

Long story short, I brought a bouquet to this photoshoot, made friends with these amazing photographers, and from then on, I collaborated my heart out. It truly helped my business grow. This year, I started tracking how clients found me, and 31% of my clients have come from vendor referrals!

Once I learned the art of collaborating on styled shoots and at events, my introverted-self quickly learned how to comfortably network, and it has paid off.

When collaborating with other vendors and creatives, you can gain:

• Fellow creative friends in the wedding industry

• Pretty, high-quality pictures for your social media accounts and website

• Client referrals from other wedding professionals

• Opportunities to get creative with like-minded artists!

Collaboration is not just about sending off a bouquet with a photographer and getting pictures in return. You can build relationships with vendors at real weddings and styled shoots. Here are three ways you can master collaboration and networking to make real, lasting relationships in the event industry.

1. Collaborate at the Event or Shoot

As wedding professionals, it's easy to stick your head in the sand and focus on your clients 24/7. What if every single one of your clients was your ideal client? Your ideal client also hires photographers, makeup artists, caterers, and venues based on their personality and style. The bride can connect your style to the other vendors!

Find these like-minded vendors and reach out to them. This is easier at styled shoots—but even at real events, make sure to take a moment to say hello! Introduce yourself with a smile, ask them for their Instagram account, and tell them what you genuinely appreciate about their work. Recognize their talent and style, and let them know how much you love it!

And don't you dare shove a business card in their face. Business cards are great, but it could look like you're only saying hello to help your business. Being friendly, doing good work for your client, and praising the vendor's work will get you so much further. Only give a business card if they ask for it.

Serve them! Every time you pass by them during the craziness of setup, ask how it's going. If you have a spare moment, ask if they need help with anything. If they ask you if you need assistance, ask them to help you move a bucket of flowers or an arrangement. Many people love interacting with flowers, so giving them a chance to haul a bucket or asking them what they think of the installation you're working on will provide them with an opportunity to interact with blooms for five minutes!

Now get those behind-the-scenes shots! Tag them in your Insta-stories while setting up. Take pictures of their work and be their public cheerleader. Bam! You've made a friend. Future clients will connect you with these vendors, and they’ll create their dream-team with these fantastic vendors and you on their roster.

2. Connect After The Event or Shoot THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

After you've shared your behind-the-scenes pictures and hyped up the other vendors, tell your followers why you think everyone was the perfect [photographer, cake artist, coordinator, etc.] for your client. This is a great way to show future clients you care about the big picture of the event, and it gives other vendors exposure.

Another benefit of tagging other vendors and sharing their work is that it makes Instagram stories and posts more relevant to the algorithm. So being an Instagram cheerleader for other vendors will boost your content. Win-Win!

Remember how you took behind-the-scenes shots at the event? Well, they might be poor quality iPhone shots, but that's okay! Every event where I have taken the time to take behind-the-scenes shots—even really rushed, blurry, quick snaps—the photographer has helped me out and sent me a mini-gallery without me even asking!

If they don't reach out to you and you see them posting this event without tagging you, simply ask them to tag you. Just mention that you want to share the image on your stories. (You can't do this if you aren't tagged.) Don't ask for pictures yet. Instead, if you have a blog on your site, blog about this event. Then reach out to the photographer. Here's a great way to get those pictures without begging—send them a message on social media saying something like this:

"Hey, Sally! It was amazing to meet you at Kate and William's wedding! I noticed they looked so comfortable working with you. You do a great job, and I really hope we get to work together on another wedding! I'm tagging you in the behind-the-scenes shots for my Instagram followers if that’s okay. This wedding was too perfect not to share. I'm writing a blog post about it, and I'd love to link your website and portfolio. I know you're probably still editing this event, so once you've sent the pictures to Kate, could you send me a few images to use for the blog post and to share on social media? And what's a good website link you’d like me to use? Thank you so much, and I can't wait to share your beautiful work!"

How can they say no to that? Remember to reach out to the other vendors you met and get their website links, too. If you can't get the links, you can always link to their Instagram page.

3. Keep Connecting

Even if you don't get to work with these vendors again, you should still comment and like their content. It costs you zero dollars and takes two seconds! There is no risk. This will show you are watching their work and genuinely care. And if they return the favor, awesome! If not, they will still have your name in their mind when someone asks, "Who's a good florist you've worked with?"

If you want to go the extra mile, get to know them outside of their business. Find things you have in common with them. Comment on their backpacking adventure, their newborn's first steps, ask how they liked the new restaurant in town. Social media is supposed to be social! When you connect with small-business owners outside of the wedding industry content feed, you'll notice you don't dread opening those apps. This is modern networking! Have fun with it!

Be friendly, fun to work with, and open with your praise. Good karma will always come back around!

All photos by Nicole Catherine Photos