Kennedale alumni have gone on to many noteworthy achievements, from athletes to entrepreneurs, and the Kennedale News is happy to spotlight some of these. This article features Michelle Wood (Burgess) who spent most her public school years in KISD. {{more: continue …}}
Michelle Wood and husband Joseph Wood, creators and owners of The Wood’s Weddings, have made a name for themselves in the DFW wedding market as wedding photographers. It started with an old camera and a few Craigslist?s advertisements booking and a couple of gigs here and there. Eventually, they were able to quit their day jobs and turn photography into their full-time careers.?
The Wood’s Weddings has now been in business for 5 years, earning The Knot ? Best of Weddings for 3 consecutive years in a row. It?s safe to say they?ve found their calling. Michelle, Kennedale resident from 1989 to 2002, tells us about her time in Kennedale and how they built an award ? winning business from scratch.How many years did you live in Kennedale and what did you like best about Kennedale??”I grew up in Kennedale, living there from the time I was 3 until we moved to New Mexico when I was 16. I have lived many places since moving from Kennedale, but the friends I made in my hometown are, to this day, my closest. I love how close everyone has remained throughout the years.”
Where did you attend college and what was your degree??”I attended New Mexico State University and graduated in 2010 with a bachelor?s degree in Graphic Design.”
How did you and your husband meet??”Though it doesn’t feel like it, we actually met online! [They were married in 2012 and have a three-old daughter and a one year old son.]
What jobs did you have before your current one and how did you get started in the wedding photography business??”I worked [first] as a graphic designer for 5 years at a print company. It [The Wood?s Weddings] is all thanks to Joseph and his entrepreneurial spirit! He is so talented on so many levels and not only taught himself how to use a camera but taught me all that I know.”
How much has it grown since your first year??”We currently photograph about 100 weddings a year. When we first began, we were still working full time jobs and only did about 2-3 weddings a month.”
With so many photographers in business in DFW what do you believe sets you apart from the competition??”I believe, for the most part, it is our pricing. For the quality of work that we provide, the pricing beats many other photographers of the same quality.”
What is your favorite part of your job??”Seeing people in love every single weekend. I am also reminded as I listen to couples’ vows, the vows I made to my own husband, which has so much more meaning after living a married life together for some time.”?
Is there any advice you would give to students considering your line of work or wanting to start their own business? ?”Don’t be afraid to take the plunge! Many times we have questioned big decisions in our business and each time we took the plunge we have come out on top. Whether it was quitting our day jobs or raising our prices, it was always a scary step that we danced around for a while, but once we took a leap, our business took off! Also, work for those good reviews! In this day, your business runs off of what others have to say about you.”
As you look back on your career so far what was the most painful lesson you were required to learn??”Income taxes! I will just leave it at that lol. Also, you can’t please everybody. When you have the high volume of clients that we have, you are bound to have an unhappy client here and there.”
Do you have any big plans for your business in the future? Our goal is to continue to grow. We are about to announce some changes for 2019 which will open up our services to more than just weddings. We look forward to introducing The Wood’s Weddings – Chapter Two.”??
