Today we’d like to introduce you to Ernie and Fiona Padaon.
Ernie and Fiona, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We’ve always had a passion for photography and videography. Our business started out of wanting to make an impact in the creative world. I (Fiona) knew that if I could get a camera into Ernie’s hands, that he would run with it, and we would build a business together. We took a camera as payment for someone’s rent and started taking photos from then on.
We began to hone our craft from shooting on the photography team at our church, Awaken, and watching YouTube videos.
We shot our first wedding September 1, 2014, eight years ago (on Fiona’s birthday)!
For four years straight, we continued to have weddings on Fiona’s birthday. We fell in love with telling love stories.
In 2017 Ernie quit his software engineering job, and we jumped full-time into photography. For the next two years, we averaged 45 weddings per year.
In 2018 Ernie created a Facebook ad from a wedding he shot videography at, and that one ad still gets Everyday Forever bookings today.
Since that ad, we now average 340 weddings per year and have grown our team to 50 photographers and videographers in San Diego, Monterey, Utah, and Maryland.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In August 2018, we almost quit, but we knew that we had to stay committed to the journey and never let go of the big picture. That month, we shot one wedding that created a huge impact within our marketing and led to us booking two brides in one call. We continued to have consistent growth, and then 2020 hit. We had to make a decision – were we going to sit back and watch that chaotic time take out all of the hard work we had put into our company, or were we going to step up and be a service to couples who still wanted to have a 2020 wedding. We choose the later, and that year we did 86 weddings.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We specialize in and are known for our consistency within our photography and videography as well as the experience provided by our team. Our couples aren’t just numbers, they are two people who share a unique love story, and it’s our job to capture the moments that tell that story.
Something that sets us apart is we have replicated ourselves by bringing in people who have a passion for photography and videography and training them in the culture and style of Everyday Forever. While our business is weddings, our focus is to give other creatives opportunities to do what they love and make an abundant living.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
We live in paradise – we are both grew up in San Diego. It’s the greatest city in the country. The homelessness. It’s so sad to see where poor leadership has gotten this city and how people’s brokenness has only increased since 2020.
Contact Info:
- Website: ernieandfiona.com
- Instagram: @everydayforeverweddings
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ernieandfiona
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/ernie-and-fiona-photography-solana-beach-ca-1067875
Image Credits
Everyday Forever Weddings
