If you’re a photographer in the wedding and elopement industry, it can be frustrating and stressful when you’re going through a dry spell. It can feel impossible to just “book more weddings” on a whim, which is why this was such a great question that got submitted to my weekly Tuesday Ask Me Anything. These tips and ideas were written with wedding photographers in mind, but can be applied to any wedding creative looking to increase bookings and bump up revenue. This is a tough problem, but it can also be really easy to solve! 

Q: “How do I book more weddings?”

If you want to book more weddings but don’t know where to start, I suggest going back to the basics:

• Look at your online presence – social media, website, anywhere you exist online – and notice any gaps in your messaging or imagery. Can you adjust your website tagline or Instagram bio to make it more on brand and compelling? Can you switch up your website images so that they’re current, on brand, and tell the story that speaks to your ideal client?
• Also – do a speed test! If your website is slow, then run your images through JPEGMini and re-upload them to your site!)
• Are you using outdated software to communicate or capture leads (aka send emails or collect info through your contact form)? If so, upgrade to Dubsado or Honeybook to level up your client experience. (You can use my link to snag 60% off Honeybook for your first year from now until May 31st!)

Then, once you’ve made those tweaks, up your game:

1) Position yourself as an expert in your field:

1. publish a gallery style blog post (or two, or three!) and share it EVERYWHERE
2. write an informational blog post with tips for your ideal client (and yes, also share it everywhere)
3. schedule social media content that shows what you want to shoot (even if you want to book more weddings, you don’t have to post strictly weddings. As long as the photos give off the same emotion that you want to produce in your future work, your ideal clients can still connect with it and fall in love with it)
4. post often on social media about your availability, your travel dates, wedding styles/decor you love, past weddings that you love… These can be posts, reels, stories, pins, you name it. Put it out into the universe.
5. get out (yes, in real life) and interact with other humans. I’ve connected with people through yoga, restaurants, parties, going on walks, going to appointments at the bank or getting my eyebrows done… just go interact with other human beings.

2) Show your current and past clients how much you appreciate them

1. share reviews from past clients and talk about how great they were to work with and why you love them
2. send thank you cards and small gifts (this can just be a little something, and it can be any time – it doesn’t have to be a “thank you” or “welcome” gift
3. ask a past client for a video testimonial, and send them a gift card for a date night out as a thank you. You can create a YouTube video to embed on your website, share it on socials, or send it as an email to your email list (or even as a paid ad)
4. send your past clients one of their favourite prints from their gallery with a pressed flower, a cute note, and a business card (inexpensive and simple, but I would be STOKED to get something like that as a surprise gift)
5. send your upcoming clients a little card and enclose a Starbucks gift card (or a gift card to your fave local coffee shop)

3) Start (or nurture) an email list

1. don’t have an email system like Flodesk set up? (it’s super easy and totally worth it, imo!) Take 30 minutes and set it up now!
2. “But I don’t have an email list!” If you have a gallery program like Pic-Time, you have a list of EVERYONE who’s ever accessed a gallery. You can export the CSV from your gallery program, and upload that same CSV list into Flodesk, Mailchimp, etc.
3. send out an email to your list with upcoming travel dates, availability, anything exciting on the horizon, etc!

These are just a few easy ideas that you can implement to start getting front of mind more often. Don’t just try one thing, though – pick a few and start doing them consistently! Choose whichever ones feel like the most fun for you – because let’s be real, if running our own business isn’t fun, then why do it in the first place?!

Most importantly – keep showing up, even when you’re not booking or busy! Try these out and let me know how it goes!!