When busy season wraps up, photographers have a lot more time to evaluate their businesses. There’s so much to do and it can be hard to create a list of priorities. That’s why our team of virtual assistants has compiled a list of ways to stay busy in the wedding photography off-season.

Offer Engagement Sessions and Couples Sessions in the Wedding Photography Off-Season

Whether in-studio or outdoors, share that you’re open to engagement sessions and couples shoots during your slower season. Don’t be shy to promote your photography business to potential clients and past clients alike. The holidays are a great time to remind people that they may want to take some annual photos, or that a session makes a great gift.

Dip Your Toes into Family Photography as a Wedding Photographer

Many professionals will also work with families during the wedding photography off-season. This is a great way to get some extra income from shoots and expand your offerings. Share that you’re open to sessions with previous wedding clients and your social followings. You can also reach out to local family-oriented businesses and create an offer for their clientele.

Reach Out to Local Businesses Who Are Hosting Holiday Events

Connect with local businesses that are hosting holiday events or specials. Check if they would like to collaborate with you on photography to put your name out there locally. This is a great way to get in front of new clients and become more well-connected in your community.

Remind Your Clients to Order their Wedding Albums for Holiday Delivery Deadlines

Most wedding album companies like Kiss Books have printing and shipping deadlines before the holidays. Remind your clients that if they want their wedding album to arrive in time during this season, they’ll need to put in their order sooner rather than later. This will also keep income flowing while clients place their orders, and give you some design work to do… or have a VA design it for you quickly and easily.

Share Your Print Offerings with Clients from Your Weddings This Year

Remind your clients during the wedding photography-off season that prints are an option. Take some time to lay out your printing options, from printed bundles to canvas options. You can also incentivize them to order prints with images of your best work printed for product sample photos. The holidays are also a great time to extend special offerings in terms of discounts to pull clients in the right direction.

Update Your Website and Portfolio to Showcase Your Wedding Photography in the Off-Season

Who has time to keep up with a consistently updated portfolio when you’re editing photos every single week? It’s time to update your website with your latest work and showcase photos you’re very proud of. You’ll also want to ensure that the curation matches the venues and dream clients that you want to continue working with in the future. You can also work with a virtual assistant to tailor your portfolio if you’re overwhelmed by images from this past season.

Review Your Packages and Pricing for the Following Season

Go over your packages and pricing for the upcoming season. What kind of weddings did you love working this year? Did those clients tend to lean towards a specific package? Review everything that goes into your services and ensure you’re charging fairly. Also review any add-on offerings like film, photo booth, or video if you plan to expand your business.

Pre-Load Your Social Media Queues for the Busy Season

Keeping up with Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and Facebook can be a challenge when you’re shooting weddings and engagements on a consistent basis. Pre-load your social media schedule so you can let it run on its own during the busier times. When it comes to the wedding photography off-season, this is a valuable use of time to ensure your marketing stays consistent. Work with a virtual assistant to load up and schedule your social media posts.

Submit Your Work to Publications to Get Noticed

Curating weddings for submissions can be super time-consuming in the busy season. That’s why it’s a great idea to get these done during your slower time. Writing out story details, asking couples questions, and compiling all the details is a great way to spend your downtime. This will help add some brand credibility and get eyes on your work.

Honestly… Just Relax in the Wedding Photography Off-​​Season!

One of the most important things you can do to keep yourself busy in the wedding photography off-season is… to not keep yourself busy! Spend some time relaxing and recovering from an intense season of weddings and engagements. This will help you come back refreshed and energized for the next busy season. Work with a virtual assistant to take some of these tasks off your plate so you can focus on your own self-care.

Photography Credit: Megan & Kenneth