Wedding photographers wear enough hats as is… when you add parenthood to the mix, it can be downright overwhelming. To all the new parents out there maintaining a studio, we salute you! At the Genie VA, we’ve helped professionals keep running a wedding photography business with a newborn. We’ve got some tips for parents-to-be for handling your clients and your loved ones all at once.

Manage Your Wedding Photography Business with a Newborn

One major element to consider is your pre-planning and time management. Your schedule with a little one can be unpredictable, so planning ahead makes a major difference. Once you know your due date, start to set up backup plans for your business communications and manage expectations. Let’s go over ways to effectively balance your home life and your business.

Set Expectations with Your Clients as a Wedding Photographer

It’s time to set up your out-of-office schedule! Create an email auto-reply for the time you’ll be taking away from your inbox. Another great idea is to set up working hours for your email. Make sure your phone and email notifications are set to turn off in the evening hours – or really, whenever you need them off. Include your hours in your email signature so clients know when you can be reached.

Pre-Schedule Email Replies for Working Hours

If you’re up at 11:00PM and want to answer emails (for whatever reason!) you can pre-schedule your replies for working hours. That keeps your client’s expectations in check and lets them know that you are still working and will only respond during working hours. This can keep clients from pestering you during your time away from the computer.

Automating Social Media for a Wedding Photography Business with a Newborn

Social media is a wonderful tool to connect with clients and keep your brand in the minds of your audience. However, it’s a lot to keep up with each channel on a daily basis. You’ll want to automate some of your social media marketing, so you can be present… without being present. There are some great apps like CoSchedule, Tailwind, or Plann that can help you to automate your Instagram feed and beyond.

Outsource and Delegate Parts of Your Wedding Photography Business

As wedding photography VAs, we love to help out our clients and take on tasks that they may not have the time to do. When you’re running a wedding photography business with a newborn, you likely don’t want to be sending out welcome emails and payment reminders. Work with a virtual assistant to delegate tasks you’re just not up for. It’s okay to have a helping hand.

Seek Support and Build a Network with Local Photographers

One more important thing to keep in mind is that it is okay to ask for help. The wedding industry is a close-knit community, and it is a great idea to build relationships with other local photographers in case you need a hand. Whether it’s an additional shooter to help keep your momentum on a wedding day, or someone to take over if there are complications, it’s great to have a helping hand. Build up a support system for your wedding photography business with a newborn, so you can have peace of mind while you’re juggling so much.

Let Us Lend a Helping Hand to Your Wedding Photo Studio

As virtual assistants for wedding photographers, we want to help create a low-stress environment for this milestone. Reach out and let us know how we can help you. From CRM and email marketing support to social media management and blog creation, we are here to help.

Photography Credit: Megan & Kenneth