Mistakes Make Magic

4 Ways to Book More Weddings

How to Book More Wddings

September 7, 2022

I’m Catherine.
A New Orleans based wedding photographer and educator. We are excited you are here and cannot wait to connect with you!.
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Do you feel like your emails aren’t getting inquiries? Do you have trouble filling up your calendar with bookings? 

It’s every photographer’s goal to be completely booked with their dream clients, but it’s not always clear how to get there. Today, I’ll provide you with some valuable nuggets on how to fill up your calendar with bookings so you can grow your business and live a life you love.

1. Have a Physical Presence

It’s easy to think it’s enough to have a social media and website presence, but I promise you: you want to have a physical presence in the area where you’re most interested in photographing. 

For example, if you’re living outside of the city where you want to photography, be sure to regularly travel into that city. Join in on the networking events so people get to know who you are. 

They’ll see your face, start to recognize you, and be much more likely to recommend you when they’ve met you in person. 

Having those genuine relationships, and even just a physical presence in a place, builds trust – and trust is HUGE in terms of getting referrals for your business!

2. Adjust and Update Your Portfolio

If you are someone who doesn’t have a lot of work in your portfolio, it’s time for you to build your portfolio! 🖼️

There are many creative ways to do this, even if you’re just starting out. Maybe this means you’re collaborating with other vendors, or setting up styled shoots. Some primary photographers may also allow you to use the photos you’re taking as a secondary photographer in your portfolio – it just depends on the primary photographer you’re working with. 

Maybe you’re someone who’s been busy – maybe you have a second job and you haven’t been able to refine your portfolio, but you DO have images. Now’s the time for you to go in and curate your portfolio. 

My second year architecture professor once said the best your portfolio is ever going to be is tied to the worst image inside of it. So, when you’re reviewing your portfolio online and on social media, make sure that every image is top-notch. 

You DON’T have to share every photograph you have. You want your online portfolio to be your absolute best work that brings people knocking on your door and ready to hire YOU as their photographer! 📸

3. Update Your Website 💻

The visuals on your website are as important as your images. 


Everything about your brand – how you dress, how you speak, and everything on your website – says something about you. If you’re putting beautiful images on your portfolio but your website isn’t strong, I encourage you to spend time tweaking that. 

I personally use a company called Showit for my website. The wonderful thing about Showit is that they provide free templates online that you can use to build your portfolio – OR you can purchase one of their templates from their designers on their website. 

If you use the code MAGIC, you can also get 10% off your subscription upon sign-up! (just a note, this is an affiliate code – so if you use it, you’re supporting me and helping me provide you with more value-based content!).

I personally use Showit as my platform, but I also hired Davey & Krista a few years ago to build my custom site. 

Regardless of your budget or how you go about it, whether you get free or paid-for templates, at the end of the day, you want your website to look beautiful – and to be a strong reflection of the beautiful images inside of it. 💌

4. Refine Your Onboarding Process

Everything from the original touch point – which might be your social media or your website – all the way down to when the client signs on the dotted line should be very easy, thorough, and streamlined. 

Anytime someone is making a decision and you present them with an obstacle or something that casts doubt, they will begin to question that decision in the first place. 

So when a client decides to work with you, you want to make sure the onboarding process is very straightforward and streamlined so they NEVER question that decision of choosing you as their photographer.

I personally use a program called Dubsado for my client management. If you use the code CatherineG, you can get 20% off upon sign-up (another affiliate code!).

I have absolutely LOVED being a part of Dubsado. I was part of a different program for almost a decade, and I was nervous to switch over to Dubsado. Ultimately, I did it because it’s easy, their customer support is amazing, and it makes onboarding a no-brainer. 🧠

When a client goes to my website and fills out the contact form, Dubsado automatically puts them into the back-end of my client site. When I go into Dubsado, that client is already loaded in with their contact information!

From there, Dubsado will allow me to:

  • check availability 
  • either send out a request for a questionnaire or tell them I’m not available
  • schedule a meeting on the phone or on Zoom
  • build pricing 

Truly, everything concerning client management, aside from delivering images… you can do in Dubsado!

Next Steps: Pricing

By doing these four things, I promise you will set yourself up for success to get more bookings on your calendar!

I realize that each of these steps have multiple steps within them, and take a lot of work. I encourage you to take this one day at a time, one percent at a time. Ultimately, the little bit you do every day will begin to compound until you feel like your systems are in place. When those clients come knocking at your door, you’ll be ready to accept them as your newest clients on your calendar. 

One you’ve booked more clients, you’ll need to know how to price your services. Grab my free Pricing Guide to help you: 

  • Understand the WHY behind your base prices so you feel more confident in pricing
  • Decide WHAT to charge for your photography 
  • Cover your expenses so you remain profitable and sustainable 

Check it out below ⤵️

Get the pricing guide!
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