It's no secret: wedding photography is a seasonal business. You're either lounging around in your pjs answering emails (Winter), or racing between gorgeous wedding venues in your Saturday-best (Summer). The off-season is the time to reflect on the previous wedding season, figure out what worked, what didn't, and how you could possibly make for a better client experience next year.
Now that my first wedding of the year is just around the corner, it's time to look back on how I've spent the last few months!
We did a major bedroom makeover! The walls were beige, the furniture was black, the decor was sorely lacking. Fast forward three busy weeks and now EVERYTHING IS WHITE! The #painteverythingwhite hashtag on Instagram is a great place to get inspiration.
Since I still have a few finishing touches to make before photographing the outcome, I'll share my Pinterest board here to give you an idea:
While we were in Oakville visiting my brother and his fam, Ryan and I picked up The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. If you haven't read this book, I would totally recommend it! We've been picking away at the clutter in our home and getting rid of so much stuff. I made a pile of things to sell on Kijiji and I was blown away with how quickly and easily I sold most of it! Less clutter means more room for the things that bring joy.
As of yesterday, the latest Blurb book has been ordered! If you haven't seen the albums I make for our family, let me catch you up:
I work on these books every month so that they're ready to order every 6 months. The one that's on a truck and headed my way will span from November to April 2016, featuring our first Christmas as a family of four, a weekend in Oakville, Cooper's 2nd birthday party, and everything in between.
Here's a shot of the cover :)
This post would not be complete if I didn't mention attending the Engage wedding show in February! What an honour to be surrounded by such talented folks in the wedding industry. The walls for my booth were built in a hurry way back in 2011 as I prepared for my first show. Obviously my business has changed and grown since then, and I'll fondly remember Engage as the last time I ever used them. A new booth will be built sometime this year :)
This next one pleases my accountant husband: I'm now using a Canadian company to design my wedding albums. FINALLY! The rising dollar was one of my reasons to seek a new company, but I'm also thrilled with the updated look and design. Updating the album website was the next task and that's also done :)
Last but not least, I hosted my first two workshops. It seems crazy to type that because I didn't think the workshop goal would come true for at least another couple years. I'm having a great time teaching beginners how to use their fancy new cameras, and I'm excited to see how the workshopping will evolve over the years!
I designed the Bridal Guide during this off-season, and I'm super proud of it! It feels good to give my brides a little something to take home from the consult when we meet.
Gifts for my 2015 brides and grooms were pretty adorable and really well received. These little surprises are so much fun to bestow, and by switching up the gifts from year to year, it always stays fresh.
You can't set goals for the off-season without setting goals for busy season as well. So here we go, a few things I want to do this Summer:
- book off 3 full weekends to just enjoy the weather!
- head up to the cottage. preferably twice :)
- keep up with my with super speedy turnaround time for wedding clients
- go on some adventures with the kiddos
- fill each seat for the next 3 workshops
- find the time to barre 3 times a week
-update the website with new wedding photos throughout the Summer
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