Becoming a Wedding Photographer Mommy

I’ve said before that I started my business 11 years ago, and with today being my 35th birthday, it seems like a good time to share. Lately, there have been posts in the photography groups from wedding photographers who want to start families in the near future. Many ask if they should be putting off their business goals and dreams “just in case” they get pregnant. Here’s my advice from the past 11 years.

How it started + How it’s going

Emillia arrives First (2008-2010)

While I technically started shooting way before Emillia was even conceived, she was definitely on the radar. We’d started “trying” in Summer 2008 while I was shooting sports photography. While I’d like to say it was quick and easy to bring her on the scene; we didn’t actually get pregnant until September 2009. When she arrived in May 2010, I was at square one with my current business. I took a lot of photos of her to fill gaps between clients and practice new skills. Something I still do with my kids to this day!

Bringing in Grace (2013-2014)

By 2014, I’d gotten divorced and was spending time rebuilding my business, moving into wedding photography. I didn’t shoot a ton, but I had a few events and a wedding on the books for 2014. Grace was a surprise baby (I’ll share that story later) so I made the choice to step back a bit and focus on documenting my own life. I still shot that 14 hour wedding at 7+ months pregnant (thank God for the friends who served as vendors at that wedding!) with an assistant and second shooter in tow. Of course, this wedding was down the street (almost literally) from my hospital and I had a backup plan (see tips below) in case I needed to step down.

Evan enters the scene (2019)

When Jake and I “officially” married in 2018, we’d already decided we would have more children. But with a full wedding schedule for 2019 and already booking 2020 weddings, we decided it might be best to stick with two. After all, our girls were a little bit older (4 and 8) so we’d be starting completely over. Lo and behold, I was already pregnant with Evan, and would be shooting 9 of 13 weddings while pregnant. Bonus: I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (AGAIN) and I’ve talked about my experience, tips and favorite things to eat before. You can read all about it here.

How it’s going: Waiting on Zeke (2021)

This year, I’ll be giving birth to baby FOUR in just over a month (33 days actually). Zeke may fall under the quarantine baby category, but I assure you, he was planned. Jake and I had actually hoped for a March baby, and I’d be fully recovered by June. God had other plans though, and as soon as we decided to wait another year and try again, boom. Now we’re here, and I’ll be shooting this wedding season with a newborn in tow.

Tips for Wedding Photographers: Pregnant or with a Baby

Tip 1: Don’t put your business on hold

Babies don’t always arrive the way we want them too. Sometimes it takes a lot more (or a lot less) time to start our families than we anticipate. Especially if you’ve grown up in a family where the belief is “have sex = get pregnant”. Trying to plan the “when” of pregnancy and scheduling around that can set you up for some serious disappointment. So keep booking those weddings, and when the time comes, see tip two below!

Tip 2: Have a backup plan

Just like babies, every pregnancy is different. My first pregnancy wasn’t insanely hard, but my last pregnancy was definitely the easiest even with the complications we’ve faced. All of my pregnancies have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, meaning I had to eat specific meal plans and on a time schedule. With my current pregnancy, I was diagnosed with anemia as well, so I spent the whole month of April getting weekly iron infusions. Things come up and we have to schedule around them.

This is why you need a backup plan, especially if you end up pregnant over wedding season. My current backup plan includes a short list of 3-4 other photographers I’ve worked with in the past, who can step in as the lead photographer in the instance I’m unable to shoot a wedding. Jake or Paula (my other second shooter) would still be at the wedding as well. This way, all couples still get the same quality experience they expect from my business. Of course, you can bet the only way I wouldn’t be there is if I’m hospitalized.

Tip 3: Communication is KEY!

With Evan, I emailed all of my clients at the start of wedding season explaining I’d be bringing “extra team members” to their weddings. Unfortunately at least one email didn’t make it to the couple ahead of time, and they were surprised when I showed up 37 weeks pregnant to their wedding. This year, I made sure to both email and text/call to check in that each couple got the email information in early 2021. Everyone was given the option to back out of services as well, if they weren’t comfortable with having my team/baby there. Thankfully, my clients are the BEST! Zeke and our team are a go for 2021!

When it comes to new bookings, I’m up front with every one of them that I will have an assistant, second shooter and new baby in tow the day of their wedding. My assistant just happens to be Emillia, who’s also learning to shoot along with me! So any time I need a break to feed Zeke, or just sit (because C-sections sometimes take a bit to recover from), she can easily step in while my second takes over giving direction.

Tip 4: Budget for an assistant and second/third shooters right away

A lot of people aren’t going to like this bit of advice, but work your assistant and extra shooters in right away. I highly encourage you to either raise your prices to include them, or take the loss on hiring them. Do not make it an added fee for your clients because you chose to start a family. I waived all fees this year for my team members and will be paying them out of pocket. Honestly, I believe this is one of the biggest reasons my clients have been so awesome knowing I’ll have little man in tow.

Starting a family is a big, exciting decision. The planning is part of the excitement, but life doesn’t always go as planned. Don’t limit yourself because of what might happen. You can have your business and your family too.