Why I Decided to Retire from Wedding Photography

There’s a moment in every creative career when you realize that being good at something doesn’t mean it’s still good for you.214/32For me, that realization hit hard after more than a decade as a wedding photographer. I had built a thriving, in-demand business — but behind the scenes, I was running on fumes. Chronic illness, constant travel, and the pressure to perform all collided until the work I once loved started costing me more than it gave back.

In this episode of Keeping It Candid, I’m sharing what wedding photographer burnout can look like behind the scenes, why I made the difficult decision to walk away after more than a decade, and what it actually takes to build a business that supports your health instead of draining it.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The real cost of “doing it all” as a wedding photographer
• How chronic illness changed my relationship with my work
• What a destination wedding taught me about burnout
• The difference between quitting and evolving
• Questions to ask yourself if you’re wondering whether to stay or go

Keep scrolling for the full transcript

My Results After Walking Away

Since closing my photography business, I’ve learned that rest doesn’t mean failure — it means making space for what’s next.

I finally have the energy to build systems that protect my health instead of testing it. My days aren’t dictated by recovery anymore; they’re built around capacity. I still miss the creative rush of a wedding day sometimes, but what I’ve gained — autonomy, peace, and actual time to breathe — has been worth every hard decision that got me here.

Walking away didn’t erase the career I built. It just gave me the space to use everything I learned in a way that fits my life now.

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Full Transcript

Accessibility note: The interview below has been reformatted into Q&A headings for readability. This full transcript is provided for accessibility and for anyone who prefers to read. Only spelling and grammar have been edited; content remains unchanged.

Why I Needed a Reset

Welcome back to the second episode of The Burnout Season. If you’re still here after episode one, it probably means that something I said hit home and you’re curious about what happens next.

Before I get into that, just a quick reminder that this season is not about fixing you. It’s about getting brutally honest about the shit that’s not working, and giving yourself permission to build something that actually fits your life.

I’m not gonna lie, I actually just got goosebumps as I said that because I think it’s so, so important as a business owner.

Now, in today’s episode, I’m getting a little personal—talking about what led me to retire from the wedding photography industry after more than 12 years.

From College Dreams to Burnout

Photography wasn’t something I stumbled into by accident. I studied it all through high school and college, and I remember sitting in class swearing that I would never be a wedding photographer. It was the last thing I wanted.

Back then, I thought wedding photography was stiff poses, awkward editing, and way too much pressure with zero creative freedom. But by the end of college, I realized the industry had shifted—it was becoming more about storytelling and emotion, not just lining people up for posed smiles.

After interning with a local wedding photographer, something clicked. I realized this could actually be my thing.

In 2013, I launched Life is Beautiful Photography.
Year one: no weddings.
Year two: two weddings.
Year three: 12 weddings.
Year four: 27 weddings—and that’s when things really took off.

I was photographing weddings, families, maternity, newborns, and events. I was “booked and busy.” And as you can probably guess, I was also burning out.

I even became a destination wedding photographer—shooting in British Columbia, Cuba, and beyond. From the outside, it looked like a dream career. For the most part, it was. But behind the scenes, I was winging it. Every time burnout knocked me down, I rebuilt from scratch.

I refined systems, elevated my client experience, and built a high-end brand. But I also became everyone’s emotional support person, timeline creator, and unpaid wedding planner with a camera.

Success at the Expense of Sustainability

I want to be clear: I didn’t quit because my business failed. I was successful—and really damn good at what I did. That made it even harder to admit that things weren’t aligned anymore.

As my business grew, my capacity shrank. Things that used to feel manageable became exhausting. The cost was getting higher every season.

And if you’ve ever had a “wedding hangover,” you know what I mean—your body hurts, your brain is foggy, you’re dehydrated, your nervous system is shot, and you just want to be a couch potato.

For me, adding chronic illness on top of that meant the pain started sticking around. My fatigue, flareups, and inflammation became part of my daily life. I wasn’t just scheduling around wedding days anymore—I was scheduling around recovery days too.

That’s not sustainable.

The Breaking Point

My turning point came during a destination wedding in 2023. The couple was amazing, but everything else? A nightmare.

My flights changed last minute. My hotel room didn’t lock. The safe didn’t work. The resort lost water—no one could shower or flush toilets—and the morning I was supposed to fly home, the power went out too.

My wedding hangover hit early, and my body just shut down. I remember sitting on the bed thinking, Is this still worth it?

For the first time in a decade, the answer was no.

That moment made me realize I wasn’t resting anymore—I was just recovering enough to get to the next job.

Letting Go of the Version of Me Who Stayed

Even when you know walking away is the right decision, it’s hard. I’ve been a photographer since elementary school. It’s part of my identity.

So yes, it feels like grieving a version of myself.

There’s guilt too—especially about my family clients who’ve come to me year after year. Seeing them for their final sessions is going to be emotional.

But what I keep reminding myself is that this isn’t failure. I haven’t failed. I’ve evolved.

My life has changed, and the photography industry couldn’t evolve with me.

The Hard Questions

Sometimes burnout doesn’t look like chaos—it looks like quiet detachment from what you used to love.

If you’re questioning your place in this industry, ask yourself:

• Is this still working for me, or am I just afraid to let it go?
• If no one else’s opinion mattered, what would I change?
• Am I showing up because I love it, or because I don’t know what else to do?
• Do I trust myself enough to pivot without a 10-step plan?
• What do I need to feel safe enough to stop pretending everything’s fine?

You don’t need a dramatic breakdown to walk away. You can be good at something and still realize it’s costing you too much.

Taking the Next Step

Whether you’re staying or leaving the industry, your systems need to evolve with you—or they’ll burn you out again.

That’s why I created Fix Your Foundations—a five-day email challenge to help photographers clean up their offboarding workflow without the overwhelm.

👉 Join the Offboarding Edition for $9 at simplysandrayvonne.ca/fixyourfoundations.

What’s Next

In Episode 403, I’m breaking down the three systems every wedding photographer needs to avoid burnout—and what happens when you ignore the warning signs.

This podcast season isn’t about keeping up. It’s about giving yourself permission to stop, breathe, and rebuild on your own terms.

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Tools & Resources Mentioned

• HoneyBook — The CRM & Client Flow platform I’ve trusted for 7+ years. Try it free + 30% off your first year
• Busy Season Email Survival Kit (Free) — Templates to reset your inbox during burnout season. Click here
• Fix Your Foundations: Offboarding Edition — A simple, 5-day workflow reset to end projects without chaos. Get the details
• The Cabana (Patreon) — Behind-the-scenes voice notes, templates, and sustainable business support. Come hang out

Ready to Streamline Your Systems?

If your HoneyBook feels more like a junk drawer than a streamlined client experience, you’re not alone. Most photographers don’t need to rebuild everything from scratch—they just need a cleanup, a system that makes sense, and workflows that actually support the way they work.

That’s where I come in. I help wedding photographers and creative pros clean up, organize, and optimize their HoneyBook accounts so they finally run smoothly. From quick housekeeping to done-for-you workflows, my services are designed to protect your energy and free up your time.

Take a look at my HoneyBook services for photographers and get your backend working as beautifully as your client work.