Getting ghosted by new wedding photography inquiries has got to be one of the most frustrating and disheartening parts of being a wedding photographer.

The inquiry comes in, and you get so excited when you see you’re available for their wedding date. You reach out to them to start walking them through your system for inquiries…

And then – they’re gone. They stop responding.

Enter the feelings of frustration, confusion, and defeat, amiright friend?!

I don’t know that it’s possible to stop getting ghosted completely… We can’t control how others behave, and some people just don’t like to reply. But, there are a few things you can do to stop it from happening so often:

Prompt + Transparent Communication

The biggest reason why potential clients ghost is because of delayed responses. Make sure to respond to inquiries as quickly as possible (while still maintaining your boundaries!) and provide detailed information about your services, availability, and pricing. 

Do you charge sales tax, travel fees, or anything else in addition to the cost of the package? Make sure you are upfront about that information! Never assume anyone “should know” anything.

Share Reviews

Reviews from past clients are such a powerful tool for building credibility and trust with potential clients. I know you’re already sharing positive feedback from your couples on your website. And maybe even on your social media channels… But here’s a little homework for you today:

Make sure you’re including some in your pricing guide, too!

This can help clear up any concerns or doubts a couple may have about hiring you – another reason why they ghost.

Follow Up

If you haven’t heard back from a potential client after sending your initial information, don’t be afraid to follow up. And follow up more than once!

Check-in and see if they have any questions or concerns.

Sometimes we think we’re being intentionally ghosted when in reality, the person we were interacting with simply just forgot to reply. Following up in the right way shows that you are invested in working with them. It shows that they’re more than a faceless number to you!

That being said, make sure to respect their boundaries and avoid being pushy or overly aggressive in your follow-ups. Instead, show up in a way that lets them know you’re here to help make their decision-making process easier!

Like I said earlier, I don’t know that it’s possible to stop ghosting from happening completely. There are all sorts of reasons why it happens, and we can’t control anyone’s actions beyond our own. But I hope these tips help you start delivering such an incredible experience to your potential clients right from the very beginning, that ghosting starts happening less and less.

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If you feel like something is missing from your workflow for new wedding photography inquiries and want to dive into it even further, book a 1:1 Coaching Call!

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Looking for more photography business tips? Here are some of my faves on the blog!

Breaking Into A New Market with John Mansfield

Why Showit Is The BEST Website Platform For Wedding Photographers

How Honeybook Helps Wedding Photographers Keep Clients Happy

The biggest mistake a wedding photographer can make? Not utilizing systems in every aspect of their business. More specifically, the system I want to talk about is a wedding photography workflow.

If I’m being totally honest, I’ve made that mistake so. many. times. I for a good system, but I still get invested in things without laying the groundwork first… And it always catches up with me.

Back in the early years of my business, the stress, the missed deadlines, the 16+ hour workdays, the burnout… I could have avoided it all had I taken the time to make sure the backend of my business was running efficiently!

If this sounds at all familiar to you, too, I’m here to give you a little encouragement:

It’s never too late to get started with systems and workflows.

You deserve the freedom that goes along with confidently stepping into the CEO role of your business. The freedom to do all the things you love guilt-free. The freedom of knowing everything is running as it should be to help your business continue to thrive!

To help get you started in time for this year’s wedding season, I wanted to share a little something with you…

A FREE Wedding Photography Workflow!

This PDF includes my exact 16-step wedding photography workflow. From the time I send a proposal to a new client, right through until after I’ve delivered their photos and asked for reviews.

All YOU need to do is head to your favourite CRM system (mine is Honeybook!) and add each step into a new workflow. You’ll even find notes on each step with the timeframe I recommend using as you’re setting your triggers in between each! Add in your own email templates, and within a couple of hours you’ll have your very own wedding workflow.

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Check out some more educational resources –

When Should I Reply To A New Wedding Photography Inquiry?

Asking For Accommodations At A Wedding With Kim DeBose

The Importance Of Your Why with Jasmin Blais

Up until a few years ago, I’d reply to new wedding photography leads, and if they didn’t get back to me with more questions or wanting to book, I would just let it be. The idea of following up with someone made me soooo uncomfortable!

Does that sound familiar to you, First name / friend?

“What if I come off as desperate?”

“I don’t want to be annoying 😕”

“Ugh this is so awkward…”

These were just some of the thoughts running through my head.

When I took a minute to put myself on the other side of things, though – the potential client’s side – and really thought about it, I realized how many opportunities I was missing, and saw how following up can be so valuable.

If you’ve ever struggled with whether or not to follow up, what to say, and when to say it – this one is for you!

Flip The Negatives

All of those negative thoughts and feelings I was having about coming off as desperate, annoying, or awkward… Those thoughts had to go! In reality, our potential clients are just like everyone else. They get busy. Things slip their mind. Emails land in spam folders unexpectedly. None of these have anything to do with you or how they feel about you! Flip that energy into finding ways to positively impact their experience. I can’t count how many times I’ve completely forgotten to reply to someone I actually wanted to work with, and was so grateful when they connected with me again. Photography clients deserve that same experience!

How often should I follow up with wedding photography leads?

This is where it takes some balance to make sure you’re not overwhelming someone’s inbox. As a consumer, I hate when someone follows up with me before I’ve even had a chance to read their initial email! To make sure I’m supporting my potential clients while still giving them room to breathe, here’s what my follow up process looks like:

1) Follow up to make sure they received my initial response (1 week post-inquiry)

2) Check in to see if there are any questions or concerns I can help with (5 days after 1st follow-up)

3) Final follow up with “the magic email” (3 days after checking in)

The Magic Email

My business coach introduced me to The Magic Email  and it really is as amazing as it sounds. This is a concept by Kai Davis and helps put an end to getting ghosted. 

CLICK HERE to read more about it! The key to The Magic Email is to include:”Since I have not heard from you on this, I have to assume your priorities have changed.”This lets your potential client know that you are closing their file and won’t be contacting them further, but leaves an opening for them to reach out if they are interested at a later date.Whether serving as a final reminder that closes the deal or at least getting you a response they have moved on – you know that you have put your best foot forward and can start putting your energy and time elsewhere.

Take a few minutes today to write yourself some follow-up email templates and start using them with your next inquiries!

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Here’s a little something to help with your next wedding photography lead…

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Check out some more educational resources –

Get Legally Legit with The Legal Paige

Tired Of Being Tied To Your Inbox?

The Wedding Day Questionnaire

Let’s face it, keeping our clients happy takes a lot of work. That’s just one of many reasons why I love Honeybook so much. It’s a game-changer when it comes to streamlining our workflow and keeping my clients happy every step of the way during our time together.

So… what’s so great about Honeybook? Well, for starters, it takes care of a lot of the boring back-end stuff that we hate doing. You know – things like manually creating contracts, invoices, and questionnaires, because Honeybook can do all that for you! Plus, it can send them out automatically, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything.

Another awesome thing about Honeybook is that it allows you to collaborate with your clients on the platform itself. You can share files and images, communicate back and forth, and keep everyone up-to-date on the progress of their project. It’s like having a virtual office where everything is organized in one place!

And let’s not forget about customer support! Honeybook’s team is always ready to help you with any issues or concerns you might have. They have live chat and email support, as well as an extensive knowledge base and video tutorials. You’ll never be left in the dark!

Honeybook is an awesome tool that can help us wedding photographers keep our clients happy. By automating repetitive tasks, providing collaboration features, and offering amazing customer support, Honeybook makes it easy to focus on what we do best – capturing beautiful memories on our clients’ special day!

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Need some help getting started with Honeybook? Click here download my free Wedding Photography Workflow!
(P.S. You can also save 60% off your first year of Honeybook until May 31st, 2023 if you click here!)

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Ready for more?! Here are some of my favourite blog posts:

3 Mistakes To Avoid When Investing In Education & Coaching

I Almost Quit Wedding Photography

3 Ways To Set Better Business Boundaries