Help, I’ve had multiple Wedding Photography Cancellations
DEAR DEVLIN
Help, I’ve had multiple Wedding Photography Cancellations
Dear Devlin, WWYD?
I’ve just heard from my third couple to have cancelled in the last few weeks. All these weddings were not yet fully paid but were supposedly coming up this summer. Although nobody is asking for the deposits back, it is a big dip in income for me suddenly and I’m already down on bookings for this year. Please help! Apart from selling a kidney, what would you suggest I do?
I have my payment on account coming up and thought I was going to be OK.
Ellie From East London
“I’ve been exactly where you are. In fact, I once had five cancellations drop on me like dominos.”
Dear Ellie from East London,
This kind of situation is gut-wrenching, and it’s happened to most of us at some time. While wedding photography cancellations are part and parcel of this industry (especially since the pandemic), when they cluster together like this, they hit hard.
Yes, you absolutely need a clear cancellation policy in place (and I’m going to assume you already have that sorted), but let’s talk about the more pressing issue for you right now: the unexpected and sudden loss of income.
I’ve been exactly where you are. In fact, I once had five cancellations drop on me like dominos. If necessity is the mother of invention, then let me share the two strategies I came up with to claw my way out of that financial dip and into a stronger position:
1. Offer Your Cancelled Dates as “Deposit Paid”
Whilst I’m not a fan of discounting your wedding photography, I decided to publicly share that I had newly available dates and that a deposit had already been paid. I was transparent on social media that these were wedding photography cancellations, and it resonated.
I ended up rebooking some of the dates and also procuring a couple of bookings from people who assumed I was fully booked for the year. This meant I replaced the income, sometimes even exceeding the original fee when extras were added on.
2. Monetise Your Past Clients
On the first weekend I was supposed to be shooting a cancelled wedding, I sat at my desk and revisited every wedding from the past two years where the couple hadn’t ordered an album. I use Pic-Time, so I checked to see if they had added any favourites, and if they had, I used those to create a draft design.
Then I sent each couple a message explaining that I knew they wanted to preserve their memories properly, so I went ahead and designed an album for them. I gave them the option to make one round of changes and offered a limited-time discount to seal the deal.
That single day of proactive work not only brought in the same income I’d lost from the wedding photography cancellation, but it also sparked a ripple of referrals as those albums got shared and admired. Plus, it felt genuinely good to finally give those couples something tangible and lasting.
A Quick Note About Your Payment on Account
This is not financial advice, but make sure you check with your accountant to see if your payment on account is based on last year’s (possibly higher) earnings. You might be able to reduce it based on this year’s projected income if you do not end up replacing the bookings.
Rebuild After Wedding Photography Cancellations
If you’re down on bookings for this year, this is your cue to ramp up visibility around your remaining availability. Post consistently about last-minute dates. Talk about how beautiful shorter coverage can be. And get creative about ways to turn those short days into revenue-rich experiences with albums, upgrades, and extra shoots.
These shortfalls suck but they don’t have to break you. Sometimes they give us the jolt we need to find new revenue streams and rebuild on stronger ground. Let me know if these ideas help you out and hang on in there.
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