Wedding bookings - What can one expect?

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I'm pretty much fully booked for the peak months of next summer, they book 6-12 months out, but off peak bookings tend to come later, anything from 1-6 months out.

i'm not as seasoned as either of you guys (and most on here) but it's funny because my non-peak (i.e. spring & fall) weddings seem to book further in advance for some reason!
maybe it has something to do with my price level, maybe the off-season weddings are lower budget and want a underpriced photog?

bigarchi wrote in post #13027629
i'm not as seasoned as either of you guys (and most on here) but it's funny because my non-peak (i.e. spring & fall) weddings seem to book further in advance for some reason!
maybe it has something to do with my price level, maybe the off-season weddings are lower budget and want a underpriced photog?

I have always thought of the spring and fall as my peak seasons...they have consistently been busier than the mid summer months for me. I wonder if it is a geographic thing.

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bigarchi wrote in post #13027629
i'm not as seasoned as either of you guys (and most on here) but it's funny because my non-peak (i.e. spring & fall) weddings seem to book further in advance for some reason!
maybe it has something to do with my price level, maybe the off-season weddings are lower budget and want a underpriced photog?

I'm in the Northeast US like you and spring and fall ARE the peak seasons. In particular, September and October are consistently my most sold dates. Couples want the cooler weather and the fall colors.

May through October for us. If we get lucky we will get a December and January date but they are usually shoot and burns. It gets very cold in Minnesota. -10 in january is very common but we have done a couple. The girls still want outside shots but its quick. I have 6 booked for next year so far and we have not started the bridal show circut yet. June and July book quick.

Peacefield wrote in post #13029083
I'm in the Northeast US like you and spring and fall ARE the peak seasons. In particular, September and October are consistently my most sold dates. Couples want the cooler weather and the fall colors.

that makes sense to me then! I always thought July/August would be considered
the peak season. Though they are extremely popular for my clients (to the grooms dismay),
April, September and October are my most inquired about months, often even 14+ months out.

btw, i personally love fall weddings here in the northeast US

The Wife is fairly new as far as wedding photography goes, but currently she's booking for the busy spring wedding season, 7-8 months out. The calls are coming in fairly steadily now, and she's had to turn a few away. For the fall season, she's booked solid through October and November, with most of those booking between 4-6 months ago. Summer's generally the dead time for Texas weddings, considering the 100+ degree heat we get through July and August, but she's already booked two for summer next year as well.

That's without heavy promotion beyond a few Google ads and SEO. We only attended one (small) bridal fair this year. Maybe a quarter of wedding bookings are referrals. Persistence in the market counts for a lot, I think. She's become a known quantity in the area.

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For me, peak season weekends about 9-12 months in advance, for everything else 4-6 months in advance ..... but it is by no means consistant year in-year out !

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I've found a consistent stream of bookings this year with things picking up for 2012 in the last couple of months which is great as I have more availability next year. But, Jan-Feb when it really takes off I'll expect a few overlaps that I can't accept.

I have 44 weddings this year with 24 already confirmed for 2012 and I'm meeting another 3 couples next week.

I expect a natural die off of enquiries around the end of November-December though.

memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #13039659
Currently I pay for two online wedding directory listings (for quality back links mainly), advertise with Google Ads, Facebook Ads and other than that rely on SEO and referrals. I don't have any printed advertising anywhere nor do I bother with bridal fairs (other than going for a nosey). I'm currently spending about 7% of revenue on marketing but hope to cut it back to 5% next year.

Word of mouth and being known counts for a lot in my opinion and persistence is key. Although I reckon the persistence part requires patience and adequate other sources of income to support yourself in the meantime.

Peter

Hows google ads working for you. I know they have a suggested price point then you can go above or below that point. Is it helping with your placement and bookings ??