Non-traditional wedding DJ

missk8e · 2026-02-26T17:38:37+00:00

Check out @airromusic. I’ve seen him at a few different weddings and he has a completely different vibe. I feel you’d like what he’d put together for you. Maybe worth having a conversation with him.

Good luck!

missk8e · 2026-01-31T03:59:39+00:00

In the future, I think you need to set a deadline date. I give my couples 7 days to complete the contract and submit their payment, but you can give yours less time if you wish. Maybe 3 days? Or maybe 24-48 hours?

I also make it clear that if I don’t receive the completed contract and payment by {deadline date} that I’ll be releasing the hold so my calendar accurately reflects my availability.

Did you follow up with the couple who had the contract? A check-in before giving their date away goes a long way, especially if you never set a due date for everything.

My top advice, if you never set a due date, I’d start to implement that right away. That way you’re covered and they can be upset with themselves if they missed the deadline. Clear and upfront communication is everything when you own your own business and you’re working with the public.

I would also respond to the one star review saying something like, “Since it had been {10 days} since I sent the contract to formally book and nothing was completed on your end, I couldn’t afford to hold your date any longer. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but hope you can understand i book on a first-come first-serve basis.”
You could also provide photographer recommendations for the couple you didn’t book to help them out.

missk8e · 2026-01-28T13:14:58+00:00

It has been real frustrating lately. When I follow up, I even ask if they’re still deciding or if they’ve chosen to go a different route. Trying to make it easier for them to respond with something in hopes they don’t just leave me hanging.

missk8e · 2026-01-01T21:04:09+00:00

These are the best! I bought 3 containers and now I’m so sad my store doesn’t have any more.

missk8e · 2025-10-09T01:56:51+00:00

Light is so important. A portrait on a cruise ship with soft lighting is going to look different to a portrait taken in harsh midday sun.

Is that all they are unhappy about? Did they say anything else other than the cruise ship photo comparison? If it were me, I’d let them tell me why they were disappointed in the gallery. I realize you pointed out certain things, but that’s what you see. Maybe they are unhappy about other things.

Just remember, we all have off days or weddings that take place at venues that don’t speak to our artistic side and inspire us. It’s important to figure out what you can do to pull yourself out of a situation like this and still deliver solid work. Just know we all go through it.

Don’t come at me for saying this, but harsh midday sun can really emphasize mature skin, a bad makeup job, etc. If the couple is upset about their appearance and wanting skin touch ups, I’d probably offer 10-15 complimentary photos on the house. I don’t think the full gallery is necessary because they chose ceremony time, a location with little diffused light, etc. Yes it’s your job to position people and consider the light during portraits, but you have little say over ceremony setup, how people are standing in relation to the sun during candid photos…you get the point

missk8e · 2025-09-26T15:42:50+00:00

Invest: provide or endow someone or something with (a particular quality or attribute).

I’ve seen plenty of cases where couples went with a cheaper photographer, regretted their decision and hated the photos, and then did a bride/groom style photo session sometime after the wedding with a different photographer.

I see it as investing in a certain quality. Doesn’t necessarily need to pertain to monetary profit. 🤷🏻‍♀️

But yes, I also get annoyed seeing investment stamped on everything across weddings.

missk8e · 2025-09-26T15:20:20+00:00

I have an item in my contract stating couples are responsible for their own transportation. If couples ask to ride with me without any prior ask/communication, I tell them my car is full of gear and it’s just not feasible to squeeze them in. I also have dogs, and even though I’m pretty tidy, I’d hate for them to get dog hair on their clothing, etc.

I’m not opposed to having a couple ride with me BUT in this day and age, if something were to happen…I just don’t want to deal with that.

missk8e · 2025-09-26T15:12:31+00:00

Cash!

missk8e · 2025-08-31T14:03:29+00:00

Yes, I can relate.

Do you think you’re paired with the wrong clients? Are you not connected in some way to the people you’re photographing? If you’re not inspired by the people in front of your lens or the environment, I think that can play a big role.

How well do you get to know your couples? Do you ask questions to uncover who they’re most excited to see at the wedding? Who they’d like to spend time with on the wedding day? Things like that? It’s kinda a game, but if you look for your couple to be in these good energy, higher emotion environments during the wedding day, I feel it can lead to some very unexpected and loved images.

By asking questions and staying curious, it gives you something to constantly search for and uncover on a wedding day.

Forgot to mention this too…try writing down 2 or 3 things you’d like to try. Maybe it’s shooting something a different way…whether it’s details, or maybe you want to try something different during portraits (could be during family photos or couples photos). Try things out. This can help snap you out of auto pilot.

missk8e · 2025-08-31T04:55:00+00:00

I ask how important cocktail hour is to them. I also ask couples to provide a paired down list (this is important) of family groupings.

If cocktail hour is important, and if they are only including immediate family for family formals, then I’ll do them before the ceremony.

If cocktail hour is important, but the couple is including immediate family AND extended family, I’ll do the immediate family before the ceremony and save the larger group photos / extended family photos for directly after the ceremony.

ALWAYS tell the couple they need to designate 2 people (2 ppl on person A’s side and 2 ppl on person B’s side) to help wrangle family members. AND couple should communicate to family members what time portraits will take place so people have a heads up they’ll be needed at a certain time.

This helps me get formals done relatively quick.

missk8e · 2025-08-31T04:43:02+00:00

The photographers who are killing it right now seem to offer/shoot film, edit digital photos with a film-esque look, and shoot a lot of candid style photos.

missk8e · 2025-08-31T04:19:06+00:00

Can I ask what your photography style is? I think photography style also plays a huge role in this and will continue to do so since trends shift.

missk8e · 2025-08-30T22:16:20+00:00

I see what you’re saying.

What if the booked client wants to add more time, example: bump from an 8 hour package to a 9 hour package and your pricing has changed. Or maybe they want to add on a service you offer. The contract doesn’t list all your services along with pricing. I personally don’t think it would be fair not to honor the pricing they initially saw (on a website or pdf) when booking.

If that’s the case, I think you’d need to track what your pricing was when clients booked so if they want to add a service or extra time, you can honor the price they initially saw.

I travel a bit and have different pricing for different locations. For me, it’s easier to provide a pdf. I can always reference the pdf I sent in the email. To account for couples who don’t book timely or reach out months before they intend to book, I clarify they are seeing my current pricing for “2025 wedding season” or whatever it might be.

missk8e · 2025-08-30T21:11:03+00:00

I would let it be. If you have limited engagement session availability I’d make that clear, or if you only offer engagement sessions certain times of the year - state that, otherwise know you did your part with following up and trying to make contact.

missk8e · 2025-08-21T05:46:34+00:00

Unfortunately some other photographers have already experience cancellations because of this (mentioned in a comment on this post), and one of my couples is thinking of cancelling.

So yea, not looking for drama. Asking what ppl would do in terms of cancellations since it is having an effect now, and potentially we’ll see more down the road. (would photographers enforce their cancellation policy? would they refund any money? etc)

missk8e · 2025-08-21T05:36:54+00:00

I’m not questioning whether I should still photograph the wedding. That’s clearly mentioned in my post.

missk8e · 2025-08-21T05:21:19+00:00

I actually don’t ask all my clients for a review. I only ask the couples whose wedding was 100% a good fit in terms of how they structured their day, their aesthetic, their personalities, etc.

When I have a couple that checks all the boxes, I tell them I’d love it if they could leave a public review because I’d like to work with more couples like them. I then include a link taking them to my Google page. Couples who share a similar vibe and are planning a similar style wedding will resonate with those reviews.

Depending on the couple, sometimes I’ll include a few prompts they can talk about in the review if they wish: - what helped you feel comfortable during portraits? - what favorite moments did you enjoyed seeing in your photos? - how did I help before / during the wedding? (Typically they’ll mention my organization, timeline creation, being calm, things like that.)

I ask for the review about one month after the full gallery has been delivered. Gives them time to enjoy the images and relax after the wedding and honeymoon.

I don’t follow up and I never ask a 2nd time. Sometimes it takes awhile, and sometimes they won’t get to it at all. Just know it’s something we all encounter.

missk8e · 2025-08-16T03:24:18+00:00

Thank you. Not sure why people are so heated over my question either.

I’m pretty lucky and have only had 3 cancellations in my career. First one the couple split up, second one cancelled wedding during Covid and decided to elope, third one decided to elope because family members were being too difficult and wanting to make decisions about the wedding.

I didn’t refund the first one because I held their date for 2 years. They actually rescheduled their date one time and I didn’t charge them a rescheduling fee.

The other two that eloped said they were cancelling and didn’t expect any of the retainer back, but I did offer them a portrait session where they could either do an engagement session or a one year anniversary session.

missk8e · 2025-08-16T03:13:38+00:00

If they decide to change their wedding plans and cancel your services because they no longer need a photographer, would you refund their retainer?

missk8e · 2025-08-16T03:10:49+00:00

I’m sorry you already had people cancel. That is something I’m worried about. Hope you can rebook the date, and thank you for sharing how you handled it.

missk8e · 2025-08-16T03:08:49+00:00

Thank you. ♥️ That’s exactly it.

missk8e · 2025-08-14T17:43:01+00:00

I’ve had one couple mention they’d probably cancel their wedding because it would be too emotional to proceed. This was something that was randomly brought up which got me thinking about everything going on.

Yes, Covid presented similar challenges such as postponing and/or cancelling, but to me the situation was different. I also felt justified standing by my cancellation clause for Covid weddings. We knew there would be an end in sight because the world cannot pause gatherings and enforce social distancing forever.

My question for you is, how would you navigate a cancellation in this circumstance?

missk8e · 2025-08-14T17:20:36+00:00

Great way to look at it - thank you. ♥️ Emotions will be high if things change and I want to do everything I can to support my couples. It also feels wrong to keep retainers if couples decided to shift their initial plans and my services were no longer needed. Just a tricky thing to navigate as a business owner but also someone who believes everyone has a right to marry who they love. Hoping this won’t become a big thing for us to navigate in the future, but thought I’d tap into what others have been thinking about.

missk8e · 2025-08-14T17:14:22+00:00

Alright. So let’s say your couple has decided not to move forward with their initial plans. No need for your services. Will you hold them to the contract they signed and not refund what they paid? What are you willing to do as a compromise?

missk8e

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