How Far in Advance Should You Book a Photographer for Your Family Portrait, Mitzvah or Wedding?
Knowing when is the right time to start looking for a photographer can be a tricky thing! And it definitely is different community to community, but I think these are helpful guidelines for portraits and events in the Orlando area.
Let’s start with the biggest events first - Weddings! Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, so you want to make sure you have the best vendors you can have. And if you want to have your choice of vendors, you’ll want to book early. Most couples book their venue first and then the very next step is selecting a photographer. There are certain times of year that are more popular than others for events. Right now in Orlando, mid-September through the end of November is super popular as well as March - May in the Spring. So if you’re having a weekend wedding during those months, I suggest reaching out to your preferred photographer 12-18 months in advance to have the best chance of them being available.
Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are not very different from weddings in terms of what types of vendors you’re looking to hire. But now you know that you’re competing with wedding couples for the same photographers, you might feel differently about how early to reach out to photographers. I’d say most families select their photographer 6 to 12 months in advance, but I would recommend doing it as soon as you have your venue booked, especially since most Mitzvahs happen in the same busy months as weddings.
Milestone birthdays or anniversary parties can usually wait a little longer to book a photographer than the other specialty events listed above. I’ve found that often times birthdays and anniversary parties are held on Sunday afternoons or maybe even Friday evenings, rather than on a Saturday night, so they’re less likely to be competing with other major events on a photographer’s schedule. Also, realistically, you’re probably not planning an event like this until 6 months in advance anyway, so 2 to 6 months is a good time frame to start looking for a photographer.
When you are booking a family portrait, you have a lot more flexibility for when you reach out to your photographer. I think you can reach out anywhere between 2 weeks and 2 months in advance to coordinate a date and time for your session. When families reach out to me, I find out the days of the week and times of day that are usually best for them and then I can send the available dates I have that match.
Holiday portraits are slightly different because the fall is a very busy time for photography in general. Portrait photographers are in high demand with everyone wanting to book their family portraits to create Christmas/holiday cards, plus the weather in Central Florida is finally comfortable enough to be outside! Because of this, a lot of photographers schedule mini session dates in the Fall leading up to Christmas.
I currently have my holiday mini sessions open for registration. They’re scheduled for November 1st (at an indoor studio) and November 15th (outside at a venue in Eustis with a highland cow!) and there are limited slots, so I recommend booking your session as soon as you can confirm your schedule!
And what about those last-minute events that pop up? Don’t just assume your photographer of choice will be booked - it never hurts to ask! I have a team of photographers that work with me and who understand the style I like to deliver to clients, so even if I am personally booked, I can usually provide a photographer for your event!
If you’re starting to prepare for an event and you’re not sure when the right time is to get started for photography, send me an email or give me a call and I’m happy to walk you through things! It’s never too early!
