First off, CONGRATS! If you’re reading this article, your mind is probably thinking “YAY!” but also “oh shoot… what do I tell my clients?!” I’ve been there and you’re not alone! Effectively communicating with my clients is something I put a lot of thought into and I’m happy to share my experience.

I recently did an Instagram Live answering some of these common questions:

• How long did you decide to build/grow your business before deciding to start a family?
• How/when did you tell clients about your pregnancy?
• How long did you give yourself post baby before diving back into work?
• How did your workflow change after having a baby?
• And more!

I personally made the decision to conduct business as normal until I reached the second trimester. Yes, that means I continued to book weddings close to my due date! My first pregnancy devastatingly ended in a miscarriage. Had I already started canceling weddings and referring them out, I would have not only dealt with the emotional loss, but also the financial loss.

My second pregnancy, once I reached the second trimester, I personally informed all 24 of my wedding couples for the year.  I put a ton of thought into how I communicated this news. Now, every pregnancy is different, but I tried to do my best to gauge what my capacity for working would be.

Photographing my final wedding of the season at 35 weeks!

I separated my couples into three categories, and had a different email template for each:

1) Couples NOT affected by my pregnancy 

I considered weddings that were 3+ months away from my due date. I figured even if I was extremely tired or had morning sickness, I’d still physically be capable of doing these weddings and could bring another assistant if need be.

Hello _______!

I hope your week is going well, and I am beyond thrilled for your upcoming wedding days!

I wanted to reach out to you with some recent news…

I am pregnant! My husband and I are very excited for this new season of life. We have spent the past few weeks letting friends and family know and will be making a more public announcement shortly. I wanted to make sure that you knew before seeing any kind of announcement on Instagram, Facebook, etc… I don’t want you to see the announcement, feel nervous, and worry if I am still able to do your wedding.

I assure you – I will be there, ready to give it my all! This pregnancy will in no way affect your wedding day. As your day approaches, if I find myself feeling more tired or sick than I think I can handle, I will personally hire an additional person to help me throughout the day. You do not need to worry about a thing!

Thank you all so much for choosing me to capture this day in your lives, and I truly cannot wait to see you soon! Please email me if you have any questions or concerns – I am happy to talk through anything with you.

2) Clients potentially affected by my pregnancy

For any weddings that fell within 2 months of my due date, I gave them two options, one of them being a cancelled contract and reimbursed deposit. I personally felt that if my situation made a couple feel uncomfortable, I would take that loss and help them find another photographer. Thankfully, none of my clients chose that option and trusted me to get the job done. I did bring two assistants with me on my final few weddings – I highly recommend doing that! I had to take a lot of extra breaks and knowing I still had two people taking photos at all times gave me such relief.

3) Clients whose weddings I needed to cancel

This category was difficult for me. I had to realize that my job as wedding photographer is to be able to serve my clients to the best of my ability, and admitting I couldn’t do my job well was the best way to serve my clients. I sent this email to the weddings that fell within one month of my due date and required travel.

I made sure to reach out to other wedding photographers with styles similar to mine to make sure they were available on these dates. I didn’t want to cancel the weddings and make my clients feel abandoned, but also give them other options!

Hello ____!

I hope wedding planning is going well! I wanted to reach out to you with some recent news…

I am pregnant! My husband and I are very excited for this new season of life. As your wedding photographer, my main concern is to make sure you receive the best service you possibly can. I am reaching out to you right away because your wedding is close to my due date – I would be a little over 8 months.

With this being my first pregnancy, I am not sure how I will be and in what ways your wedding will be affected. I want to be honest with you – I cannot say in 100% confidence that I will be able to do your wedding and do the best job I can. Because of this, I am not personally comfortable committing to be your wedding photographer. I can hope that I will be able to come and have a backup plan in case I’m not able to; however, I don’t think not knowing who your photographer will be is fair to you.

I am prepared to refund your deposit and am dedicated to helping you find the perfect photographer who suits your style and needs. In fact, I’ve actually reached out to some friends of mine – I’ve worked plenty with them in the past and can confidently say they are extremely talented and I know you’d be pleased with them. I’ve already talked to them about your wedding and I know that they’re currently available on your wedding date.

[photographer referrals]

As I said before, my #1 goal is to make sure you are comfortable and that you’re getting the best service possible on your wedding day. I will ensure you receive exactly that. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns – I am happy to talk through anything with you to help make this process as easy and stress-free as possible.

I hope this post is helpful for you! Let’s connect more and please contact me if you’re interested in a mentor session!

• More Photographer Resources (download my free e-book!)
• Follow me on Instagram

When I started my business almost 10 years ago, I was so eager to learn more about photography, interacting with clients, running a business, etc. Since then, I’ve dreamed about creating tools and resources to help others who were just as eager I was. With the launch of my brand new website, I’m excited to announce a FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS section and an e-book I’m giving away for FREE!

This guide, titled “Photographing Couples & Bringing Out Natural Emotions,” is meant to assist you with getting natural, authentic emotions out of couples – something I’m extremely passionate about. In fact, the top reason clients tell me they were drawn to my work is because of this very reason.

To get the e-book, simply go to the FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS page and look for the link that says “Get My Free E-Book.”

And for your chance to win a $250 gift card to my favorite camera bag company, ONA:

1. Go to my Instagram page and make sure you’re following me!
2. Like the giveaway photo
3. Tag any photographer friends who’d be interested in the e-book and/or giveaway (each tag will be your entry!)

The winner will be announce in one week, 4/17!

Thank you for viewing my website! I am currently on maternity leave and will be actively back in the studio 3/1/16. Please know that I am still booking weddings, engagements, and select portrait session for 2016! I will still have access to email, but know that it may take me longer to get back to you.

If this is an emergency and you need to get in touch with someone from my studio quickly, you can contact my studio manager and associate at jessica@www.camijanephotography.com.

If you’d like a glimpse into what life currently looks like for me, feel free to see my Instagram: @camijane. Thank you so much for your support of my business and my family, and for your patience and understanding as we spend time with our new daughter during this time!

Venue: Ponte Winery