Hello again from self-isolation!
Lindsay and I are still working remotely and answering emails but I wanted to send you a little business update to be transparent on how we’re spending this time!
When the coronavirus hit the US, travel restrictions were put in place and events were advised to postpone; we feel extremely fortunate that all of our March, April and May weddings postponed immediately and worked with us to find other dates that we were also available. I’m excited to read in recent wedding polls that 96% of couples are postponing their weddings and not just canceling and that people still want to host big events and share this big day with their friends and families.
We found some great resources quickly and got advice from companies like Harper’s Bazaar that helped us navigate through this time. We always want to make sure our customer service is top notch and though we have had to worry about our own business, we want to first and foremost assist our clients and be kind human beings.
I don’t know if the industry will ever be the same! One thing is for sure- hiring a wedding planner and having wedding insurance seems more important than ever before!
We are still booking new weddings and portraits for 2021; however, we are not, for the time being, booking any new weddings for 2020 in case we need to shift our current client’s events to one of those dates. We are also not taking any new appointments for family portraits or branding sessions in the studio due to the current restrictions. We have offered our studio and Airbnb to any medical professionals in the area that might need a place to self-isolate for whatever reason.
I think that we’re still in this unknown period and are waiting for updates from our clients and the CDC on what will happen with our June/July/August dates. Fingers crossed, this will all blow over sooner rather than later with no more events for this year being affected!
Our retainers are non-refundable but can be applied to future events. For our couples with new postponed dates, we created new contracts changing not only the actual date but also the due date for final payments (30 days out from their new wedding date).
For other photographers that might be reading, we quickly looked at our business expenses and tried to find ways to save money immediately. For example, our phone bills, Adobe and other subscriptions. I’m also lucky to be surrounded by really great photographer friends that found some great resources to apply for grants and loans like the Paycheck Protection Program.
We’ve been staying busy fine tuning our business processes but from a personal standpoint, I’ve also been taking this time for self-care and quality time with my family, working on our garden, building a tree house and spring cleaning our home. The kids have taken on homeschool like champs and I’m about to drag out my painting supplies from hiding. I hope that you all have been able to treat this time like a ‘life sabbatical’ and make use of all of this downtime we find ourselves with. We’ve been eating better, exercising more, and doing travel research so that when the time comes, we’re ready and more informed to book some awesome family vacations. I know we’re going to come out of this experience stronger as people and small business owners.
If you missed my last blog post, I created an awesome little photography project with the community and hope to start working on that again soon when the “Stay in Place” lifts in our county. Also check out the Asheville Scout Guide who has been working diligently to keep us informed on ways we can support our local community here in Asheville.
Stay Healthy! Stay Home and Stay Safe! xo