Ready to streamline your photography bookings but aren’t sure where to start? As a family photographer, managing your schedule can sometimes feel like a full-time job on its own. From dealing with a flood of inquiries to ensuring that every client gets booked smoothly, it’s easy to let your calendar control you instead of the other way around. But with the right system—and a skilled virtual assistant (VA)—you can manage bookings seamlessly and make the process work for you. 

Here’s how we help family photographers launch their session calendars without the hassle and stress.

The Benefits of Calendar Launches 

• Effortless Booking Process: With seasonal calendar launches, you’ll enjoy an organized and streamlined booking process. Clients can book directly on a calendar designed for your business, leaving you free to focus on photography.
• Control Over Your Schedule: You choose when to open up bookings and which dates are available, helping you avoid burnout or overbooking. By launching sessions in one go, you also cut down on last-minute requests and ongoing inquiries. 
• Better Client Experience: Your clients will appreciate the clear, predictable system for booking sessions. Instead of having to reach out at random times or wonder when bookings open, they’ll know exactly when to reserve their spot—especially during busy seasons.
• Reduced Admin Work: By having a VA manage the launch process and the initial customer support, you free up valuable time for shooting, editing, and growing your business.

Steps to Create Your Own Calendar Launch

Step 1: Selecting Dates & Offerings

It all starts with the photographer determining their availability. My clients choose the dates and times that work best for their sessions—whether it’s for mini sessions, seasonal shoots, etc. This is also the time when they decide what they want to offer: the types of sessions, pricing, and any special promotions. By aligning their calendar with their goals and availability, we ensure they’re not overbooking or missing out on high-demand times.

Step 2: Setting Up the Booking Calendar

Once the photographer has their dates and offerings set, a VA can take over the backend. We can set up their point-of-sales platform (such as Honeybook, Dubsado, Pixieset, or Big Cartel) to create an organized booking calendar. This calendar will make it easy for clients to select and reserve a session without the photographer having to manually manage bookings.

Step 3: E-newsletter Blasts for a Smooth Launch

Next, we plan out e-newsletter campaigns (we love Flodesk!) to announce the session calendar. We recommend scheduling two key blasts:

• 1 week before launch: A pre-scheduled preview email is sent to generate excitement, outlining the session offerings and what clients can expect. 
• Launch day: A pre-scheduled follow-up email is sent with a live booking link, encouraging clients to book quickly before slots fill up. 

These newsletters ensure that your audience is informed and ready to book when the calendar opens, reducing the chances of last-minute inquiries or missed bookings.

Psst… we also like to put these launch dates in the bottom of all regularly scheduled newsletters to act as a reminder for potential clients throughout the year. 

Step 4: Customer Support and Workflow Integration

For the next two working days after the calendar goes live, your VA can act as the main point of contact for any client questions. Whether they need help understanding the offerings, need assistance booking a session, or are unsure about the next steps, we’re there to help. 

Once the sessions are booked, we move clients into the photographer’s chosen workflow system, ensuring they receive any final booking documents like contracts, questionnaires, or prep guides. This way, clients are supported from booking to session. 

How We Plan Launches Throughout the Year

For many of my clients, most prefer to organize their calendar launches around the four seasons:

• Spring Sessions: Launched in Mid January for March – May dates
• Summer Sessions: Launched in Early April for June – August dates
• Fall Sessions: Launched in Late July or Early August for September – December dates
• Winter Sessions: Launched in Mid November for January & February dates

By scheduling seasonal launches, you create predictable booking times for your clients while allowing yourself the flexibility to adjust your availability as the year progresses. You’ll also minimize the number of ad hoc inquiries from clients looking to book outside of these key dates, giving you more control over your schedule. OR if you do receive an inquiry, you have an easy and quick response about your availability that a virtual assistant can easily share while managing your lead flow. 

Take Control of Your Calendar & Streamline Bookings

Managing your photography calendar doesn’t have to be a stressful, time-consuming task. With the help of a VA, you can take control of your schedule, create a seamless booking experience for your clients, and free up more time to focus on what you do best—capturing memories.

If you’re ready to streamline your bookings and take charge of your calendar, let’s connect! Together, we can set up a system that works for you and your clients, or snag our FREE launch checklist if you’re a DIY type!