https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 06 May 2026 21:03:44 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1304768 Sat, 28 Dec 2013 16:13:24 +0000 birdofafeather 1304768@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LittleLashesToes: i had a FT day job that i kept going into my pregnancy/maternity leave, so i paid into state care, but i'm going to find a plan like aflac for next time we're TTC as i'm now a FT photographer.</p> <p>i gave birth in early january 2013. my first shoot was early march (maternity), so two months off completely. i second shot a wedding the following week and then shot portraits about once a week until june, when i had 6 weddings between assisting and my own. i would have been happy to be up and running fully 2.5-3 months out if i were FT (I went back to my day job for 2 months just to see if i could do it all, but my year was booked, so i peaced out!)</p> <p>a lot of info, but basically i told my wedding clients with engagement sessions that i wouldn't be booking sessions until 3 months after my due date (but i started contacting them to book sooner than that!) that way, it gave me the space to see how i felt and they were all totally fine with it!</p> <p>i wish i had 21 booked for 2014! that's awesome! and i fully believe that no matter when you get pregnant, you'll be able to find work to replace any that you missed. just don't turn anything down until you're pregnant! even then, once you have a due date, you can hustle and try to get some more things booked before you go on leave! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1304686 Sat, 28 Dec 2013 14:52:18 +0000 raintreebee 1304686@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not a wedding photographer, but as a professor, I have to commit to next year's academic calendar far in advance and no one at school teaches my courses. When deciding on whether/when to TTC, I freaked out about this and was so worried that I would alienate the administration and my colleagues. I first tried to time it perfectly but infertility had other plans. I finally ended up getting pregnant via IVF with a due date mid-semester and everyone couldn't be more understanding. I was able to help arrange for adjuncts to teach my courses, and it all worked out. If I could do it over again, I would just not have worried about the precise timing since it injected a lot of energy/stress into ttc. Trust that things will work out and that, if you handle the situation with a little grace and creativity, even bridezillas will understand. :) Once you know your due date, you can figure out how much time to take off, etc. But I wouldn't worry about it in the abstract. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1304093 Sat, 28 Dec 2013 02:45:49 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 1304093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdofafeather: great link, btw! Thanks!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1304090 Sat, 28 Dec 2013 02:39:26 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 1304090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdofafeather: Oh! I didn't know about short term disability. How does that work? How long after the baby was born was it until you started working again? Thanks so much for sharing. :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1304089 Sat, 28 Dec 2013 02:37:13 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 1304089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Vegmama: Wow. Thank you so much! This is so helpful. I'm/we're terrible at saving, so I really appreciate this little push to do so. Would love to look at your work! Send me your website if you get the chance. Thanks again and congratulations! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1304086 Sat, 28 Dec 2013 02:33:56 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 1304086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.Someone: Oh, that's a great idea! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1304084 Sat, 28 Dec 2013 02:33:24 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 1304084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ScarletBegonia: Makes sense. Thanks so much for sharing and I'm sorry to hear your photos took that long! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1304083 Sat, 28 Dec 2013 02:32:18 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 1304083@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BabyMats: awesome! Good to know :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1304082 Sat, 28 Dec 2013 02:31:49 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 1304082@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinpye: great to hear!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1303065 Fri, 27 Dec 2013 13:10:06 +0000 birdofafeather 1303065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was incredibly blessed and was able to get pregnant quickly and due in January during off season. I had a wedding last December at 34 weeks that I knew about before TTC so I based our timing off that. I expected to take about 4-6 months (average for my age at the time) and was trying to get prepared to tun down work if needed. I read a great article that helped me keep perspective and advice: <a href="http://cheninboutwell.com/photogmoms" rel="nofollow">http://cheninboutwell.com/photogmoms</a></p> <p>I had a great network of friends I count on and my friend was on standby if I needed her for that last wedding and I also had my sister come as my bag holder but I was lucky and felt good up til then. I think knowing that was my last wedding was super helpful. </p> <p>I would have much rather shot til the end though than shoot quickly after my daughter was born. I BF through this whole last season and it was tricky logistically to figure out pumping, etc so I'm glad I had time to sort it out first. </p> <p>I think communication with clients and backin yourself up financially are important. If you can still get short term disability, do it!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1302992 Fri, 27 Dec 2013 12:24:21 +0000 Vegmama 1302992@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a wedding photographer ... I shot a wedding at 30 weeks, and felt totally fine. I knew it would be our last one, and I'm really glad it was. I still felt great, and I was able to edit &amp; get the photos to them within 2 weeks. Felt nice to have it off my plate. I really don't think I would have shot any weddings after 30 weeks. We also had a 3rd shooter on standby just in case. I was prepared to refund any deposits if needed during the pregnancy (because of morning sickness, or anything else), but didn't have to. I just kept the clients $$ in my business bank account until their wedding passed, then paid myself after.</p> <p>As far as TTC, we started turning down weddings once we were TTC ... At least, weddings that would have taken place after 30ish weeks (or that weren't our ideal kind of clients). It ended up taking us 6 months to get pregnant, which stung a bit (considering we had turned away business), but in the end, our schedule worked out. It sucks to have to plan your TTC &amp; baby around the calendar, but we really felt like it needed to happen. </p> <p>I also run a design/branding studio, which I've found more challenging. It's the bulk of my business/income, so planning my leave around that has been tricky. I'm wrapping my 2013 projects now (with a January 7th due date), and really crossing my fingers I get everything done.</p> <p>As far as maternity leave, I'm planning on taking 10 weeks off, and we just started saving money when we found out I was pregnant. </p> <p>Best of luck! I know it's tricky to navigate these waters ... It already says a lot that you're planning ahead! I'd say: focus on really saving, keep more $$ in your business savings account, and try to reduce your business around the time you think baby would be due. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1302875 Fri, 27 Dec 2013 11:18:26 +0000 Mrs.Someone 1302875@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our wedding photographer was pregnant when she shot our wedding, then a friend's wedding a few months later. She was 7-8mo along for our friends' wedding, so her and her husband got another photog to go with them to help them get good coverage. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1302548 Fri, 27 Dec 2013 07:23:37 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1302548@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you have a back up photographer that you could turn clients over to? </p> <p>I wouldn't worry so much about working up until your due date, thats not impossible but working those 6 weeks after you deliver would be tough (no sleep, recovering body, leaving baby, etc). </p> <p>I think if you gave brides a 6-7 month heads up that you will have to turn them over to a professional stand in or offer their deposit back it should be enough. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1302532 Fri, 27 Dec 2013 06:41:44 +0000 ScarletBegonia 1302532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For another perspective - my wedding photographer was a man, but his wife was due with their first child about a month after our wedding, which he told us the day of the wedding. He ended up taking about 8 months to get our photos back to us. It was very frustrating getting the runaround from him, and although I had a lot of sympathy for how busy/exhausted he must have been with a newborn, I would have appreciated a reduced rate or at least more regular communication to let us know how it was going. </p> <p>Basically what I'm saying is as long as you are upfront with your brides and do your best to communicate with them (and maybe organise a back up/alternate for weddings that are getting close to your due date), i don't see that there would be an issue. But if you are secretive and uncommunicative like my guy was, you may end up with some unhappy brides. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1302500 Fri, 27 Dec 2013 04:27:23 +0000 BabyMats 1302500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My wedding photog shot weddings alnost all the way to the end. It was pretty cool seeing her too </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1302492 Fri, 27 Dec 2013 03:45:36 +0000 erinpye 1302492@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not a photog, but in the wedding industry, and I just decided to go for it. Having babies isn't convenient for us small biz owners anytime, but so worth the juggle. Good luck! :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-other-wedding-photographers-ttc#post-1302468 Fri, 27 Dec 2013 02:00:36 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 1302468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a wedding photographer and I usually shoot about 30 weddings per year (already 21 booked for next year). I've found that it's been very difficult to try to line up the right month for conception and due date with all the weddings that are booked a year + in advance. Wondering if there are any other Bees in my situation or a similar situation. </p> <p>It's really difficult to run your own business and I worry about the lack of maternity leave, etc. I can't afford to refund all of the deposits that have already been made if I were to have a mid-season due date. I keep telling myself that maybe I could keep shooting weddings until I'm due, but is that realistic?? </p> <p>Thanks, Bees!! </p>