Booking Etiquette 101: the Do's and Don'ts of Booking Your Boudoir Session
So, you’re ready to book a boudoir session… First off - YAAAAAAAAY! Round of applause for you, what an amazing step to take in your self-love journey! 😍 In this blog I’ll be sharing a few of the do’s and don’ts of booking your very own sesh & make sure the process is as smooooth as possible.
DO: YOUR RESEARCH
There are going to be three things you’re going to want to look for in a boudoir photographer:
#1: Do you like their style?
Take into account what exactly you’re looking for. Moody & dark? Bright & airy? Grainy & romantic? This will narrow down your pool of photographers and help you filter through what it is you like, and what you perhaps could do without.
Check out their portfolio! Editing style is important, but do you like their posing? Does it look like they’ve worked with different body types? These are all good factors to keep an eye out for.
#2: What’s your budget?
This is pretty dang important! Boudoir is an investment, but boudoir photographers also vary in pricing! Make an assessment of your budget and what will work best for you, and choose from there.
Another area of importance is what sort of payment options the photographer has AND what payment types they accept.
For example, I provide three payment options to my clients:
Pre-pay in full for your boudoir package at the time of booking and receive 5% off your total order, plus access to pre-payment perks
Pay your session fee deposit at the time of booking and pay the remainder in installments prior to your session, and get access to pre-payment perks
Pay your session fee deposit at the time of booking and pay the remainder on the day of your session
Types of payment I accept are e-transfer and cash. I also accept credit card payments, but there will be a 3% processing fee added to your payment.
#3: Where will the shoot take place?
Obviously, location is a very important component. If having a local-to-you photographer is important, keep this in mind! If you’re willing to travel, this may open up your horizons a bit.
Getting even more particular about location, make sure you know if you’ll be shooting in a studio, their home, etc. Do whatever feels comfortable for you! A good boudoir photographer can shoot out of anywhere, BUT should be shooting out of a place that has somewhere private to change & access to a bathroom (unless its a nature shoot, then that’s a biiiiit different lol).
DO: ask questions
Asking questions is GREAT and I most definitely encourage it! However, I do want to give advice on how to best ask questions without overwhelming your photographer (keep reading and you’ll see what I’m trying to get at). Here are the best ways/times to ask questions:
DURING YOUR CONSULT CALL
Write down all the questions you have for your boudoir photographer prior to your consult call. One piece of advice here? Take advantage of the plethora of information I have on my website! I have a page that goes over How It Works, The Investment, and a Blog that has useful info as well. Cross-reference your questions with my website prior to our call & if you can’t find the answer, ask away. 😊
Prior to the session
If after our consult call, you have questions to ask, please use email and please think long and hard about ALL the questions you’d like to ask so I can answer them at the same time! It does get overwhelming if I have clients asking me one question here and there, especially when I have other client communication I have to tend to.
Also, please consider your photographer’s preferred method of communication. At any one time, I usually have 10-15 clients booked. It may get confusing if I have one client texting me, one client DM’ing on Instagram, etc. I prefer to streamline all communication through email - that way I don’t have to rifle through 3 different modes of communication to see what was said and when!
In the end, I do encourage asking questions, but please be mindful of the aforementioned tips on how to ask questions while at the same time being courteous of your photographer’s time & energy. ❤️
DOn’t: ghost your photographer
Let me start this off by saying I have a lot more amazing, communicative clients than people who have ghosted me. And for that, I am SO thankful! But, unfortunately, there is a reason why I have to include this in a blog about booking etiquette.
Here’s an overview of what the booking process will look like:
Step 1: Send in your inquiry
Once you’re ready to book your session, you’ll send in an inquiry through my Book Now page. I receive your inquiry in my email, do a lil’ happy dance, and will send you a link where we can book our consult call!
Step 2: our consult call
These calls usually only take 10-15 minutes and it’s nothing crazy! I like to have these so you can get a feel for my personality, we can chat about the experience & what to expect, and discuss boudoir packages. At the end of the call we’ll put our tentative date in the calendar and I will send over your contract with instructions for payment.
Step 3: sign the contract & make payment
Once the contract is signed and payment is made, your slot is secured! WOOHOO!
In my experience, most of the ghosting happens during Steps 1 or 2, before any commitment has been made. But wait… what IS ghosting? In this case, ghosting is the practice of ending a transaction with someone by suddenly, and without explanation, withdrawing from all communication.
It makes my heart hurt. 😞 If you are no longer interested in booking a service (not just photography), then please let the service provider know! A simple “Hey, this no longer works for me, but thank you for your time.” is perfect. That way it lets us off the hook and we can use our time and energy towards other clients! I promise you, if you communicate with me to let me know you’re no longer interested, it will not offend me. ❤️
DO: MAINTAIN TIMELY COMMUNICATION
What do I mean by timely communication? If your boudoir photographer sends an email that requires action from you, please try to respond within 48 hours (barring extenuating cirumstances). This keeps the process moving and makes sure we are completing everything in a timely manner as well!
Booking your boudoir photographer should be a straightforward, comfortable process! Take your time doing your research, make sure to ask any questions you may have, let your photographer know if you are no longer interested, and communicate in a timely fashion. 😊 Maybe we could do it together sometime? 😉
XOXO, Irene