2024 Year in Review: Breaking Down the Numbers from Weddings, Minis & More
At the end of each year, I like to sit down with a warm drink (and let’s be honest… a spreadsheet) and look back at the numbers behind the scenes of my photography business. It’s such a helpful exercise — not just to celebrate growth, but to understand what’s working, where I can improve, and how I can better serve my clients moving forward.
In this post, I’m breaking down how many sessions I shot in 2024, what kinds of bookings came through, how people found me, and even what I learned from all the data in Calendly, USession, and Gmail. It’s all divided into sections below so you can follow along easily.
How I Track My Bookings
For 2024, I used a combination of Calendly and USession to manage and track bookings.
Calendly is used for all regular session bookings — like engagements, portraits, family sessions, newborns, and consultations. It does not include weddings or mini sessions.
USession is my go-to platform specifically for mini sessions. It helps streamline booking time slots, especially when I offer multiple dates for minis throughout the year.
I also collect inquiries through a Gmail contact form embedded on my website — and yes, I do track it all in a spreadsheet.
Here’s a high-level snapshot of the numbers:
| Platform | Bookings |
|---|---|
| Calendly | 73 |
| USession (Minis) | 80 |
| Weddings Shot | 15 |
| Gmail Inquiries | 111 |
Why I Use USession for Mini Sessions
I’ve been using USession for years now, and honestly, it’s a total game-changer when it comes to managing mini sessions. I love that I can:
Open multiple time slots across different dates
Automate reminder emails and rescheduling
Collect all client info in one place
Avoid back-and-forth emails to fill a session
It helps me stay organized during my busiest seasons (hello, fall + holiday minis!), and makes the booking experience super smooth for clients too.
If you’re a photographer or service-based biz running any kind of quick or seasonal sessions, I highly recommend giving it a try. You can sign up here using my referral link!
Monthly Trends
This bar chart shows the number of inquiries I received through my website each month in 2024 — and it’s so interesting to see how closely it aligns with busy seasons!
Biggest Spike:
August had the highest number of inquiries, followed closely by September and October. This late-summer to fall window seems to be when couples are planning for the next year and families are looking to squeeze in sessions before the holidays.
Mid-Year Momentum:
Even though I switched over to Squarespace and started focusing on SEO in June, there was a clear rise in Google inquiries starting in late summer — which matches the bump we see here.
Slow but intentional start:
The first few months of the year were a bit quieter (especially March), which was honestly a good thing — it gave me space to rest and prep for the rush ahead.
Calendly Events (2024)
One of the most insightful metrics I like to look at is how busy each month actually felt compared to what I booked. This bar chart breaks down the number of Calendly events (everything except weddings and minis) on a month-by-month basis:
I saw clear spikes in July and October, both hitting the highest number of bookings for the year. These are always busy months with lots of engagement sessions, family portraits, and planning meetings for upcoming weddings.
June and August were also packed with events, which totally lines up with how full my calendar felt at the time. On the flip side, February and March were slower — and honestly, it was nice to have a little breathing room early in the year before things picked up.
Tracking this helps me prepare better for next year — knowing when to open more session slots and when to plan for some rest. Because let’s be real, rest is part of the workflow too.
Year-over-Year (YoY) Comparison: 2023 vs. 2024
This visual makes it easy to see the major growth in consultations and bookings in 2024 — especially in contrast to your intentional decrease in weddings shot.
One of my favourite parts of digging into the numbers is comparing how things shifted year over year. It’s always fascinating to see what stayed consistent and where things took off (or slowed down).
And let’s be honest — this is how I run my business with intention. I know not every photographer loves spreadsheets like I do, but this kind of data lets me make better decisions, avoid burnout, and grow sustainably — while still leaving space for creativity and connection.
Overall Business Metrics
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calendly Bookings | 57 | 73 | +28.1% |
| USession Mini Sessions | 63 | 80 | +27.0% |
| Weddings Shot | 25 | 15 | -40.0% |
| Initial Wedding Consults | 13 | 24 | +84.6% |
| Wedding Clients Booked | 8 | 21 | +162.5% |
| Gmail Inquiries | Not tracked | 111 | New in 2024! |
Mini Sessions: 2023 vs. 2024
| Mini Session Type | 2023 Bookings | 2024 Bookings | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Minis | 6 | 7 | +1 |
| Beach Minis | 5 | 1 | -4 |
| Branding Studio Minis | 2 | — | Not offered |
| Fall Minis | 17 | 20 | +3 |
| Tree Farm Minis | 5 | 12 | +7 |
| Studio Holiday Minis | 28 | 30 | +2 |
| Sunflower Minis | — | 6 | New! |
| Summer Minis | — | 2 | New! |
| Downtown Minis | — | 0 | — No bookings |
Mini Session Takeaways:
Tree Farm Minis more than doubled, from 5 to 12 bookings, with the biggest waitlist of the year (20 people!).
Holiday Minis remain consistent, still your biggest category.
Fall Minis continue to thrive, and small increases each year show steady demand.
Beach Minis dropped off sharply, and Downtown Minis didn’t book at all — both areas to reconsider for 2025.
You introduced Sunflower, Winter Studio, and Summer Minis this year — expanding your seasonal offerings successfully!
Mini Sessions: Growth, Demand & Waitlists
Mini sessions continue to be a huge part of my business — and in 2024, they saw major growth.
This chart shows which minis were most in-demand and where you may want to expand next year. High waitlists on Holiday, Tree Farm, and Fall Minis show clear interest, while others like Beach or Downtown Minis could be reevaluated.
| Mini Type | Sessions Booked | Waitlisted |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday Minis | 30 | 16 |
| Tree Farm Minis | 12 | 20 |
| Fall Minis | 20 | 8 |
| Spring Minis | 7 | 7 |
| Sunflower Minis | 6 | 1 |
| Winter Studio Minis | 2 | 0 |
| Summer Minis | 2 | 0 |
| Beach Mini | 1 | 0 |
| Downtown Minis | 0 | 0 |
Looking at the waitlist data, I’m definitely planning to add more Tree Farm, Holiday, and Spring Minis in 2025 — those consistently sell out and have the most overflow. On the flip side, I’ll be reevaluating Beach and Downtown Minis or testing out some new ideas in their place.
Insights:
Tree Farm, Holiday, and Fall Minis were the most in-demand sessions with some of the longest waitlists.
Spring Minis filled quickly with a matching waitlist — definitely a category I want to expand in 2025.
I’ll be rethinking or replacing Downtown and Beach Minis, as interest just didn’t match expectations.
Weddings: Consultations, Bookings & Gmail Inquiries
Weddings have continued to be a major part of my business in 2024, and this year’s data gave me some great insights into how couples are finding me and moving through the booking process.
Wedding Inquiry Insights
If you’ve ever wondered when most couples reach out to book their wedding photographer, here’s what I found after tracking every inquiry I received in 2024.
While wedding inquiries came in consistently throughout the year, August stood out as the biggest month, with 9 total inquiries. This makes total sense — late summer is prime engagement season for many couples who want to plan ahead for the following year.
May and February were also high-traffic months for wedding inquiries, likely tied to spring engagement announcements and early-year planning energy. Even quieter months like March, October, and December still brought in 4–5 inquiries each, showing that interest stays steady across the seasons.
One thing that really stood out? After switching over to Squarespace and focusing on SEO in June, my inquiries didn’t just stay strong — they maintained momentum into the second half of the year. That kind of consistency is exactly what I hoped for when investing time into my website strategy.
What this tells me: couples are planning their weddings year-round, and staying visible and responsive all year is key. Plus, the data confirms that making time for SEO (even when you’re busy) is 100% worth it.
Consultations & Bookings Overview
| Year | Initial Consultations | Weddings Booked | Weddings Shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 13 | 8 | 25 |
| 2024 | 24 | 21 | 15 |
In 2024, I more than doubled my initial wedding consultations compared to 2023. This suggests growing visibility and interest, even if I intentionally chose to shoot fewer weddings this year.
One of the most exciting things I noticed was how much more efficient and aligned my wedding consultations were this year. That 87.5% booking rate tells me the couples reaching out already know who I am, what I offer, and what to expect — which is the dream. It means the work I’ve done on branding, communication, and setting expectations up front is connecting with the right couples.
Gmail Inquiry Funnel (2024)
Last year, I also tracked inquiries through my Gmail contact form, and the results gave me valuable insight into how couples and clients are finding me.
| Metric | Count |
|---|---|
| Total Gmail Inquiries | 111 |
| Wedding Inquiries | 65 |
| Wedding Meetings Booked | 22 |
| Wedding Clients Booked | 20 |
| Wedding Meeting Conversion | 33.8% |
| Wedding Booking Conversion | 30.8% |
Once a wedding meeting is booked, couples are very likely to book, which shows how important that consultation step is in my process.
Referral Source by Service Type (2024)
This heatmap breaks down where each type of inquiry came from — organized by the kind of session clients were looking for. It’s one of the most powerful visuals I’ve created this year. Not only does it show what services are in demand, but it also highlights exactly where my marketing efforts are paying off.
From this chart, it’s clear that:
Instagram continues to lead the way across the board — especially for weddings, mini sessions, and couple shoots.
Google is a major player for both weddings and minis, which honestly feels so validating after switching to Squarespace and focusing on SEO midway through the year.
Referrals from family, friends, and past clients remain a huge part of how people find me — especially for weddings and family portraits. That word-of-mouth connection is still one of the most powerful tools in this business.
What I love about this view is that it helps me plan for next year with intention. It shows where my efforts are working, where my audience is coming from, and reminds me that real connection and client experience matter just as much as visibility online.
Just for Fun: When Do People Actually Inquire?
Okay, this one’s more for fun than anything — but I couldn’t resist pulling the data to see what time of day people are most likely to hit that “let’s do this!” button on my contact form.
The verdict? Most inquiries come in during work hours, with a big spike between 10 AM and 2 PM. The most popular hour to inquire? 11 AM, which I’m choosing to believe is powered by mid-morning coffee and a little wedding planning inspiration on the side.
Here’s what I found:
☕ Peak time: 11:00 AM
💼 Most common window: Weekdays, 10 AM – 2 PM
🌙 Quietest time: Late night & early morning (which, honestly, is a relief)
This chart won’t totally change how I run my business, but it’s a fun way to peek behind the curtain and see a little pattern in the chaos. Plus, if you’ve ever sent me an inquiry from your desk at work — don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Where Couples Found Me (Top Referral Sources)
| Source | # of Inquiries |
|---|---|
| 38 | |
| 27 | |
| Family/Friend | 14 |
| Other | 13 |
| 10 | |
| Friend/Family | 7 |
| Website | 2 |
Instagram leads the way again — no surprise there! But I’m super encouraged to see Google coming in strong. After switching from Pixieset to Squarespace and prioritizing SEO in June, I saw a clear spike in inquiries from Google, especially in late summer and fall. That means the time and care I’ve put into my website is really starting to pay off.
Engagements
This year, I booked 10 full engagement sessions through Calendly — not including the many minis that couples often turn into mini engagement shoots. I absolutely love engagement sessions because they let us spend time together before the wedding day, and I get to capture couples in more relaxed, everyday moments.
Some couples also opted for shorter portrait-style sessions, and a few upgraded their mini sessions into engagement-style shoots, which is something I may offer as an official bundle next year.
Portraits, Families & Everything Else
One thing I’ve really loved seeing is the number of returning clients — especially families I’ve photographed since their wedding day. Watching people move through engagements, weddings, newborns, and then family portraits has been the most fulfilling part of this job.
Outside of weddings and minis, I booked a mix of sessions through Calendly, including:
12 Portrait Sessions (1 Hour)
3 Portrait Sessions (30 Minutes)
2 Newborn Sessions
4 General Session Consultations
I also tracked non-wedding session bookings from my Gmail form, and 12 of those leads turned into full sessions. I’m finding that families who first booked me for weddings are returning as they grow — and nothing makes me happier than capturing those moments over time.
Bonus: My Favourite Kind of Graph? Depends Who You Ask.
If you're a How I Met Your Mother fan, you might remember the episode "Right Place Right Time", where Marshall Eriksen (played by Jason Segel) hilariously breaks down his love of bars and pies with — what else? — a pie chart and a bar graph.
Pie Chart: To show his favourite bars
Bar Graph: To show his favourite pies
It’s subtle, but the visual joke suggests that Marshall might secretly love pie a little more than bars (or maybe he just really likes good data representation). I feel that deeply. 😄
And honestly? That’s exactly how I feel pulling together this year-end breakdown. Whether it’s bookings, inquiries, or the random hour someone hits “submit” on my contact form — turning all that info into visuals helps me understand and appreciate the story behind my business. 📊
Final Thoughts
Tracking my numbers this way doesn’t just help me plan my year — it helps me serve you better. It shows me what’s resonating, what you’re looking for, and how I can make your experience even smoother from the moment you inquire to the final gallery delivery.
I primarily photograph weddings and mini sessions here in Ottawa, with a handful of family shoots sprinkled throughout the year. While most of my work happens around the city, I also shoot a few weddings and sessions across the river in Quebec — especially in spots like Gatineau and Wakefield. Whether it’s a big celebration or a quick mini with the kids, I love capturing moments that feel personal and joyful.
If you made it to the end of this post, thank you! I hope it gave you a little peek behind the scenes. Whether you’re a photographer, a future client, or just someone who loves data like I do, I’m so glad you’re here.
If you’re thinking about booking a session in 2025, now’s the time to reach out — I’d love to connect!