Wedding Planning 101: Winter Sessions

8 Pros to a Winter Session

There is a reason why photographers’ busy seasons are spring and fall. When it comes to pretty nature things, that is when they are most thriving. In the spring, fresh green leaves are starting to fill in, colorful blooms are blossoming, and there is more sunshine than clouds. In the fall, vibrant orange, red, and yellow are transitioning on the leaves, the temperatures are more bearable, and Christmas cards are right around the corner. While those things are true and advantageous to peak season shoots, there are some real benefits to scheduling a winter, off-season session.

1. There is WAY more availability with your photographer. If you have a really busy schedule and have a hard time matching up your calendar with your preferred photographer’s calendar, their schedule is going to have a lot more availability in the winter!
2. There is WAY more flexibility for rescheduling. The winter can bring lots of rain and cloudiness. If you end up needing to reschedule, there is more flexibility to reschedule within a reasonable time of your original session. Having to reschedule things in peak season may mean postponing a few weeks or even months or moving to a sunrise session, which is harder on everyone involved.
3. Less crowded locations. This is a big one because it’s not like Knoxville has a plethora of prime shooting locations. Especially ones that don’t charge a fee to. And while there will always be spots to shoot at, the best, prettiest, most popular spots may be unavailable in peak season. In the winter though, you will likely have every spot you could ever want all to yourselves!
4. More sunlight coming through bare trees. This is one I’ve just recently noticed because contrary to what it feels like this week, we have had a lot of sunny days this winter. Because of the rolling hills of East TN, most locations don’t allow you to see the sun go all the way down to the horizon. More commonly, the sun gets blocked by a tree line before it goes all the way down and thus removes the opportunity to shoot with the most orange, golden lighting. In the winter, however, you get that sunlight coming magically through the trees dispersed so beautifully and get to see it go down much further to the horizon than in the rest of the year.
5. Some areas are only accessible in the winter. The image you see above was a winter engagement session at Admiral Park. The lake water was way down for the winter and had exposed a bunch of boulders and river rock on the shoreline. Some of my favorite images from that session were on that rocky shoreline, which wouldn’t have been accessible any other time of year.
6. Off season pricing is less than peak season pricing. This isn’t true for every photographer or every vendor, but sometimes, small business owners will offer a discount in their slow season to incentivize people to book in that season vs. in their busiest time. I do this initially, but once my slow season reaches 75% capacity, the pricing goes back to normal peak season pricing.
7. More availability with other vendors. If you are working with other vendors for your session, whether it be hair and makeup, a florist, a venue, or if you’re planning a full on wedding, you’ll notice you have a higher likelihood of booking whatever vendor you want for whatever time you need if you are scheduling your event for the winter.

I know winter sessions aren’t for everyone, but if you’re looking for reduced prices, more flexibility, or access to a group of specific vendors, it may be worth considering!

I’m a Knoxville Wedding Photographer that loves to travel. I shoot anywhere! Click here to contact me with any questions you have about pricing or booking! If you liked what you saw above, go ahead and follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see my daily updates of the latest sessions!

See more from Amanda May Photos:

Foothills Parkway Senior

Admiral Park Engagement

Marblegate Farm Engagement