A Practical Wedding Workshop by Abby Grace Photography

The word “honest” is one I’ve had used to describe me lot lately, and at first, I wasn’t sure that was a good thing. “Do they mean ‘blunt?’ Like that weird relative who always says exactly what’s on their mind and makes everyone feel really awkward?” But I don’t think that’s what they mean; I was on the phone with Natalie Franke on Friday, and the way she said it put me at peace; something along the lines of “I love that I can always count on you to be honest and genuine, to tell me what you’re really feeling without pretense or a hidden agenda.” There’s a certain level of trust that kind of honestly usually invokes, so I’m starting to view my honesty and transparency as a strength instead of a burden.

Two and a half weeks ago, I launched registration for two more dates of A Practical Wedding Workshop. Having sold out both previous workshops, I didn’t think there’d be an issue selling seats to this one! So we raised the price of seats by $200 for two reasons: 1) We’re adding a bigger, better styled shoot to these next two dates to give attendees more opportunities to learn and add to their portfolio, and 2) We were looking to make the workshops themselves more profitable. Which is totally fine, because in the end, what we’re running is a business :).

A Practical Wedding Workshop by Abby Grace Photography

What I forgot in the process, though, is WHO the workshop’s geared toward in the first place; newer photographers, people who are still trying to get their footing for a wedding day. Photographers who are often still in the building stages, still trying to figure out how much they should be charging for wedding photography coverage. And if that’s the case, the money they’re spending on workshops is likely much more scarce than someone who’s been in business for several years. By raising workshop seat prices from $550 to $750, I made it much more difficult for my target audience to attend, meaning registrations were practically nonexistent. And that was hard, friends.

In short, I overreached. It wasn’t from a place of selfishness, it really did stem from a desire to provide a better workshop experience. But what’s the point in upping the cost if doing so means I never reach the people who need the workshop the  most? A Practical Wedding Workshop was born out of a desire to help photographers craft a game day plan for wedding days, so that they can stop feeling like they’re drowning and get down to doing what they love most: being CREATIVE. And by pricing the workshop out of their reach, I’ve done us both a disservice.

A Practical Wedding Workshop by Abby Grace Photography

So. What to do from here? The “save face” side of me says it’s probably best to quietly cancel both dates, pretend the whole thing never happened, so that no one knows what a failure this latest change was. That would probably be easier, but in the end, we both end up losing; I don’t get to teach the workshop I’m passionate about, and you guys don’t get to see what failing forward looks like. You know, the concept of stumbling, but learning and growing from the fall?

It’s more important to me to teach a workshop I know there’s a need for, so what we’ve decided to do is take seats back down to the original price of $550. No gimmicks, no “this week only!” special, just a flat-out $200 reduction in cost. Because I want you to come. I want to help make this wedding season your best yet by equipping you with the know-how and game plan you need to blow your wedding clients away. And in case you want a second opinion, APWW Alumni have had some seriously awesome things to say about the workshop-

A Practical Wedding Workshop by Abby Grace Photography

“Hands down, I have to tell you all that this was the BEST investment I have made in my photography business to this day… If you have the chance to attend one of Abby Grace’s workshops, it will be a game changer!” – Jessica Green

“I was not disappointed, as the day filled me to the brim creatively and with fresh and new inspiration and confidence. My approach to the wedding day is now calculated and intentional, and while I will never ultimately be in control, I feel equipped and confident in my abilities – no matter what comes my way.” – Mary Neumann

“This is exactly what I needed. Thank you so much for sharing. The workshop was everything you promised it would be and I really appreciate that.” – Barbara Shoop

“I walked away from the workshop was a better knowledge of how to stay organized on the wedding day and create successful systems so that I can capture the most in the shortest amount of time possible.” – Chelsea Anderson

A Practical Wedding Workshop by Abby Grace Photography

 

You can find out more information on A Practical Wedding Workshop HERE! And if you’re ready to pull the trigger, pick your date and go!

August 3rd, 2015
November 9th, 2015

Thanks for reading this, friends. I can’t express to you how much I appreciate those of you who’ve been following the blog for any stretch of time.

Let’s be honest

June 1, 2015

  1. Alicia says:

    Abby, I love your heart and I love your face. You’re amazing. Also the last line of your post made me think about how long I’ve been following you — it was a post about “knowing your worth” in *2011* so I’ve been here almost 4 years which is crazy, just crazy. Before I even wanted to be a photographer, I followed you!

  2. You are SUCH an example of servant-hearted humility, Abby!! So proud to be your friend!

  3. Ashley says:

    Love your heart and your HONESTY! 🙂 It takes a lot of courage to admit a mistake and tell everyone.

  4. Hi Abby!

    Thanks for being so honest! You’ve given me a push that I need to be honest about something I failed at recently that I’ve been avoiding. Now to start writing my own blog post . .

  5. Jean says:

    Honesty is always best. You are the best! Love you!

  6. Nicole Snare says:

    You are inspiring and encouraging, I look up to you and I appreciate your heart. Thank you for being such a fantastic example!

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