How to Plan Your Summer as a Mom and Wedding Photographer

How I plan my summer as a mom & business owner (without losing my mind) aka the only way I survive beach days, editing marathons, and family vacations all at once. Summer is one of my favorite seasons — but let’s be real, when you’re a running a wedding photography business, and raising little humans, it can go from magical to meltdown-mode real fast. 🫠

Every April, I sit down and plan out my entire summer as a wedding photographer and mom — and I mean every minute. I want to soak up the sunshine, be fully present with my girls, and still serve my couples well… but that doesn’t happen by accident.

So here’s a step-by-step look at how I plan a summer that’s both fun and functional — with plenty of grace, flexibility, and built-in beach time. ☀️

How I Plan My Summer as a Mom + Creative Entrepreneur:

1. I Start Planning in April — and Use a Visual Calendar

(Okay, really I start thinking about summer in January when camp sign-ups open — but April is when I really dig in. By then I have wedding dates and usually vacations confirmed, and it’s time to start mapping it all out.)

I pull up both my work and personal calendars, and then I open a blank summer calendar in Canva so I can visualize and bring everything into one place — your girl loves to color-code everything!

Here’s what I plug in first:

• All my already-booked wedding dates and session dates
• My nanny/babysitter’s vacation weeks
• Our family trips/vacations
• Special family events or birthdays

Then I work backward from those non-negotiables to block off everything else.

2. I Block Editing Time + Work Days with Childcare in Mind

Once I know where I’ll be and when I’ll be unplugged, I start assigning editing days and work blocks.

Here’s how I decide:

• How long each wedding will take to edit
• When sneak peeks are due
• When I’ll prep timelines or questionnaires for upcoming weddings

Then I figure out: Do I need childcare that day? Is my nanny available? Do I need to ask family to come over or plan a playdate?

I check in with my childcare support team early, so I’m not scrambling. I also try to plan my girls’ camp weeks during the same time my nanny is away — so childcare is covered.

Every week looks different for us. I usually start with three days of childcare a week, but by the time I’m done finalizing the calendar, some weeks have zero work days and others have five. You have to stay flexible.

PRO-TIP: Co-working playdates are amazing too! I have a mom friend I do this with during the summer. The kids love it because they get to play together, and we get some work done. No, it’s not a full workday — there’s noise in the background — but it’s something! You could even do a swap: watch your friend’s kids one day, and they watch yours the next.

3. I Batch My Admin + Minimize CEO Work in Summer

I try to batch blog posts, email marketing, workflows, coaching tasks — anything I can in advance so I don’t have to think about them much during the summer.

If there are still admin tasks to do, I schedule minimal CEO time during quieter weeks or downtime. (My kids are older now so no more nap windows, but if you do have those? I recommend using them for short, focused tasks like emails or quick follow-ups. Keep a list of 5–10 minute tasks you can knock out quickly and save the bigger stuff for deeper work blocks.)

The less you have to constantly shift focus, the more efficient you’ll be. I don’t try to run at full capacity when my kids are home. I let my business breathe a little in the summer — and it always bounces back just fine.

4. I Leave Room to Be Human

My calendar is structured — but flexible.

Summer with kids = unpredictability. Late-night bedtimes, spontaneous ice cream runs, and days when no one wants to get dressed.

So while I plan weekly, I always leave margin. I know things will shift. And I don’t beat myself up when they do. (I know this is hard for us Type A art brains who take everything personally — but give yourself the grace to pivot!)

5. I Build in True Vacation Weeks (Guilt-Free!)

When we go to the Cape or Maine, I’m mostly off. No galleries, no back-to-back meetings, and no pressure to check in — unless I WANT to.

Here’s what that looks like:

• I set up an auto-reply in my inbox and on social accounts
• I block off my calendar so nothing new sneaks in
• I do a quick check-in at night when the house is quiet — sorting emails into “quick reply,” “delegate to VA,” or “handle later”
• If a client’s wedding is the weekend before vacation, I let them know sneak peeks may be delayed (people are always kind when you communicate!)
• I make sure that if I have any deadline dates coming up during our time away they are edited and delivered.
• I take a week off social (I know crazy but – it won’t kill you – I promise!) or schedule it out to auto-post

Having the flexibility to choose whether or not I work during vacation time is key. When you are running a business It’s not about being totally off (that sometime can stress me out even more if I try)— it’s about having the freedom to decide.

Other Planning Tips for Creative Business Owners:

• Print & share your calendar — Don’t rely on your head to hold your entire summer.
• Map out editing time early — It disappears fast if you don’t claim it.
• Schedule backend/office work — Even if it’s just 1–2 hours a week.
• Plan your big breaks first — Build around them, not the other way around.
• Batch before summer hits — Give yourself runway to enjoy it.
• Give yourself grace — You won’t do it all, and that’s OK.

Final Thoughts:

Planning your summer as a creative entrepreneur (especially one who’s also a parent!) doesn’t have to mean burnout or chaos. With a little strategy, you can stay organized, enjoy your family, and still run a successful business — all summer long.

This is why we became our own boss — to create freedom, not hustle every hour of every day.

So if you’re a mom and a business owner, know this: it’s okay to plan less in your business for a season so you can show up more in your life. That’s not lazy — that’s aligned. 💛

And remember — it takes a team. Support can look different for everyone. Maybe it’s a VA, a house cleaner, someone to pick up groceries or help with carpool. No matter what it looks like for you, don’t wait to ask for help. You don’t have to carry it all.

Let’s make this summer one to remember.

P.S. Grab my free Summer Planning Calendar and start planning your perfect summer! ☀️