As wedding photographers, we pour our hearts into creating beautiful imagery for our clients, but the business side can quickly become overwhelming if you don’t have a plan in place. Between managing inquiries, sending contracts, chasing down questionnaires, and keeping track of countless client details, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in administrative tasks. That’s where Dubsado for photographers comes in—a game-changing client relationship management (CRM) system that can transform how you run your photography business.
In this episode of The Sundae Best podcast, I had the pleasure of chatting with Rachelle from Photography Workflows about how Dubsado can create seamless client experiences while saving you countless hours each week. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by client management or wondering if there’s a better way to streamline your business, this conversation is for you.
What is Dubsado CRM and how does it work for photographers?
Dubsado is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system designed specifically for creative businesses—an all-in-one client management tool that helps you organize your entire photography client experience from initial inquiry to final gallery delivery. As Rachelle explains:
“From the moment someone fills out your contact form, all the way through booking, your session prep, final delivery of the gallery, and even asking for a review—it can all be encompassed in there.”
What makes Dubsado so powerful for wedding photographers is that everything lives in one centralized platform. Your client emails, photography contracts, invoices, and wedding questionnaires are all integrated, eliminating the need to juggle multiple platforms or rely on sticky notes to keep track of client details across your photography business.
The real magic happens when you set up automated workflows to streamline many of these repetitive tasks. You’re not just staying organized—you’re saving hours of time while creating a consistent, elevated client experience that runs automatically, even when you’re not at your computer editing photos or shooting weddings.
Is Dubsado better than HoneyBook or other CRMs for photographers?
While there are several CRM options available to photographers, including HoneyBook, Studio Ninja, and 17hats, Dubsado stands out for its advanced automation capabilities and extensive customization options. Rachelle, who started with HoneyBook before switching to Dubsado for her photography business, explains the key differences:
“HoneyBook has certainly improved over the years, but Dubsado still wins and is just more advanced and flexible when it comes to all of the different automation options. It allows you to create highly customized workflows and tailor the timing and triggers of every step in your client journey.”
One of the standout features that sets Dubsado apart from other photography CRMs is the ability to build completely branded forms and proposals. “You can bring in your colors and actual brand fonts into the design of them. And to my knowledge, I don’t think any other CRM offers that,” Rachelle notes. Instead of feeling like a clunky third-party tool, Dubsado becomes a seamless extension of your photography website, maintaining brand consistency throughout your entire client experience.
For wedding photographers specifically, Dubsado’s superior automation capabilities mean you can create more sophisticated client workflows that handle the complexity of longer client timelines (often 12+ months) with multiple touchpoints and deliverables.
Do automated workflows make your photography business feel impersonal?
Many photographers believe that providing an amazing client experience means doing everything manually—sending personalized emails in real time, building each photography proposal from scratch, and handling every single client interaction personally. However, Rachelle argues this manual approach can actually hurt your photography client experience:
“Automated workflows can help you give an even better client experience. My biggest reason for this is because it’s going to keep you from just dropping the ball.”
She illustrates this with a relatable photography business scenario: imagine you’re in a slower wedding season and can give clients tons of personal attention. A year later, that client’s friend (who was a bridesmaid in their wedding) books you for her wedding, but now you’re busier and life throws you a curveball—maybe you get sick during wedding season. Without automated systems in place, that second client can’t receive the same level of attention, not because you don’t care, but because you’re human and things happen.
“With workflows in place, that bridesmaid can still get the same thoughtful emails, the same beautiful proposal, the same timely follow-ups that her friend raved about, even if you’re out sick or knee-deep in editing wedding galleries.”
The key to successful photography automation is remembering that you’re still the one writing the emails. When you build your Dubsado workflows, you’re writing them in your brand voice, tone, and photography business personality—you’re just writing them ahead of time instead of starting from scratch every time a new wedding inquiry comes in.
What are the most important Dubsado features for wedding photographers?
Wedding photographers face unique business challenges with long client timelines—often 12 months or more from booking to wedding day. Rachelle identified three Dubsado features that create the biggest impact specifically for wedding photography businesses:
1. Automated form and questionnaire delivery for wedding clients
You can automate important wedding forms like detailed questionnaires, timeline requests, or shot lists to go out at exactly the right time in your client journey. If wedding clients don’t complete them, Dubsado sends automatic reminder emails. “There’s no more chasing down incomplete wedding questionnaires or forgetting a step. It just happens for you automatically.”
2. Branded proposal features for wedding photographers
Beyond creating beautifully branded wedding proposals using your own fonts and colors, Dubsado lets you send proposals, photography contracts, and wedding invoices all in one seamless link. “Instead of your wedding clients receiving multiple separate emails or files, which can feel kind of clunky, they go through everything in one professional flow.”
This is especially important for wedding photographers, as couples are making significant investments and expect a premium, organized experience from their wedding vendors.
3. Internal reminders for wedding photographers
You can set up automated reminders to yourself based on different triggers throughout your wedding client timeline. For example, six weeks before a wedding, you could receive an email reminder to prep the family formal shot list or confirm final wedding day details. “It’s kind of like having a personal photography assistant just tapping you on the shoulder at just the right time.”
What client touchpoints should photographers automate first in Dubsado?
While there are countless opportunities for automation in your photography client journey, Rachelle highlighted three often-overlooked touchpoints that can make a huge difference in your wedding photography business:
1. Auto-reply emails after photography inquiry form submission
“This email can make or break whether someone chooses to move forward with you because it gives them a preview of the thoughtful, intentional experience that you provide all before you’ve ever had a chance to look at the wedding inquiry.”
When engaged couples are researching wedding photographers, they might reach out to several options. The photographer who immediately confirms receipt of their inquiry and provides helpful information will stand out from those who leave potential clients wondering if their inquiry form even went through.
2. Automated reminder emails before photography consultations
Rachelle sends automated reminder emails the day before and one hour before every client call, including links to reschedule or cancel if needed. “I get compliments all the time from people who appreciate those nudges because honestly, most people aren’t trying to ghost you. They’re just busy and it slips their mind.”
3. Follow-up emails for incomplete client forms
Whether it’s a wedding questionnaire, photography contract, or any other client form, Dubsado can automatically send follow-up emails when something isn’t complete. “You don’t have to remember which wedding clients submitted what, because trying to mentally track where every single client is in your photography workflow is exhausting.”
When should photographers start using Dubsado as their CRM?
For photographers just starting out who may not have many wedding bookings yet, Rachelle strongly recommends implementing Dubsado now rather than waiting until you’re busier:
“When you are just starting out is the absolute best time to start because Dubsado is designed to grow with your photography business. If you take the time now to figure out your client journey and set up basic automations, you’re going to be in such a strong position when your wedding calendar starts to fill up.”
Many wedding photographers wait until they hit their “I need help managing clients” moment when they’re already overwhelmed during peak wedding season. Learning Dubsado during a slower photography season gives you space to be intentional about building client management systems that will support your growing photography business.
Dubsado does offer a free trial and it isn’t time-based—it’s client-based, so you can book and manage three actual photography clients before ever paying for the platform, making it risk-free to start implementing during slower periods.
What should photographers set up in Dubsado before creating workflows?
Before diving into automated workflows, Rachelle emphasizes the importance of building your photography business foundation first:
“Workflows are really step two when it comes to creating a seamless client experience in Dubsado. Step one is getting all of your foundational pieces set up inside the platform.”
This means creating the core forms and tools you’ll use in your photography client experience with or without automation:
- Photography inquiry forms for your website
- Wedding photography proposals with your packages and pricing
- Photography contracts with your terms and conditions
- Client questionnaires for wedding details and preferences
- Payment plans for your photography services
“These are all the building blocks and you want them ready to go so you can use them manually if needed, but also they’re already in place when you’re ready to layer in automation for your photography business.”
How do you set up Dubsado for your photography business step-by-step?
Once you have your foundations ready, here’s Rachelle’s recommended approach to implementing Dubsado for photographers:
Step 1: Set up foundational photography business pieces
Create all the essential tools you’ll use with or without automation—inquiry forms, wedding proposals, photography contracts, client questionnaires, and payment plans tailored to your photography services.
Step 2: Write your canned emails for your photography client workflow
Draft the email templates that will go out when clients inquire about your photography services, book their wedding, fill out questionnaires, etc. Even if you’re not ready to automate yet, having these photography email templates written helps you stay consistent and professional across all client communications.
Step 3: Test your photography client experience
“Go to your own photography website, fill out your contact form with a different email address, and just run through the entire process as if you were a wedding client. You’re going to learn so much by seeing it from their perspective and ensure your photography client journey flows smoothly.”
What are custom mapped fields in Dubsado and how can photographers use them?
One of the most underutilized Dubsado features for photographers is custom mapped fields. While most photographers know about basic mapped fields like first name or email address, custom mapped fields can revolutionize your wedding photography workflow efficiency.
For wedding photographers, you might create custom mapped fields for:
- Getting ready locations for both bride and groom
- Ceremony start times and venue addresses
- Reception venue details and timeline
- Family dynamics for formal photos
- Special moments or traditions to capture
Once connected to custom mapped fields, you can use these in automated workflows to send yourself detailed information. “You could create an email that automatically sends to yourself the day before every wedding with all of those mapped field details inside. It’s like a personal wedding day cheat sheet sent straight to your inbox without lifting a finger.”
This eliminates the need to dig through multiple client questionnaires and emails to find important wedding day details, saving you time and reducing the chance of missing crucial information for the wedding shoot.
How much time can photographers really save using Dubsado automations?
Most wedding photographers save at least 10 hours per week with solid Dubsado workflows in place. But the benefits extend beyond just time savings—it’s about reducing the mental load of running a photography business.
“What photographers really don’t expect is just how much mental clarity they’re going to gain,” Rachelle explains. “When you’re not constantly running through a mental checklist, wondering which wedding clients need what, what’s overdue, whether you forgot to send something, it’s honestly life-changing for your photography business.”
The constant low-level anxiety of always keeping tabs on your photography business in the back of your mind gets to go away completely. As Rachelle puts it: “Half of these workflows are for your wedding clients, but the other half is totally for you as the photographer.”
To put this in perspective: if you save 10 hours per week, that’s 520 hours per year—equivalent to 13 full work weeks that you get back to focus on photography, editing, or growing your business.
What’s the return on investment for photographers using Dubsado?
The ROI for photographers implementing Dubsado is remarkably fast. Since the free trial is client-based rather than time-based, you can book and manage three actual photography clients before paying anything for the platform.
In terms of time investment, even if it takes 20 hours to fully set up your photography workflows, you’ll recoup that investment in just two weeks if you’re saving 10 hours per week on client management tasks. After that initial setup period, you’re gaining back time every single week that you can reinvest into photography work, marketing, or personal time.
For wedding photographers charging premium rates, those saved hours can be redirected toward booking more clients, improving your photography skills, or simply achieving better work-life balance during busy wedding seasons.
How do you build Dubsado workflows without feeling overwhelmed as a photographer?
Building comprehensive workflows for your photography business can feel daunting, but Rachelle’s biggest advice for avoiding overwhelm is to start with planning before opening Dubsado:
“Don’t even open up Dubsado right away. Just grab a notebook, your favorite notes app, and just map out your photography client process from start to finish.”
Start with what happens after someone fills out your photography inquiry form. Do you send them an email to schedule a consultation call? Do you send a wedding proposal right after the call? Map out all the touchpoints between initial inquiry and final gallery delivery for your photography clients.
“Once you’ve walked through that and what your ideal photography client process looks like, then you can bring that plan into Dubsado and begin building it out just one step at a time.”
Remember: your photography workflows don’t have to be perfect to get started, and you can test everything yourself before launching it to actual wedding clients.
Is Dubsado too technical for photographers who aren’t tech-savvy?
If the technical aspects of setting up a CRM feel overwhelming, you’re not alone among photographers. Rachelle’s advice: “You really do not have to be tech savvy to make Dubsado work for your photography business. You just need a plan and a little bit of guidance.”
Start small with your business automations—even just getting your inquiry form connected to your photography website or creating your first email template is a huge win. You can even create workflows that don’t send anything without your approval at first, giving you total control while you get comfortable with the platform.
Dubsado also offers extensive resources and video tutorials specifically designed for creative businesses like photography, making the learning curve much more manageable than you might expect.
Photography workflow automation courses and resources
The Dubsado Experience Course for Photographers
Rachelle’s signature course, The Dubsado Experience, walks photographers through building strategic automated workflows step by step. Everything is tailored specifically to the photography industry, with email workflows and setup examples designed with your photography client experience in mind.
The course covers:
- Photography inquiry workflows to convert more leads
- Wedding photography workflows for long client timelines
- Portrait session workflows for quick turnarounds
- Time-saving automation strategies specific to photographers
Special offer for The Sundae Best listeners: Use code CHERRY at checkout for $100 off The Dubsado Experience course!
Dubsado Kickoff Mini Course
For photographers totally new to Dubsado, this separate Dubsado mini course walks you through foundational setups like photography proposals, package pricing, and payment plans. You can grab it on its own or bundle it with The Dubsado Experience for complete photography business setup.
Done-for-You Dubsado Setup for Photographers
For photographers who want everything set up without the DIY approach, Rachelle offers a limited number of done-for-you setups. She builds out your entire photography client workflow based on your desired client experience, then provides a custom walkthrough video and ongoing support to ensure you can manage your system effectively.
Free Dubsado Canned Email Templates for Photographers
If you are just looking to dip your toes in the water with this whole automation thing, you can grab a copy of Rachelle’s free dubsado canned email templates and start plugging and playing!
Final thoughts on Dubsado for wedding photographers
There’s no sustainable, flourishing photography business that’s run entirely by one person without support systems. Whether your version of success is growing a photography team or simply freeing up more time for creativity and personal life, you don’t have to manually manage every aspect of your client experience.
As Rachelle beautifully puts it: “Dubsado becomes your behind-the-scenes photography assistant taking tasks off your plate so you can focus on what matters most—creating beautiful images for your clients.”
The sooner you start building these client management systems, the sooner you’ll experience the freedom and peace of mind that comes with having your photography business work efficiently for you, even when you’re not actively managing clients or editing wedding galleries.
For wedding photographers especially, the complexity of managing multiple clients across long timelines makes automation not just helpful—it’s essential for scaling your business while maintaining the high-touch experience that premium clients expect.
Meet Our Guest: Rachelle from Photography Workflows
Rachelle is the founder of Photography Workflows, a creative studio that helps photographers build sustainable businesses through streamlined workflows and organic marketing strategies. As a wife to a firefighter and mom of three with one on the way, Rachelle’s family and faith inspire her to adopt high-quality, long-term growth strategies.
She believes that success shouldn’t mean more work—it means implementing smart systems that save time and marketing that works for you, even when you’re not. At Photography Workflows, Rachelle combines her expertise with genuine care to empower every creative to streamline their processes, focus on what they love, and provide a high-end client experience that runs effortlessly.
Connect with Rachelle:
- Website: photographyworkflows.com
- Instagram: @photographyworkflows
- The Dubsado Experience Course: photographyworkflows.com/dubsado-experience
- Free Canned Email Templates: https://photographyworkflows.com/emailtemplates
- Dubsado Kickoff Mini Course: https://photographyworkflows.com/dubsadokickoff
Remember to use code CHERRY for $100 off The Dubsado Experience course!
Meet Your Host of The Sundae Best
Logan Ferree – Colorado Wedding Photographer and Mentor
Hey there! I’m Logan Ferree, a Colorado-based wedding photographer, mentor, and host of The Sundae Best podcast. I’m passionate about helping fellow photographers grow successful businesses that attract dream clients and provide the freedom and flexibility we all crave.
After years of trial and error in my own business, I now share what works (and what doesn’t) to help you skip the struggle and fast-track your success. When I’m not photographing colorful, joy-filled weddings, you can find me mentoring photographers, recording podcast episodes, trying a new recipe, or exploring Colorado with my husband.
For more photography business insights and resources:
- Learn about 1:1 mentorships with me and explore business resources: Photography Mentorship Packages
- Follow me on Instagram for more tips and interviews: @the.sundae.best
- Visit our show website for more episodes: thesundaebest.com
Thanks for joining me on The Sundae Best! New episodes drop on Sundays on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can sign up here if you’d like to receive these straight to your inbox!
