The wedding industry has shifted. If you’ve been feeling the weight of fewer inquiries, slower bookings, or clients hesitating more than ever, you’re not imagining it. You’re navigating a new kind of market—and your business needs to adjust with it.

In this episode of the Take Your Shot podcast, I sat down with Sam Jacobson, sales strategist and founder of Ideaction Consulting, to talk about what’s changed in the wedding industry post-2021 and what wedding professionals can do to respond wisely and sustainably.

Whether you’re a photographer, videographer, planner, or creative business owner in the wedding space, this conversation is packed with practical advice, tough love, and clear direction for the season we’re in.

The “Golden Age” of Weddings Is Over—Now What?

After the chaos of 2020 and the surge of rebookings and demand in 2021–2022, many business owners got used to a wave of momentum. But that wave has slowed down. According to Sam, the wedding industry is no longer in its highest-growth phase. Couples are still booking, but the volume, urgency, and budgets look different.

This isn’t a downturn—it’s a correction. And businesses that thrive moving forward will be the ones who adapt instead of panic.

Why Couples Aren’t Booking as Quickly (and What to Do About It)

Sam explained that today’s buyers, especially Gen Z and younger millennials, have a completely different approach to decision-making. They want more information. They move more slowly. They expect transparency and personalization. And they’re more likely to ghost if they encounter friction in your process.

The takeaway? You don’t need to lower your prices—you need to remove the roadblocks.

That means reviewing your website, your contact form, your pricing guide, your emails, and your proposal delivery to make sure nothing is confusing, overwhelming, or unclear. When the buying process is smooth and the experience is consistent, people feel confident saying yes.

Stop Blaming the Market—Start Auditing Your Sales Process

One of the most valuable parts of our conversation was when Sam shared how to assess whether your sales process is working. It’s not enough to just look at the number of bookings. You need to track:

• How many people inquire
• How many actually hop on a call
• How many book after the call
• How long it takes for them to decide
• Where they’re dropping off in your process

If people are inquiring but not responding, or joining calls but not booking, that’s a signal. It’s not necessarily about price—it’s about something in your messaging, communication, or offer that isn’t resonating or needs to be simplified.

What to Know Before Raising Your Prices Again

It’s common to hear advice in the creative space that encourages “charging your worth” or raising prices to attract better clients. Sam doesn’t dismiss that—but he adds a layer of realism that’s important: raising your prices only works if you’ve raised the perceived value alongside it.

If your branding, sales process, and communication don’t reflect the level of investment you’re asking for, your prices will feel disconnected from the experience.

Before you raise your prices, ask:

• Does my website match the quality of my work?
• Is my inquiry process smooth and clear?
• Do my proposals reflect the experience I promise?
• Am I hearing “you’re too expensive,” or “we loved you but went with someone else”?

That distinction matters. The former is about budget. The latter is about value.

Small Changes That Make a Big Impact

One of Sam’s most consistent reminders is that refinement beats reinvention. You don’t need a full rebrand or a major overhaul. You just need to look closely at what’s working and what’s creating friction—and be willing to make small, intentional adjustments.

This might look like rewriting your inquiry email, updating the structure of your pricing guide, changing the timing of your follow-ups, or making your booking process feel less transactional and more personalized.

When people feel confident and taken care of, they’re far more likely to book—even in a slower market.

Final Thoughts: Simplify, Strengthen, and Stay Consistent

Your business doesn’t have to feel harder right now. It might just need a few smart shifts. And when you take time to strengthen the foundation—your messaging, your experience, your systems—you’ll be ready to grow again when the next wave of demand returns.

If you’ve been second-guessing your strategy or wondering why your old approach isn’t converting the way it used to, this episode with Sam Jacobson is the clarity you’ve been looking for. It’s about selling with integrity, refining what already works, and creating a process that makes it easy for the right people to say yes.

You can learn more about Sam’s work, services, and resources at ideactionconsulting.com, you can also check out his Podcast – Own Your Business – and reach out to him to get 50% off a website and branding audit!

More from Take Your Shot Collective

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Thanks for reading—and for showing up to do this work. You don’t need to burn out to build a business that lasts. Let’s take your shot, together.