Full-Time wedding photography business

Engaged couples, often booking a year or more ahead, plus parents who sometimes pay for albums.

Package fees with deposits, plus add-ons such as albums, prints, engagement shoots and extra hours. Off-season income can come from portraits, elopements or family sessions.

• Advanced photography and editing
• Marketing and building a portfolio
• Client communication and contracts
• Managing a busy schedule and finances

• Income is seasonal in most of Canada, with a busy summer and early fall and a quiet winter, so plan your cash flow
• Commercial general liability and equipment insurance, plus backup cameras and lenses
• If you hire staff rather than contractors, check WCB/WSIB rules in your province
• Check your registration and GST/HST obligations, and whether a corporation makes sense for you
• Check your province's rules on home-based business licences and, in Quebec, French-language requirements for contracts and marketing

Estimates are typically around $6,000 to $25,000 to start, depending on your cameras, backup gear, editing setup, insurance and branding. Backup cameras and lenses are worth including in your budget.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $2,500 to $10,000, depending on how many weddings you book and your packages and add-ons. Income is seasonal in most of Canada, so plan your cash flow for the quiet winter.

Check commercial general liability and equipment insurance, and WCB or WSIB rules if you hire staff rather than contractors. Also check GST/HST obligations, whether a corporation suits you, home-based licence rules, and French-language requirements in Quebec.