TL;DR — The Bohde Collective is currently booking 2027 Austin weddings, a handful of remaining 2026 dates, and a few early-bird 2028 inquiries. We're a candid-first, LGBTQ+ affirming, allergic-to-vanilla wedding photography studio with a 12-month payment plan that means you don't write a single five-figure check. If your wedding-day vision sounds more like "we're cutting cake at midnight and starting a conga line" than "where do we stand for the family formals," keep reading.
It's May. Save-the-dates for 2026 are taped to a thousand fridges across Central Texas. The smart 2027 couples are booking their wedding photographer right now — and the very smart 2028 couples are already poking around. Here's what you need to know if you're one of them.
Why we don't shoot "pretty pictures."
Pretty pictures are the floor of wedding photography, not the ceiling. Anyone with a decent camera and an Instagram preset can deliver "pretty." It's the easy part. What's harder — and what we're built around — is delivering the wedding gallery that makes your bestie text you three times in a row going "WHY DIDN'T I CRASH THIS, WHO ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE, I'M SOBBING."
We call that the FOMO test. If your wedding photos don't make at least one person who wasn't invited mildly regret it, the photographer did the wrong job. Our entire approach — the candid-first style, the way we coach instead of pose, the way we work the dance floor — is built to pass that test on every single wedding.
If your wedding photos don't make at least one person who wasn't there mildly regret it, the photographer did the wrong job.
What "Be Too Much" actually looks like behind the lens.
"Be Too Much" is the studio's working principle and it's also a real direction we give to couples on the day. Specifically, it means:
- Outfit changes are a yes. Reception entrance look. After-party look. Sneaker change for the dance floor. Bring it.
- Custom drinks are a yes. Your signature cocktail named after your dog gets a styled detail shot. So does the champagne gun.
- Inside jokes are a yes. The Eras tour bracelets you made for the bridesmaids. The cardboard cutout of your dad's dog. The Wobble. The bouquet you specifically asked us to NOT save for a toss.
- Longer receptions are a yes. 90-minute dance floors are when the best work happens. We're staying.
- Being explicit about who you are is the whole point. Same-sex, queer, non-binary, blended families, chosen families, "we don't really do tradition" couples — that's our entire ICP.
The 12-month payment plan, explained.
The wedding industry standard is a 1/3 deposit to book, then 2/3 due 30 days before the wedding. That last check is usually four or five figures landing on you in the most stressful month of the planning calendar. We did the math and made a different version available on every wedding package:
How it works
1. Pay the retainer to lock your date — same amount as one monthly payment.
2. The rest of the balance splits into equal monthly payments over 12 months, auto-billed to your card.
3. You're paid in full ahead of your wedding date. No giant final check, no last-month surprise.
Available on the Austin Classic, ATX 2026-2027, and BYO Collection wedding packages. The full pricing page has the per-package breakdown.
Who we're a fit for — and who we're not.
The fastest way to know if booking us is going to feel right is to look at the two-column version. We'd rather have this conversation here than two months into a contract.
We're a great fit if you…
- Are 30+, established, planning intentionally
- Want a candid-first photographer who'll coach you, not pose you
- Have a guest list with strong personalities and a real dance floor plan
- Are LGBTQ+ or queer-affirming and want a photographer who actively gets it
- Have outfit changes, a signature drink, or "wait until you see what we're doing for the entrance"
- Want a payment plan that doesn't end in a giant check
We're probably not the right fit if you…
- Want a fully posed, traditional "stand here, smile" gallery
- Are looking for the cheapest photographer in Central Texas (we're not)
- Want every photo retouched to soft-glow editorial perfection (we leave the real)
- Need an extremely small first-look-to-exit timeline with no dance floor
- Don't actually want to be in the photos and would rather we just shoot the details
If you read both columns and the "yes" side is louder, we should talk. If the "no" side is louder, we'll cheerfully recommend a different Austin wedding photographer who'll be a better match — that's a real offer, not a polite one.
When to actually book your 2027 wedding photographer.
The honest booking timeline for Austin in 2026–27:
- 2026 Saturdays (Oct/Nov): Mostly gone. A few dates left if you're flexible or off-peak (summer, winter, weekdays).
- 2027 spring Saturdays (Mar–May): Booking now. Most popular Vista at Seward Hill / Stonehouse Villa / Camp Lucy dates will be gone by August 2026.
- 2027 fall Saturdays (Oct–Nov): Booking now and through fall 2026. Peak.
- 2027 summer / winter / weekdays: More flexibility — book 6–9 months out if your date is locked.
- 2028 inquiries: Welcome — we'll hold your date as soon as you're ready.
The single biggest mistake we see is couples waiting for "the perfect time" to inquire. The perfect time is when you have a date and a venue. We can refine everything else together.
Frequently asked questions.
When should I book my wedding photographer in Austin?
Twelve to eighteen months before your wedding date is the standard booking window for an in-demand Austin wedding photographer. Fall and spring Saturdays book first — peak Austin wedding season is October-November and March-May, and those Saturdays at top venues are often gone 12+ months out. Off-peak dates (summer, winter, weekdays) can be booked closer to the date.
Are you still booking 2026 weddings?
A handful of 2026 dates are still open as of May 2026 — mostly summer, winter, and select weekdays. If your 2026 date is flexible or off-peak, send an inquiry and we'll let you know fast. Most 2026 Saturdays are already booked.
What does the 12-month payment plan include?
Instead of the standard 1/3 deposit and 2/3 final payment, we split the full balance into equal monthly payments over 12 months. The retainer to lock the date is paid up front (same amount as one monthly payment), and the rest auto-bills monthly until you're paid in full ahead of the wedding date. Available on all wedding packages.
Do you travel beyond Austin for weddings?
Yes. Home base is Austin with a 100-mile primary radius covering Central Texas and the Hill Country. We also regularly travel for destination weddings — including throughout Maine, where Caity is originally from. Travel beyond 100 miles is a custom add-on.
What makes The Bohde Collective different from other Austin wedding photographers?
Three things: candid-first style (we coach instead of pose, then disappear into the room), explicit LGBTQ+ inclusion (same packages, same care, no questions), and the 12-month payment plan so booking the photographer you actually want doesn't require a single five-figure check. Our ideal couple is 30+, established, allergic to vanilla wedding photos, and ready to be too much.
Here's to being too much. — xo, Caity C. Jensen