Wedding Bookkeeping for Pros Who Mean Business — CPA
If you’ve ever been told your business is “just a cute side hustle,” I see you—and respectfully, no. You run timelines, manage teams, wrangle weather, and create unforgettable experiences. You deserve wedding bookkeeping that takes your work seriously and talks to you like a grown, savvy business owner (because you are). In this post, I’ll share how I approach bookkeeping as a CPA and fellow wedding-industry business owner—so you can feel confident and in control.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Why a CPA who speaks wedding is different
Transparent communication is a wedding business superpower
Deductions wedding pros actually get to keep
DIY wedding bookkeeping: systems, templates, and reps
When to hand it off: monthly bookkeeping services for wedding pros
About the Author
Yello, friend! I’m Danison, a CPA and small-business owner who works shoulder-to-shoulder with creative entrepreneurs—planners, photographers, stationers, florists, venues, DJs, designers, and more. My philosophy is simple: numbers should be useful, not intimidating. I build practical systems that fit real life, teach you how to use them, and stay in your corner when things get busy. Friendly, responsive, and obsessed with clean books—that’s the vibe.
Why a CPA who speaks wedding is different
Not all accountants “get” the wedding world. Date-based revenue, retainer timing, second shooters, venue minimums, floral hard costs, design fees, and travel-heavy weekends—it’s a language. A CPA who lives in this space understands your rhythms, cash flow quirks, and the way client payments actually land. That matters for clean categorization, audit-proof documentation, and smarter decisions month after month.
Key takeaways:
Industry fluency = fewer headaches. When your bookkeeper understands production schedules, seasonality, and deliverables, they map your chart of accounts to your real operations (hello, accurate job costing and COGS).
Revenue recognition that matches reality. Retainers/deposits, milestone billing, and final balances should hit the books in ways that support wedding bookkeeping best practices—not fight them.
Advisory, not condescension. You deserve thoughtful explanations and options, not a lecture. “Let me show you” beats “just trust me” every time.
Tools that fit your stack. Whether that’s QuickBooks, Wave, or Airtable for project tracking, an industry-savvy CPA picks tools you’ll actually use. I will preface this with saying, my bookkeeping services revolve around Quickbooks.
Signs your current accountant doesn’t get it
They call it a side gig—even when your calendar is booked out.
Every conversation feels like you’re being talked down to.
They push back on legitimate write-offs because they don’t understand creative production.
You’re the one translating proposals, retainers, and contract language for them.
Transparent communication is a wedding business superpower
If the wedding industry runs on anything, it’s communication. You coordinate with clients, vendors, venues, and teams—so the person handling your money should be the most responsive partner in your ecosystem. No disappearing acts. No mystery adjustments. No “I’ll get to it after tax season” when you need answers now.
Key takeaways:
Clear cadences. Expect recurring check-ins, a shared task list, and SLAs for responses. Your wedding bookkeeping shouldn’t require detective work.
Plain-English explanations. If you can manage logistics for a 200-guest weekend, you can grasp P&L drivers—when they’re explained without jargon.
Proactive alerts. Cash crunch coming? Quarterly tax due next month? You’ll get a heads-up with options, not last-minute panic.
Open door policy. You should feel safe asking “basic” questions—because questions aren’t basic; they’re how you build mastery.
What my communication process looks like for monthly bookkeeping
Monthly financial snapshot with visuals (revenue, profit, cash runway, tax set-aside).
A living issues list: we flag and resolve uncategorized transactions together.
Loom video walkthroughs for anything nuanced—watch on your own time.
Dedicated chat channel for quick asks between meetings.
Deductions wedding pros actually get to keep
You work in a world where aesthetics, experience, and logistics all collide. Which means many expenses are ordinary and necessary for your business—even if a generalist CPA doesn’t recognize them. The goal isn’t to be aggressive; it’s to be correct, consistent, and well documented so you keep more of what you earn.
Key takeaways:
Know your categories. From client gifts and wardrobe to styled-shoot costs, set design, gear, software, subcontractors, mileage, and travel—proper categorization supports clean, defensible deductions.
Document like a pro. Screenshots of online receipts, notes on the business purpose, vendor contracts, and mileage logs are your audit armor.
Differentiate inventory vs. samples. Florals, rental pieces, and design elements may be COGS for specific jobs; samples and swatches often hit R&D/marketing. The distinction matters for your margins.
Home office & workspace. If you have a dedicated planning studio or editing suite, we’ll apply the right method and keep receipts tidy.
A few common write-offs by role (examples, not tax advice)
Planners/Designers: mockups, blueprint printing, design boards, client gifts, style kits, rentals for styled shoots.
Photographers/Videographers: lenses, second-shooter fees, cards/drives, editing software, color profiles, backup subscriptions.
Florists: hard goods (vases, mechanics), tools, cooler costs, delivery van expenses, foam-free supplies, strike labor.
Venues/Caterers: tasting meals, linen inventory, laundry services, kitchen equipment, staffing agencies.
Beauty/Style Pros: kits, sanitation supplies, client chair, portable lighting, education and licensing.
Verify: State rules vary and your situation may differ. Speak with your CPA (hi) before changing how you treat any expenses.
DIY wedding bookkeeping: systems, templates, and reps
Hot take: bookkeeping is learnable. With the right setup and a little repetition, most owners can handle weekly and monthly tasks confidently. My job is to make it as simple as possible—and to hand you tools that were built for wedding pros, not retrofitted from a generic retail template.
Key takeaways:
Custom templates for the wedding industry. I design wedding bookkeeping templates tailored to planners, photographers, florists, venues, and more—so your categories, dashboards, and workflows match how you actually work.
Simple, repeatable routines. 20–40 minutes a week: reconcile, categorize, label jobs, scan receipts. That’s it. Reps build comfort.
Training with receipts. I’ll train you (or your VA) until it clicks: live walkthroughs, recordings, checklists, cheat sheets.
Tax-ready by default. From day one, your system tags tax set-asides and quarterly estimates so April isn’t a jump scare.
A sample weekly checklist
Reconcile bank and card feeds.
Categorize new transactions using your custom chart of accounts.
Attach receipts and jot business purpose notes.
Tag income/expenses to client jobs for clean profitability.
When to hand it off: monthly bookkeeping services for wedding pros
Sometimes your calendar is chaos (bless). In those seasons, the most strategic move is to delegate. My monthly service keeps your books clean while you focus on clients, creativity, and growth—without losing visibility or control.
Key takeaways:
You still see everything. Dashboards, monthly reports, and quick pings for anything I need from you.
I handle the heavy lift. Reconciliation, categorization, job tagging, receipt management, sales tax tracking where applicable, and quarterly estimate planning.
Scalable support. Add payroll setup, W-9 collection and 1099 prep, or cleanup for prior months.
No surprises. Flat, transparent pricing with scope in plain English.
What onboarding looks like
We map your offers, seasonality, and payment patterns into a custom chart of accounts.
Connect bank/credit card feeds securely and segment business vs. personal if needed.
Import your historical data and clean what’s messy.
Set your reporting cadence and communication channels—so you always know what’s next.
FAQ
How is wedding bookkeeping different from general small-business bookkeeping?
Seasonality, retainers/milestone billing, job-based costs, and heavy vendor collaboration create unique patterns. A wedding-savvy CPA builds systems around those realities so your reports actually match how you earn and spend.
Can you help me do it myself first, then take it over later?
Absolutely. Many clients start with templates and training to build confidence. When your bookings spike, we can transition to monthly bookkeeping without disrupting your workflow.
What deductions do wedding professionals often miss?
Styled-shoot expenses, wardrobe used to represent your brand, continuing education, software, second-shooter fees, and travel related directly to jobs are commonly overlooked. The key is correct categorization and documentation.
I’ve had a bad experience with a CPA who talked down to me. How are you different?
I treat you like a partner. You’ll get plain-English explanations, regular check-ins, and options—not prescriptions. Questions are welcome and expected!
Do I need QuickBooks to work with you?
QuickBooks Online works well for most wedding businesses, and I use it for mine. So if we do work together, I’ll help you switch over. But we also can look at your software, and I can help tailor workflows to those tools too.
What if my books are a mess?
No shame. We’ll start with a diagnostic, clean up the backlog, and put simple routines in place so it stays clean going forward.
Can you customize templates for my specific type of business?
Yes. Templates are designed for planners, photographers, florists, venues, DJs, stations, and more—and I’ll customize them for your exact offers and reporting needs if needed.
Let’s give your books the bowtie touch.
Ready for wedding bookkeeping that respects your craft and supports your growth? Whether you want DIY templates and training or full monthly bookkeeping services, I’ve got you. Book a free consultation and let’s get your numbers working for you—calm, clear, and tax-ready.
👉 Schedule here: www.bowtieandbiz.com/contact • Email: danison@bowtieandbiz.com • Call/Text: 973.580.5078
