A Day in the Life of a Wedding Photographer (Part 1)

I will be writing a series of blogs in relation to a day in the life of a wedding photographer - part 1 is below:

When it comes to photographing a wedding, there is no such thing as an average or normal day! Every wedding is unique to each couple in terms of style, content, the weather, personalities, venue (I can go on!), and although I have my routines, sometimes you have to react to events decisively and effectively and without prior thought to get the job done. Below is a snapshot of a typical day for me when prepping and shooting a wedding.

Preparation

For me, the wedding prep pretty much starts at the time of the booking! I like to get as many details as I can from the couple and go to the venue (where possible) or look online if it’s too far away, to get some ideas of the size and layout, the shots I could take in some special locations and anything else which I think would be an exciting or different addition to the couple’s day. I also like to find out if there is a videographer, who is doing the hair and make up and any other suppliers I need to be aware of. It is sometimes nice to reach out to these people to introduce myself as we will be working as one team, even though we are all independent.

About a week before the wedding, I will become a bit Sian Lloyd and be avidly monitoring the weather forecast for the day. I have shot rainy weddings before and although some couples may feel like this can restrict their photo options, I have lots of ideas up my sleeve as to how we can overcome this and of course, previously checking out the venue always helps. I ensure all my equipment is clean and in good working order, everything that needs charging has been charged, I have my harness ready to strap my cameras to, your shot list is safely stored in my bag. The day before, I will drop the bride or groom a text to wish them luck and reconfirm that I will see them the next day and most then importantly, I get an early night so I’m as fresh as a daisy for your day.

The Day has Arrived!

Your special day is here, you’re getting married, how exciting. I also feel excited as I get to share this wonderful day with you and capture all your precious memories.

I will do a final check of my equipment and run through my shot list again while having my breakfast and yes you guessed it, take a look at the weather. I will have already worked out how long it is going to take me to get to the venue but will check the traffic forecast to ensure I am still on track and there is nothing which is going to hold me up. I like to arrive earlier than I need to so I am calm, relaxed and not worrying about being late.

Being a wedding photographer usually means a very long day. Sometimes I can be working for 10-12 hours if it’s an all day booking, so I make sure that I have lots of water with me, pack some snacks to keep me going, and a must for me is comfy clothing and shoes.