Last week, I started a little mini-series on wedding day must-haves as a wedding photographer. I just remember there were so many unknowns in the beginning of my wedding career, and want to alleviate that for others!  The first part of this mini-series was what equipment to bring (view that here!), so today I want to share about what you should plan to bring for you, the photographer (and some of it isn’t just for you!).

Wedding Day Must Haves : Personal

• Think self care.  What sorts of things do you regularly carry in your purse (or sometimes think shoot, why don’t I have ____ with me?!) that you might need? You want to have those accessible in your camera bag- because you likely don’t have your purse on you at all times too.  Possible items that might be on this list for you:
  • Bobby-pins and hair ties (you never know when these are just mandatory!)
  • Chapstick
  • Gum (if you chew gum- I don’t really)
  • Kleenex
  • A bandaid or two for last minute blisters
  • Sunglasses if you regularly need them
  • Backup contacts (I think as a wedding photographer this is important! You never know if something crazy could happen contact wise- and if you wear them at all, you would likely really not be in good shape without them!
• Water and food! We ask for a meal during the reception (so we don’t miss any of the action by going to grab it somewhere), but when you are on your feet working hard for at least 7 hours before then- you need something else! We always pack quick and easy to eat things- a granola bar, etc and always a PB+J sandwich that I eat before the ceremony (Michael tends to grab a full lunch out at some point during the day).  It is just our routine and it works great! We always pack a water bottle or two (and, I think as a great service to your bride, you could also pack a cooler with water for them/the bridal party- we haven’t done this yet because we tend to photograph weddings with huge bridal parties, but how great would that be for them!?), and typically get a good polar pop throughout the day- can’t go that full day without my Coke!!
• We always pack a backup dress/suit, and an extra pair of shoes. In my first year, I photographed with a friend of mine and my sandal broke during portraits. I had no backups, and Michael had to pack up our kids and haul out to where we were to bring me new shoes after I hobbled around in the broken shoe for a while- it was ridiculous! Have a backup, you just never know if you will need it!
• After you have covered what you might need, think about what you can do to be of service to others! I always want to be a problem or pain point solver for my couples and their loved ones. So if that means carrying an extra small bag around with a small pair of scissors (tags on dresses!), an extra kleenex pack or two, a small bottle of hairspray, and more bobby pins for them- I want to do that.  Any time you can further serve and help your clients, you are doing your job just a little bit better and making their day run smoother- and that is a win on both sides!

As I mentioned in the first post of this mini-series, we often feel like we are going on 1 month European adventure (we wish!) or moving into our college dorm rooms when we pack for a wedding- it’s a lot of stuff. But we would so much rather be prepared than sorry when it comes to someone else’s day and memories! I hope this is super helpful- be on the lookout for part 3 of this mini-series in the next few weeks. Fellow wedding photogs: Is there anything else you bring on the personal front?

For other FREE photographer education, click here!!

If you are interested in learning more about editing with LightRoom (without presets/actions AND without photoshop), click here!

Are you looking for bi-weekly business tips and help so that you can run your business and live your life better?? Click here!