Tips for Photographing Back to Back Weddings

In the summer months, I average photographing 2 weddings a week, every week. Every once in a while a triple header works out on a given weekend. I have found a few tips and tricks over the years of how to make photographing back to back weddings a possibility in your business!

Prep Equipment and Clothes for Back to Back Weddings

Make sure you have enough gear to support photographing multiple weddings within days. Do you have enough memory cards, batteries, back up cameras, etc? For me, I know that I average around 3-5 memory cards filled up per weddings so I’m sure to have enough cleared and prepped before the weekend! I always plan to charge all camera and flash batteries overnight. I also have several of the same shirts and skirts so that I always have my uniform planned and cleaned, ready to go!

Stay Near the Next Wedding

Depending which cities your weddings are in, it is key to spend the night NEAR the wedding for the next day. You never know what can happen during travel to a wedding day, so the closer you are the better. You can also sleep in depending on the timeline of the wedding!

Cull the Night Of

This tip is KEY. It might not be your norm, but backing up and culling your images down on the SAME day as the wedding will significantly reduce your stress and your work load post wedding weekend. I get all my images sent off to my editor before going to bed and while it takes a strong mindset to accomplish this, it will relieve so much work later, that it is worth it.

Drink and Eat

In order to keep your stamina and energy up, be sure to eat well. Drink lots of water leading up to the wedding weekend and during! Breakfasts like oatmeal or other protein based breakfasts are key! Bring snacks in your bag like trail mix or granola bars to stay satiated during the day!

Second Shooters

Hiring or contracting good second shooters is helpful to do the in-between work for you to help your stamina. Things like fixing the dress and hauling bags can drain your strength quickly so having a second person there to help with those things is key!

Plan a Reward to Look Forward to

Whether it be a massage or a movie, plan something to reward yourself with! While photographing weddings are their own type of fun, the feeling of being off the clock is one of the best in the world. Having something to look forward and turn your brain off during is priceless!!

Know your Limit

I recently photographed a QUADRUPLE header. I had weddings Tuesday-Friday (and one out of state the previous weekend, as well). It was the first time I’ve ever done that. Now that I have, I know that it’s possible but exactly probable. The worst part about accepting multiple weddings in a row is having enough energy to serve each couple the exact same. The last couple of the weekend shouldn’t suffer due to your schedule. When approaching a double or triple header, I block off a day before and after to make sure I have enough chill time to recover!

Do you have any other tip about how to shoot back to back weddings? Share below in the comments! Check out more of Rachel’s work here!