Have you just booked your first wedding and now you’re scrambling to try to figure out what to do next? Don’t worry! We’re here today with Guest Blogger Erin Hession-Wooton to help you take the next steps in preparing for the big day.
Before we start, let’s learn a little about Erin: I started my company in 1994 and we specialize in weddings. I would say that our style is a blend of fun candids, fashionable fine art & artistic photojournalism. We like to have fun with our couples and really capture the essence of their wedding day and who they are as a couple.
I remember my first wedding back in 1994, I was so excited (and nervous), but hopeful that I could deliver what my clients were looking for because I had been studying photography, working in a local camera shop and photo lab and like a lot of you, I had the passion and drive to start my own business. I was young (only 14 at the time) and I had a lot to learn about the business and logistical aspect of shooting weddings, but I loved it!
Over the last 20 years, we’ve refined our business into a well oiled machine, and today, I’ll share some of my top tips on how you can best prepare yourself for shooting your first wedding!
1. Get insurance. Weddings are once in a lifetime events and if something goes wrong, you will be held liable. Hill & Usher Insurance has a dedicated insurance package specifically for photographers, videographers, graphic artists, and media professionals that cover you from professional liability, errors and omissions, camera gear, business personal property, and general liability. Their rates are incredibly reasonable and worth the peace of mind, especially if you’re not experienced at shooting weddings. Check out the Package Choice Insurance plan online for more information.
2. Have a plan. Make sure that you get a list of “must-have photos” from your client ahead of time so that nothing is missed the day of the wedding. We have a checklist on our website that you can download for free that will help your clients determine the types of photos they should consider having you take on their wedding day.
3. Make sure to allow plenty of time for photos. This is crucial because if you don’t allow enough time to get all of your shots, one of two things will happen. A) You’ll run out of time and miss the photos that your client wants, or B) You’ll run over schedule and throw off the rest of the timeline, which will frustrate and stress out the couple as well as their guests. *Also, be sure to check your sunset time ahead of time so that you know how much light you’ll have to work with during the time allotted for photos.
4. Pack back up equipment. You never know when something may happen during a photo shoot and back up equipment will need to be located. Protect yourself and your clients by being prepared and having extra gear on hand should you need it. This includes extra camera bodies, lenses, flashes, batteries, memory cards, and chargers!
5. Make a packing checklist. Several weeks before your first event, you should create a checklist of everything you need to pack for the event and review it again while packing your gear so that you don’t forget anything. Our packing checklist includes reminders to clean all of the cameras, switch batteries, reformat cards (make sure you’ve backed up images from the last photo session before reformatting), time syncing all of our cameras, cleaning lenses, switching out flash batteries for fresh ones, charging up our video light, packing all of the extra camera and flash batteries, business cards, two way radios, monopod, tripod, reflector, emergency kit, map, photo checklist, and all of our personal belongings.
6. Make sure you have a side-shooter or assistant. A second pair of eyes and hands is critical to the success of every event. I tried to do the first few weddings on my own and it was incredibly difficult. A side-shooter can step in when you need to switch batteries or lenses, they can help carry your equipment, and call off names for the family formals on your checklist. Having a second person will make your life so much easier and make the day flow much more smoothly!
7. Take an emergency kit to help you prepare for anything that could go wrong on the wedding day. You always want to be prepared in case disaster strikes. A small thing like someone popping a button on their tux can turn into a giant disaster under the pressure of the big day. I’ve been shooting for 20 years now, and every time I think I’ve seen it all, we have to end up adding something else to the kit! I’ve included a list below of everything we take to EVERY. SINGLE. WEDDING. We keep it all in one big pink suitcase. We keep it in the trunk of our car and if we need something, I’ll send my husband out to get it. I also use my Shootsac as a mini emergency kit. All of my most used/needed items are in that and near me at all times. Here is the full list:
Find Erin on the Web:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Pinterest / Etsy
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Do you have questions about how to prepare for your first wedding? Leave them in the comments below and we’ll help you find the answers you’re looking for.