For Photographers: Day Before Rituals

Business, For Photographers

September 20, 2013

We’re right in the thick of another busy fall wedding season, so I thought this would be a really great time to share my “day before rituals”. Each pre wedding Friday I try to keep my workload very light so that I can be relaxed and fresh for the next day’s wedding, but I always have a short checklist of items that I try to complete that morning so that I’m prepared and ready to go on Saturday morning! The list has been instrumental in making sure I don’t forget anything. Checking off each item every Friday gives me a huge sense of relief and peace of mind because I know that’s one less thing I have to worry about on Saturday!

– Format all cards
– Clean and pack cameras and lenses
– Clean and pack laptop
– Pack card reader
– Pack bottled waters and snacks
– Pack flash batteries
– Charge camera batteries
– Print timeline and vendor contact info if not already printed
– Go over timeline one final time (so it’s fresh in my mind!)
– Put venue addresses into GPS
– Fill up the car with gas
– Wash/Iron outfit for wedding
– Pack an overnight back for the wedding (if necessary!)
– Add wedding day contact phone # into phone
– Clean up a little around the apartment (I love coming home to a clean apartment…it’s just so relaxing!)
– Back up any files that haven’t been backed up yet
– Print hotel reservation (if we have are traveling)

There are a few things that are technically prep items, but didn’t really make it to the list because I don’t do them every single week. Some weeks I will wash my car and clean out the interior before a wedding…particularly if I know we are supposed to transport the bride and groom. I also actually clean out both of my bags and wipe them down from time to time, but they don’t get dirty enough to do this every week. After I’m done with the things on the list, I’m free to relax for the rest of the day! Sort of my pseudo day off….but I’ll take what I can get!!

I know this list and the concept seem super simple, but before I was utilizing my list and following it every single Friday, Saturday mornings were so stressful! I was always running around looking for one last thing, or trying to figure out if all of my batteries were charged, or running the washer and dryer right up until the moment that we left the house. These days, ain’t nobody got time for stress…and the list and my rituals have helped my stress levels IMMENSELY. If you guys don’t already have a Friday routine, I would definitely suggest coming up with one that works well for you!!

Because I’m incapable of ending a blog post without a picture, here’s one of my favorites from Allie + Greta’s engagement session! These two gorgeous gals are getting married tomorrow!

Richmond Wedding Photographer_0083

 

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  1. I love a good list. Thanks Katie!

  2. Love this! Prepping for a wedding before the date is absolutely wonderful! It’s nice waking up and knowing things are good to go! 🙂

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