Phew. For all the wedding photographers out there who are totally rocking out double or triple header wedding weekends, I’m giving you a virtual hug because that is TOUGH work. I have about 7 or 8 double header weekends this year and after surviving my first back in April, I’m less worried about it now that I know how to survive it! So today I’m just sharing a few quick pointers on how to survive a double header wedding weeekend as a photographer.

1. Wear good shoes. First and foremost get yourself some comfortable shoes or your back and feet are going to HATE YOU. I threw out the concept of wearing cute shoes when I developed major foot pain two years ago (that still hasn’t gone away). After going to the podiatrist I got custom orthodics and found some good ol’ Nike sneakers to wear on wedding days (They’re black so they aren’t  TOTAL eye sore). When I first started wearing them to weddings I would arrive and say “Sorry about my shoes, I just have to be comfortable!” And my brides would look at me like I’m crazy and say “Of COURSE you need to be comfortable! We don’t care what you wear on your feet!” So, with this one, go function over fashion. For the first time EVER I didn’t have foot pain after a wedding day. My feet were certainly sore, yes, but in pain, nope!

2. Epson Salt! Invest in some and pour it in a tub of hot water and soak your feet. This may sound weird but I did it after the first wedding of the weekend and by the time I went to bed I didn’t feel like I even was on my feet that day! I grabbed some from my local Massage Envy. It is sort of a miracle worker.

3. Hydrate hydrate hydrate. Bring multiple bottles of water or a canteen with you and make sure you’re hydrating all day. This will not only keep your energy levels up but will keep your muscles from getting super sore and lethargic. Water does so many good things for your body so if a double header is in your sights, opt for ice water at the bar instead of a sugary soda.

4. Eat healthy snacks! Not only snacks, but make sure you’re eating in general. I start every wedding day with a Shakeology for protein and energy and throw in a banana and peanut butter into the blender. The banana helps my muscles from cramping and the peanut butter just makes it all the more delicious. Trail mix and granola are some go-to options for me.

5. Charge and buy extra batteries. This is a biggy. I HATE charging batteries. It just takes so long! Buy an extra set or two of batteries for your cameras and your flashes and charge them all so you don’t have to frantically do it right after your first wedding.

6. Memory cards! Have triple the amount you’d use on a wedding day. That way you don’t have to format wedding #1 right away and if a memory card goes faulty, you still have more than enough to shoot wedding #2. Make sure all your sessions are backed up before you format your memory cards! And in multiple places!

7. Get organized. Like really organized. Have your timelines printed out with the date on top for each wedding and the shot list stapled to it. Put them in separate folders ahead of time. Then, post-wedding, make sure you have a proven and exact workflow that you stick to for each client so you don’t get behind! If you need workflow tips, check out these posts!

If you have any survival tips you LOVE for a double header weekend let me know in the comments below! And if you’re coming up with some double headers this year, I know you are going to ROCK them.

Florals in image above by Flowers by April!