Is it possible to be TOO prepared when shooting a wedding?

Issue #33

[Read Time - 6 Minutes]

So, is it possible to be TOO prepared when shooting a wedding?

No.

Well, that was a short issue! I suppose I should elaborate a bit on WHY you can’t be too prepared.

I’ll give you three good reasons.

#1 It’s not over until it’s over. This is the same mentality when shooting baseball, football, or any sporting event. Until the buzzer sounds, the third out is made, or the clock runs out, the game is still on (and sometimes even after the game is over).

Let’s define our terms.

The “game” is the wedding day. If you’re shooting a wedding and the bride and groom are still there, the game is still on. Never pack up your gear until the game is over.

Now, a quick caveat - You’ve negotiated a set amount of time, and your time is up for the night.

You can leave AFTER you check in with the bride and groom, then the parents and have thanked them all. Once all parties KNOW you’re leaving the wedding, you can leave. Until you do this, the game or wedding is still on.

Who knows. They might want you to stay the rest of the night, they might want you to stay another hour for some group photos, or they might want something else. Don’t fret, this means they want to give you more money.

It’s your job to be prepared for this. Don’t be too hot to head out, and don’t ever make plans to meet up with friends after a wedding.

There are way too many variables at play, and your first concern is for your couple.

Being prepared means being ready for something to happen, ANYTHING. When you’re shooting a wedding, EXPECT someone to ask for something more...even at the moment you’re ready to clock out.

#2 Bad things happen to good people. I found this out a few times, unfortunately (and yes, I do consider myself a good person, in case you’re wondering).

This is the A-#1, Most Important, Super-Special reason for having backup gear. They are tools, and sometimes your tools break.

I’ve never met a bride I could walk up to and say, “Sooo, bad news, my camera broke. I’m sure this would’ve been fun, but I gotta go now. Thanks!” without expecting some significant pushback.

Nope, you gotta be prepared for the worst, and sometimes the worst thing is your tools break. Wipe the tear from your eye, grab your backup and keep going.

Having backup gear may seem obvious, but especially when you’re starting out, this is a valuable sales benefit to a bride on a budget.

I’ve heard more than a couple of stories about photographers who didn’t have enough backup gear and had to scramble. Don’t be that person. Be prepared and act like the professional you are. No one like to scramble.

#3 Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been. Wayne Gretzky isn’t considered the greatest hockey player ever because he has great reflexes. He knows the importance of preparation.

Like all sports, you need to anticipate what is going to happen next if you want to do your best right now. To do this, you keep your eyes open and be ready to point your camera in the direction where things are moving. It takes practice but you do this so you can get the shot when it actually happens. I’ll give you a great example.

It’s the first dance, and you have a pretty good idea the groom is going to perform a world-class dip at the end of the song. How do you know? Because you were prepared and asked the groom if he was planning anything special for the first dance (it’s quite the thing on TikTubigram if you’re into that social media thing).

He said he’s been practicing this epic dip with his bride-to-be for weeks and tonight will be the big reveal.

OK, now you’ve got a couple of nuggets to work with. There will probably be a dip, and it will either be as epic as they hope...or it’ll crash and burn. Both are important because even they flub, they’ll probably laugh and that makes for great photos too.

It’s time for the dance. The song is playing and nearing the end. How do you know? Because you’ve heard it before (you prepared and didn’t even know it!) OR You don’t know the song, and you ask the DJ how long it is (also a good way to be prepared).

Here comes the big moment...but something isn’t right.

Your keen sense of timing (like a Spidey-sense, only for wedding photographers) can sense that the pace of your newlyweds’ turns on the dance floor does not sync the the end of the song.

If the song ended where you are currently standing, you’ll be out of position to capture the big moment. (Hint: no one wants to see the dip from behind.)

If you’ve been simply “following the puck,” you’d be in the wrong position, and you’d miss the moment the couple has been preparing for for weeks.

So what would a prepared photographer do?

You watch the couple, you listen to the music, and you move, then move, and move again, positioning yourself for the perfect shot. You’re moving to get a front-row view of the big dip, and then, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, you nail the shot like a seasoned pro.

That’s what preparing is all about.

But wait, there’s more!

As a bonus preparation tip, try this.

Do a quick search and find out what’s in a Bridal Survival Pack or Bridal Emergency Kit, and add the most essential pieces to your camera bag.

“What?!!! keep a sewing kit in my camera bag?”

Yuuup! It’s sad but true. Not every bride gets one of those survival kits for her wedding day.

But YOUR bride gets a prepared photographer, and when a seam pops on her dress or something gets torn, and YOU are the only one with the supplies to fix it, all of a sudden, YOU look like a genius...because you are...a prepared genius!

Here’s a quick list of essential items you should have in your bag that won’t take up hardly any space at all.

• Crochet hook - For lacing up the button hooks on dresses (SUPER PRO)

• Heel pads - Some ladies don’t where heels often and get blisters

• Band-aids - For you or them, whoever needs them first.

• Sewing kit - Next time you’re at a hotel, ask for one and pop it into your bag

• A quarter - For tightening or loosening screws

• An old penny - Brides are sentimental, and sometimes they forget theirs for their shoe

• Bobby pins and Safety Pins - Faster than sewing

• Double-sided, hypoallergenic adhesive for skin - Also known as “boob tape”

• Small scissors - I keep a small Leatherman multi-tool that also includes a knife

• Tide or Shout wipes - The to-go versions are perfect

All of this will fit nicely into one of the small flat pockets in your camera case. You won’t even know they’re there...until you hear that call, “Does anyone have some scissors?” And guess who will be the prepared one? (Hint: they’ll be the one that looks exactly like you)

If you’re still wondering why being prepared matters, let me leave you with this.

Brides talk. Bridesmaids talk. Wedding day stories become something like lore or an iconic anecdote and if one of these historic tales involves you, the wedding photographer, saving the day because of something you had in your wedding bag, that is what they call a story of legend…and bountiful referrals.

“Plans are worthless, but planning is indispensable.”

– Dwight D. Eisenhower

Being prepared for the unexpected is just one part of the “inner game of wedding photography.” THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

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If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you with the organization.

It’s a guide to help you process a wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.