Oh I am loving this slower season and catching up on some projects and blog posts I’ve been wanting to share! But, Spring is coming (please come sooner than later!!!) and weddings are coming soon. I’ve learned a lot from trial and error with weddings and LOVE for other people to learn from my mistakes so I at least feel like they aren’t fully wasted! ;)
One of the things I’ve learned is getting everything prepped and packed up the night before a wedding. Even for weddings I don’t have to be at until 3 or 4pm, there’s still a lot of things that have to be done, cameras to be charged, snacks to be prepped, car seats to be installed, etc. etc. Plus, Emmie has to be packed and ready for the baby sitter for the day and bedtime.
Because of all of this chaos, I have found that having everything fully charged and prepped the night before helps to make sure nothing gets forgotten and that we aren’t running late. For a Saturday wedding, I make sure that all of my camera batteries are fully charged, everything is all laid out and ready to go! I also make sure that I have printed out the brides day of schedule, and her family photos list (don’t worry, we work on all of this before your wedding day!) and double check in with Emmie’s sitter to make sure everything is good to go for the next day! I also try to pack a few bite sized snacks for both me & michael, and emmie as well!
I have three different bags that I pack for a wedding, one for me to carry throughout the day, one smaller one for Michael to carry, and the third for the reception gear, tripods, and extras. See the details below;
My Camera Bag:
*my main camera body
*an extra camera battery
*lenses (usually, I carry my 35mm, 50mm, & my 70-200mm)
*memory cards and case (i carry both CF and SD cards for my mark iii)
*flash (I just pack one in my all day bag in case I need some fill or a pop for details, etc.)
*cell phone (just in case the sitter needs me!)
*family formal list
*printed wedding day timeline
*cough drops, because I always start to loose my voice during the family formals
*pencil, in case anything needs to change on the timeline
For Michael’s Camera Bag:
*michael’s camera body
*an extra camera battery
*lenses (he usually carries a 50mm & a macro)
*memory cards and case
*non-perishable snacks, like fruits, granola bars, etc.
For the Reception Bag:
*Camera Battery Charger
*Battery Charger
*flash batteries
*extra lenses
*reflector
*light stand
*flashes (mine have transmitters built in, but if yours don’t you’ll want to add those!)
*umbrellas
*cell phone charger
*extra pair of shoes
*change of clothes (never know what’s going to happen!)
Ashley Eiban Photography is a Wedding & Portrait Photographer based in Central Virginia- serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, and surrounding areas. We LOVE to travel and are available for travel world-wide! Contact us today for more information!
