In this blog, we will share the Top 13 Wedding Day Workflow Tips for you to plan your Wedding Day. Being a wedding photographer isn’t just about booking a wedding, shooting, and delivering. There is a lot more to it. It requires immense planning in every direction – be it advertising, making contacts, or getting clients one after the other. Planning is the core of it.
In the same way, you need to make plans in-between booking and reaching the venue. One thing you need to plan during this period is the “On the Wedding Day” Workflow.
You might have a checklist for your wedding day workflow already prepped, but here are some tips to help you refine the one you have or create one if you don’t have it yet! This “Wedding Day Workflow” will help you plan – and execute – the wedding successfully, from prepping to the final day of the big event.
Top 13 Tips to an Incredible Wedding Day Workflow
These wedding day workflow tips are designed especially for the wedding day. Want more wedding day workflow inspiration? Check this blog post out next!
Read and apply these workflow tips to your next wedding and see the difference. Your business will benefit and your clients will be happy!
1. Wedding Day Workflow: Get Set With Gear
A day before the wedding, charge all your batteries for the camera. Get the flash, the wireless flash receivers, and transceivers ready. Make sure that you have several memory cards in your bag and that they are empty. Also, do a quick lens check and make sure the lenses are clean. Check your back-up camera and make sure that the battery is fully charged.
2. Prepare Backups
Have at least one, if not two, backups for every piece of equipment. Take more memory than you think you need. Bring all your batteries and consider bringing battery chargers as well. You may end up using more batteries than you think you need and it’s better to have too many than not enough.
PROTIP: In case of bad weather, keep waterproof bags or plastic bags (or even a shower cap) with you to protect your equipment from the rain.
3. Practice and Practice
This one is more for the beginners but actually helps everyone: practice posing and lighting and settings regularly. Keep repeating the process. Use your partner, a friend, or your family as subjects. Create an atmosphere you are likely to face during the wedding. Adjust lighting and your gear accordingly. Try even changing camera settings with your eyes closed – this could be an interesting challenge!
Wedding Day Workflow PROTIP: If you are new to the industry or just starting your business, you can learn more by second shooting. Assisting professionals who have spent many years in the market will help you get comfortable photographing a full wedding day before you dive in on your own.
4. Put on your Creativity “Hat”
When planning your wedding day workflow, take inspiration from others. Read blogs. Look at websites of other wedding photographers. Pinterest is also a great resource to give you that edge. You can prepare your own Pinterest boards to share with your brides for ideas ot have them do the same for you.
Wedding Day Workflow PROTIP: If you are a beginner, then you might want to plan or participate in styled wedding shoots. Get some of your friends and fellow photographers together and create the ideal faux wedding. Ask someone (possibly a real couple) to pose as the bride and groom. If they are in a relationship or engaged, they will have a genuine connection.
5. Research the Venue
Scouting the venue and even doing a wedding venue walk through is a great Wedding Day Workflow tip (or in this case, pre-wedding). Try going to the venue days in advance and identify photo-worthy spots. You can also assess the lighting if you head to the venue around the same time the key wedding day elements will be held.
6. Write and Memorize your Shot List for the best Wedding Day Workflow
Ask the bride and groom ahead for a shot list of family and bridal party poses, and then add to it with your own ideas for every location. Be as specific as possible and then try and memorize it. Have it handy on the wedding day so you can refer to it if needed.
7. Get Some Rest
When you prepare to shoot a wedding, it’s like a marathon. The rigorous tasks required of a wedding photographer can take a toll on your body. You spend most of the days in the heat or humidity, for 10-12 hours. It can be hard to be creative when you’re tired. Make it a priority to get some rest the night before the wedding.
8. Be Ready With Your Clothes
Decide what you will wear ahead of the wedding day and make sure it is wedding appropriate. Iron your clothes or have them dry-cleaned – or do whatever your dress requires – before the wedding. Remember the temperature you’ll be dealing with and also that you may (if it’s your style) be on the ground or running around a lot!
Wedding Day Workflow PROTIP: Wear clothing that does not bind you or cause you to overheat. Make sure it is stretchable. It shouldn’t hinder you from standing and bending in all those fun poses needed to shoot. Always keep backup clothing, extra shoes, and basic toiletries in your car. You just might need them!
9. Pack Snacks (an integral part of the Wedding Day Workflow checklist)
Many times you will end up in a location that does not have access to water fountains or bottles. If the bridal party forgets to bring a cooler, you will have a sweltering and dehydrated bride.
It is not your job to pack food and drink for the bride and groom. But if you are helpful in tough times, they will be grateful. You can take a small cooler with water, a juice pouch or soda, and some snacks.
Even if the couple doesn’t need your rations you can always use them too!
10. Prepare Your Vehicle
Prepare your vehicle. Clean it up a little. You might have to transport the bridal party or the couple from one point to another at the venue. It’s all about making your own life easier. By using your vehicle, you can easily move spots rather than wasting precious time in walking.
11. Make a ‘Ready to go’ Checklist
Your Wedding Day Workflow list can include loading the cooler, the backup clothing, and the camera gear. You can checkmark the lighting equipment, the photo booth material, and camera Bodies, extra camera batteries, chargers, memory cards, flashes, stands, softboxes, and on it goes!
12. Brace Yourself to be More Than a Photographer
For the wedding day, you might have to become a therapist, a florist, a hair artist, and much more. Be prepared for the worst. You can carry an emergency bridal kit to offer help when the last moment disasters happen. The kit can have hairpins, safety pins, combs, perfume, hair accessories. Offer help when needed.
13. Don’t Forget to Have Fun
Enjoy the day. You want your clients to have a truly memorable day. Prepare yourself emotionally for the journey and be ready to become the bride’s best friend.
Wedding Day Workflow Tips Wrap Up
This Wedding Day Workflow is a basic structure that any wedding photographer can follow. But every photographer is different and are their requirements. You can customize this workflow according to what you feel is right for your business.
We hope our Wedding Day Workflow tips will help you plan better and execute the wedding day. For more tips, check out these blog posts:
Crafting the Right Workflow for Photographers and Your Engagement Photography Workflow. You can also check out our friends at SLR Lounge and their wedding day workflow checklist!
Here at ShootDotEdit, we believe in inspiring photographers to achieve success faster, whether it’s in blog posts that help you with wedding day workflow tips, or making you faster (and getting you back to what’s important) by editing your wedding images for you. Want to know how we can help? Check out our pricing guide here!