Top 3 Tips to Survive a Double (or Triple) Header Wedding Weekend

It’s no secret that weddings can be tough on the body. Long days on your feet, carrying heavy equipment, and being super focused on your surroundings & what you’re doing can be exhausting. Especially when you’re doing it two (or three) times in a weekend! Although triple headers are not something I do very often, it does occasionally arise, and double headers are a pretty regular occurrence. There’s a few things I’ve learned over the years that help set me up for success when I’ve got multiple weddings in a row. So if you’re a photographer gearing up for a multi-wedding weekend, I want to share with you my top 3 tips to survive your double (or triple) header wedding weekend 🙂

1. Prepare ahead!!!! When I have multiple weddings in one weekend, the most important thing I do is to prepare as much as I can in advance. During back to back weddings, I want to make it as easy as possible for myself to reset for the next wedding when I get home and maximize the amount of sleep and rest I can get. So what kinds of things do I prepare in advance? Say I have weddings on Friday and Saturday. On Thursday, I’ll pick out my outfits for both days, down to the jewelry I’m going to wear, and lay them out. I’ll print out two copies of each timeline. I’ll write out checks to pay my assistants for both days. I format enough memory cards for both wedding days. I’ll prepare the snacks I’m going to bring with me for both days. Anything that I would normally do the night before the wedding, I’d do for both weddings so I can have less to worry about on Friday night!
2. Batteries & memory cards galore! If you know me personally, then you know I always carry a ridiculous amount of memory cards (https://amzn.to/2Ono80G) and batteries with me. Without either one of those two things, you simply can’t take pictures. So in my opinion you can never be too prepared on this front. Having a lot of these things also makes turning my set up over for a double header much easier. Having more than I need takes off any pressure or worry to be waking up in the middle of the night to move batteries on and off my chargers. But I do also have a lot of chargers.

   For my camera batteries I have a dual charger like this one (https://amzn.to/2y1xkhk). Plus two of the standard Nikon battery chargers that came with my cameras. This lets me charge 4 camera batteries at once. Having a dual charger like the one linked above is great, especially if you have a long drive home, because it has a car outlet adapter, so you can start charging batteries on your way home after the wedding!

   For AA batteries that I use in my flashes & pocket wizards, I use three of these chargers (https://amzn.to/2DFGDtk). I love this charger because you can change the rate of charge, so it charges faster if you don’t have as much time. I use three of them so I can charge 12 AA batteries at once.

3. Use systems to stay neat & organized. Although I tend to have a messy camera bag at the end of a wedding day, when I’ve got a multiple weddings in a row I take extra care to make sure everything is neat at the end of the night. I normally clean lenses at home, but if I’m at a wedding with another one the next day, I’ll clean my lenses as I pack them up, that way when I get home, I don’t have to disassemble everything again and take up more time.

   I also keep my batteries in two pouches so that I know immediately which ones need to be charged! I have one of these battery holders in grey (https://amzn.to/2DF4n0C) for the dead batteries that need to be charged, and two in green (https://amzn.to/2Nb32Oy) for charged/ready to use batteries. These cases hold both camera batteries and AA batteries. This quick visual reference system helps me stay organized with my batteries, and quickly know which ones I need to charge that night!

   Uploading images can be time consuming. But during the reception I’ll have my assistant start uploading memory cards from my second shooter, and assistant, as well as my cards if we have time. That way, it saves me the extra upload time once I get home that night.

   Systems are key!!!!

4. Bonus tip: Coffee…lots of coffee! Let’s be real, I probably wouldn’t be able to survive a double or triple header weekend without SEVERAL cups of coffee. 🙂

I hope these tips are helpful, as you gear up for your multi-wedding weekend! Tell me! Are there any tips that help you on double header weekends? Share in the comments below!

xoxo, Jen

P.S. Please note that the links in this post are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small portion from qualifying purchases. You don’t have to use these links, but it is appreciated!