This past wedding season I had my first double header. For those who don’t know what that is, it means that I shot two weddings in two days. It was over Columbus Day weekend and I’m so excited I had Monday off from school so I could mentally recover from my weekend. I learned a lot about that weekend, and I have two double headers again this year! I’m so excited about it, because I LOVE what I do! Shooting two in two days isn’t too bad, but it’s important to be prepared! Here are some tips to help you get ready for your double header weekend!
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Shoes.
Make sure you have comfortable footwear because you will be on your feet a LOT over the course of 48 hours. I wear my sanuk yoga mat sandals the majority of the time and they’re the greatest! I wasn’t really uncomfortable from being on my feet so much and I know it’s because I wore appropriate footwear!
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Tylenol/Ibuprofen.
Have it on hand! I usually take an ibuprofen before the reception starts because I already have back issues, but that weekend it was nice to have it on hand to take a little earlier in the day to ward off any headaches on day two!
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Snacks + Water.
I can’t stress this enough. Be sure you and your second shooter are drinking PLENTY of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and focused! Snacks when you can are also essential for maintaining your energy all the way through day two!
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Double check the timeline.
And then triple and quadruple check it. I had one mishap with the timeline that weekend that didn’t really affect the photography, but I felt really dumb for making a mistake about the timeline. Make sure you and your second shooter have it printed and on you and check it regularly throughout the day! Shooting one wedding takes a LOT of mental energy and focus, so by day two, it’s really crucial to make sure you’re on top of everything!
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Gear.
I bought extra SD + CF cards for that weekend. I don’t like to delete images off a card until the final photos have been uploaded to the gallery, so having an entirely extra set of cards for day two made it really easy to have peace of mind about not losing any images. After the first wedding, when I got home I immediately imported and backed up the images, and then left the cards at home so that there was NO way I’d even have a chance of making a mistake and mixing up my cards! Also, having an extra battery is handy. Be sure to prep all your gear and charge everything before the weekend and then again on the night you get home.
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Pick out your clothes ahead of time.
I had both outfits prepped and ready to go because my weddings were about five hours apart from each other, so I was doing a lot of driving and getting home late. When I got home I just wanted to back up my gear, eat, and go to bed. Having my clothes for the next day already prepared saved me time that night so I could get the rest I needed!
The hardest part about shooting a double header is being prepared for the second day so soon! The more you can do ahead of time will set you up for success!
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