Wedding season is about to kick off! It’s crazy how quickly this time of year comes back around. For most brides and grooms their wedding day will be one of the biggest days of their life. And certainly one of the most photographed! So it makes sense that much preparation and lots of equipment and planning goes into a wedding day photo shoot. So I have a list of “must have” items. Each item serves an important purpose: comfort, function, and security. Oh, I am so grateful for each one of these things, and won’t hop in my car to shoot a wedding without them! I thought photographers and brides too may appreciate knowing my must haves for every wedding photographer (and bride) for the big day!
1. This Canteen
Finding water at a wedding can be hard. Finding time to drink water while shooting a wedding is even more difficult. When I was pregnant with Emmie, Mitch bought me this canteen to make sure I stayed hydrated. I would fill up my one-gallon canteen with ice and water and bring an additional cup or bottle. It was so nice to be able to know I had a constant water source-especially on those hot outdoor wedding days!
2. These Must Have Shoes
I have lived by my Dr. Scholl’s Shoes Women’s Fashion Sneaker for my 15 hour wedding days, my entire pregnancy, hiking through crazy spaces to get to the best shooting location, and even dancing. They make my feet feel so good and the rest of me doesn’t ache at the end of the day. Wedding photographers carry a ton of gear and are constantly bouncing around, so having these shoes are a must for me. I had them in grey, and now I just ordered the same shoe in black. Comfortable, supportive shoes are a must.
3. These Snacks
One thing I have learned is that one sandwich does not cut it for me on a wedding day. I need to be fueled constantly. If the bridal party provides lunch you sometimes get there and realize that there is little food left (and as a vendor, you do NOT want to take the last sandwich.) Making sure you have backup fuel is so important. I love these snacks so much. The peanut butter covered peanuts are my favorite. Protein is considered the building block of life and is found in every cell of the body. It is critical to power you up and keep you going especially on a physically demanding day. It’s nice to get an extra boost of protein before the ceremony or when you are starting your drive home from the reception. Also, nobody wants to see me hangry-especially on their wedding day. So, I always have these on hand.
4. This Must Have Bag
I really love this bag. Now, I have my giant camera bag that I usually set down when I get to a wedding, but I always have this one near. It’s easy for me to throw in batteries, SD cards, snacks, a lens or two, and my speaker without hauling my giant bag from one place to another. And it’s waterproof. When it poured on an outdoor wedding I shot during the ceremony, I could still focus on my couple because I knew all of my gear was protected from the rain. I love this nifty little thing!
5. This Emergency Kit
Luckily, I haven’t had to use this emergency kit much outside of paper cuts and scrapes, but I am so thankful to have it with me on wedding days. I have fallen off curbs and tripped over aisle runners prompting some unwelcome blood, so having something that can stop the bleeding without making a scene is a blessing. Also, I want to be able to help brides and grooms with the big and the small, including a paper cut since that might get blood on their clothes which we can’t have!
6. This Umbrella
I love shooting outdoors. And my clients really love those photos too. I never want my clients to feel like they are stuck taking bride and groom portraits at the front of a church all day if they don’t want to and if the weather turns, so having one of these umbrellas handy always makes people excited. Oh, I love this fun shaped, transparent umbrella. It’s so fun to take some authentic photos with it and see my client’s excitement over still being able to shoot at the epic location they love regardless of weather.
7. These Must Have Pants
I don’t talk about pants much, but after I started wearing these I knew I had to tell the world about them. They are the most comfy, stylish pants ever. It’s super easy to style it with a nice shirt, sweater, or tank top. These pants make it easy to squat, crawl, walk, and balance a plate on my lap for lunch- which is especially important. They travel nice and go with everything.
8. This Speaker
I have owned several speakers. Music and natural photos seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. I love this speaker! So many bridal parties have cut loose with it blaring. It is my favorite speaker by far! So lightweight and easy to carry! It connects to Bluetooth, and can get really loud when it’s time to jam out during bridal party photos.
Did you notice I didn’t list my camera? Yeah, it’s like my third arm. I don’t know what I’d do without it, but every photographer has a great camera. These other things I consider my secret, secret weapons. I love when someone saves me the time and money by telling me about something they bought that they just love! We all hate spending money on an item that doesn’t work right or last or do what you need it to! And the time I save researching which item to get I can spend playing with my husband and daughter. I’d much prefer that!
So I hope this list saves you some time and hassle, and adds a few reliable items to your life and your big day. What are some of your favorite things? I would love to expand my list! And luckily my car can hold a lot of things. 😉