A Day in the Life of a Wedding Photographer

A Day in the Life of a Wedding Photographer

People sometimes say to me, "I'd love your job — you just take photographs at weddings all day." This is both accurate and not quite right. What follows is what a wedding day actually looks like from behind the camera.

6:00am: The Night Before

The night before, which is not technically the wedding day but is functionally part of it, involves charging every battery, testing every card, laying out every piece of equipment, and running through a mental checklist: two cameras, three lenses, two flashes, spare batteries for all of them, memory cards with a week's capacity spare, transport confirmed, venue location confirmed, a printed copy of the day's timeline.

The preparation is not glamorous. It is indistinguishable from the preparation for any professional field work that requires reliable equipment in uncontrollable conditions.

8:30am: Getting Ready

Bridal preparations, typically. The detail work — rings, shoes, flowers, dress on its hanger — and then the process of getting ready: the getting dressed, the final mirror moment, the first look at the completed picture. This phase takes 90 minutes to two hours, and the photographs from it tell more of the emotional story of the day than almost any other part.

12:00pm: Ceremony

The ceremony is the most technically demanding part of the day. Final position established with the venue before guests arrive. No flash during the ceremony itself at most churches and many other venues. Available light only. Movement carefully managed so as not to draw attention. Eye on the couple, eye on the reactions of the guests, eye on the light.

2:30pm: Portraits, Groups, and Everything Else

Portraits happen in whatever window the timeline provides — usually 30 to 45 minutes between the ceremony and reception. This window must encompass: the formal family groups the couple have requested, the couple portraits, and any specific shots on their list. Time management is critical.

9:30pm: The First Dance and Beyond

Evening reception photography: first dance, speeches, the band or DJ, the moments that happen in the margins of the formal schedule — a grandmother dancing, children asleep on a bench, the couple stealing a moment alone by the window.

The drive home, usually after midnight. The equipment unpacked. The cards backed up immediately to two drives — the first rule of professional photography is that photographs live on two drives or they do not exist. Then sleep.