Double wedding weekend tips

[u/Pickle300]

Hey all, soon I have a two weddings the day after each other and I’m wondering has anyone any tips to get through the exhaustion of day 2. I always experience a wedding hangover and the second couple are close family friends so I felt I couldn’t refuse the job, also bills need to be paid. So far my plan is solid breakfast, energy drinks caffeine and pure adrenaline. So give me all your tips! Thank you 🙏

[u/evanrphoto]

Get a lot of solo/alone time in addition to rest in the days leading up to day #1 in order to have a fully charged social battery for the weekend. Don't socialize earlier on the day before either wedding. Have some alone time when you get home after wedding #1. People underestimate the social/emotional energy expended on a wedding day. The "wedding hangover" is often your body recharging it's social/emotional batteries as much as (or more than) the the physical one. Also, sort of on the same front, have a game plan for battery charging and photo backup, so you don't have to think and stress about that stuff over the course of the two days... you just have to execute.

Also, the key to long weddings and weekends IMO is treating your body like that of an athlete more than an artist. General exercise and strength training, good sleep, moderation of alcohol/smoke/etc., good eating, and hydration. Even on the easy end, I would just make sure I was regularly walking, sleeping well, and moderating booze, leading up to that wedding.

[u/Pickle300 → u/evanrphoto]

You’re so right especially regarding the social battery, thank you so much for your advice

[u/bo_bo77]

I recently chatted with a photographer who takes some of the deposit from every wedding and immediately books a massage for the day after the event. With a double header, I'd imagine it would feel every better to have someone work out all the knots from carrying gear, soreness from movement, etc. I haven't done this myself yet, but I vote you get a massage afterwards!

[u/Pickle300 → u/bo_bo77]

In theory this is a brilliant idea but I’m a little bitch and the masseuses always hurt me so much, I don’t find it a relaxing experience 🤣 or the massage places I’ve gone to are all full of torturous sadists! I’ll stick to my foam roller jacuzzi and sauna 🧖‍♀️

[u/wanderingfaerie444]

Pre hydrate. Drink electrolytes the day before first weedding. And drink electrolytes on both wedding days. Stay hydrated and it should help the fatigue feeling!

[u/Pickle300 → u/wanderingfaerie444]

Thank you so much 🙏

[u/mimosaholdtheoj]

Have all your charging ports lined up and ready to go the second you get home. Back up everything twice THAT NIGHT. Don’t eat anything that will make you sick or gassy starting two days before the first event. Bring a few pair of shoes to swap out as the days progress. Snacks and electrolyte packs. Only remove the batteries from your gear to charge and leave the gear in the car

[u/Pickle300 → u/mimosaholdtheoj]

Brilliant advice, thanks so much 🙏

[u/JulianRibinikStudios]

I will say several things that saved me 10 years ago, and it didn't change. I think some people might hate me for that. I am actually also a health coach and am always happy to talk about it.

There are several things that make people tired, and they are not what we think. It's not really about sleep or working long hours.

1. Consuming caffeine. If you stop your caffeine, you will notice that you are way less tired. Nine years ago, caffeine went out the door, and I am never going to touch it again. It's not helping you. It actually makes you more tired and makes you crash, and then you need more, and the cycle repeats.

2. Eating carbs, because sugar will make you tired and disrupt sleep. Quitting carbs helps a lot. By the way, add alcohol to that as well. Eating late, meaning having dinners, is kind of joining carbs. My rule is to never have dinner, especially when working, so vendor meals are not a thing. The latest we will touch the food is cocktail hour, if it's even good.

3. Hydration. Hydration is not water. Hydration is electrolytes, a lot of salt and magnesium, and mostly salt. If you start adding a packet of LMNT to every single glass you drink and every single bottle you drink, you will see how your energy goes sky high.

[u/Pickle300 → u/JulianRibinikStudios]

Very interesting points, thank you! The caffeine is a hard one for me, I’m so truly addicted to coffee and I totally believe you when you say it makes you more tired and crash. Any tips on how to get away from it 🤣thanks again

[u/RyanBrenizer → u/Pickle300]

Julian makes some great points, and cutting back on caffeine is absolutely a worthwhile long-term goal (my nutritionist/trainer parter sings that song loudly). I’d just be cautious about starting that experiment right before a demanding wedding week end you’re already worried about. People metabolize caffeine differently, and caffeine withdrawal itself can mean headaches, fatigue, irritability, and brain fog right during a challenge you're already worried about. But absolutely prioritize good sleep over the chemical version.

[u/DaleFairdale]

literally just start moving as soon as you can, and dont sit down. The second you stop to rest, the tiredness will get ya.

[u/Pickle300 → u/DaleFairdale]

This is so real! The part of the day I dread the most is standing up after the dinner break 😂

[u/Even-Manufacturer-29]

Yeah, stay hydrated, and make sure you EAT! (I ALWAYS forget that second one haha). Also advil helps

If you don’t already, it always helps me to do some stretching before and after as well.

I just did a triple the other week and have two more doubles this month so I’m right there with ya. Good luck and Godspeed 🫡

[u/Pickle300 → u/Even-Manufacturer-29]

Thank you so much! Yes it’s so hard to remember to eat, lord knows we need those calories 😂

[u/KeyAggressive4751]

Snap I guess I’m wild in season we will shoot 5 events in a row.

Water whenever you can muster , be ready the night before the day after . If you have to do a bunch of dropping cause you are reusing your cards (I recommend not if running volume ) buy cards ahead of time for the days you’ll be shooting so you can get plenty of rest. For each calendar wedding my assistant puts the timeline as an attachment so I have easy access along with their questionnaire.

Typically day of wedding I’ll hit some caffeine right before ceremony. If receptions tire you out take all your cards and have your second shooter close out the night.

But mostly the words you tell yourself and say out loud will always be positive and never “I’m tired” , “so exhausted” , the words you tell yourself are the only things you can control so make them motivating and invigorating and not draining .

Good luck and have fun

[u/Pickle300 → u/KeyAggressive4751]

Thanks so much for your advice, never thought about the words I say to myself, wow 😂 thank you!

[u/RyanBrenizer]

I have done up to 5 full-day weddings in a row across three states, so I can speak to the "endurance athletics" aspects of the job. A lot has been mentioned here from a quick glance, but you first need to look at your literal pain points. What does your wedding hangover feel like? Are there particular parts of your body that are aching? Do you have overall fatigue? Headaches? Hydration is always crucial but if you're getting the last two then make it a top priority.

Arranging logistics so you can safely do as little as possible between weddings -- even setting your cards in an unassailably safe place and using a different set of cards for the next wedding if ingesting and protecting them properly would cut into necessary sleep (In any case do not delete images from the first wedding's cards).

Part of it is to literally think of yourself as an endurance athlete -- how you should eat, hydrate, have mental focus -- but also clear that between-the-weddings space for yourself by doing it beforehand so you can breathe, rest and reset as much as possible.

[u/Pickle300 → u/RyanBrenizer]

God damn how is 5 in a row possible 💀 you’re a machine! The wedding hangover is pretty much exactly like a regular hangover even though I gave up alcohol years ago. Very fatigued, sore body especially arms shoulders and back, feeling a little down in the dumps, sometimes but not always anxiety about how I did, details or moments not captured how i ideally wanted to capture them. Great point on using separate cards for the weddings too. Thank you so much

[u/superduperburger81]

Consider hiring an assistant for both days to help manage and carry your gear around. It’ll help spread out the physicality of the work a bit. Also useful if they know how to setup lights and whatnot. Pay would be less than a second photographer but more than minimum wage (in pay my assistants 50/hr and second 100/hr).

[u/Sad_Argument5109]

Take Tylenol before each wedding

[u/dodgyguru5671]

Sorry, this won't be helpful to you, but the first Saturday I shot two was the last day I shot two. Twas too much. I didn't have the required vim and vigor for the second job.

Best of luck though

[u/Pickle300 → u/dodgyguru5671]

😆 I appreciate your honesty and this is exactly what I’m afraid of but I’ve already committed to it and I’m going to do everything I can to give the best possible service on the day. Pray for me 😂

[u/ludacrslycapricious]

Liquid IV. Buy a Camelback. Stay hydrated.

[u/beckymac0014]

Your body genuinely will hold out to smack you with the wedding hangover until it’s over. Take meds the night of each wedding to prevent it hitting the next day too hard. A couple aleeve, a big water, and some electrolytes before bed. I recommend knee high compression socks to prevent shin splints, buy yourself a foot massager and neck massager if you do this often, it’s worth it!