Today is the first day of May, which officially marks the start of our wedding season!! After doing some camera bag spring cleaning, I’m sharing some of my favorite wedding must-have items!
I am one of those people who is always WAY over prepared, and I’m always ready for worst-case-senario. Don’t worry, I don’t have a secret zombie apocalypse bunker filled with canned goods…..yet! Just kidding 🙂
After my first few years shooting weddings, I began to hoard items in my bag as “just in case” items, and so I’ve compiled some of the most important things I always have in my camera bag. Just call me Dora 🙂
Extra SD Cards, Lens Wipes & Extra Batteries
I would hope that every photographer has these basic extras in their camera bag at all times!! Over the years I have collected an obscene amount of extra SD cards. I always invest in a new one every season, but I always keep the old ones just in case! I also invested in the little SD card case so I don’t have to hunt for them!
Extra rechargeable batteries for our flashes are a must! Greg came up with a genius method for distinguishing which sets are dead and which have juice. We pair them into groups of four and the charged sets are tied together with a rubber band so we can easily grab them in our bag. Then, the dead batteries, we just toss into the bag! This is a great system to easily and quickly grab juiced-up batteries without having to hunt through our bags!
Lens wipes are a must because our lenses and equipment have been known to get a little dirty! You always want to make sure that your lens is free from dust and debris. You may not notice it while you’re shooting, but it’s worth it to have these handy so you’re not spending hours in photoshop clone-stamping a dust spec off of every single image!
Find these items –> HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE
PayPal Card Reader & Mini Sewing Kit
Did you know that 85% of the payments we receive are from a card? Moving from cash to card was a decision that I wrestled with for about a year, but it has made SUCH a huge difference in our business workflow. I’ve found that people like having the ability to have multiple payment options, so we have a total of 4 of these readers floating around! I’m never without one of these bad boys!
This trusty little sewing kit has been our savior more times than not. I stock up on white thread and clear buttons every season, and believe me, we use close to an entire spool every season! This is definitely a must-have in your emergency kit!!
Find these items —–> HERE and HERE
Sunglasses & Smart Watch
Alright, so these items are definitely not necessities, but they are some of my favorite wedding-day-must-haves! I would highly recommend having a pair of sunglasses, especially when you’re outside all day! It helps keep your exposure settings correct in the camera when looking at the back of the screen. We all know what it’s like to try and look at a screen in the sunlight! Wearing sunglasses helps!!
My Apple Watch has truly been a lifesaver, and allows me to be discretely in touch with the other members of CFP without having my phone out! It also has all of the apps on my phone, including the “Magic Hour” app which tracks the sun! Perfect for golden hour photos!
Find these items —-> HERE and HERE
Tylenol, Young Living Stress Away Oil & Deodorant
These items are practically worth their weight in gold when it comes to a wedding day! We wear black shirts on wedding days, and nothing sucks more than white deodorant marks, and this Dove Advanced Care Invisible deodorant has passed the test countless times! I keep this right in my camera bag just in case. Hey, no one likes to be stinky!
Tylenol because, nothing sucks more than being in pain or uncomfortable and trying to work! Also does the trick for rehearsal bridal party hangovers 😉
I recently became a fan of Young Living Essential Oil and I diffuse Stress Away in my mini car diffuser on my way to every single wedding! Ashley also has a necklace with a little oil pad inside that she wears to weddings. Perfect to keep us sane!
Find these items —-> HERE, HERE and HERE
Comfortable Shoes & The Corkcicle
For the longest time I struggled to find a pair of shoes that didn’t make my feet feel like they were raw little nubs by the end of a wedding. Finally, I decided to just wear sneakers. I know that sounds SO unprofessional, but it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made! Being comfortable on your feet during a 16 hour day is crucial! Of course, I bought new, clean, nice looking sneakers and I only wear them to weddings! They get a little dirty, but I literally throw them in the washer on delicate after every wedding! And, of course, I found some that match my logo colors! Definitely one of the best investments I’ve made!
Not staying hydrated is one of the biggest mistakes photographers make, including myself! Two years ago, I almost passed out at a wedding, because I was so busy running around working, I hadn’t even thought about stopping to get a drink or cool off. After that, I quickly invested in a Corkcicle and it works WONDERS. It’s guaranteed to keep cold beverages cold for 20 hours and it works!! I loved the Corkcicle so much that I bought one for every member of our team last year! Color-coordinated with our logo of course 🙂
Find these items —> HERE and HERE
That’s it! Those are some of my favorite items I keep with me or in my bag at all times during the wedding season! If you don’t have an emergency kit, it’s the perfect time to start putting on together! Happy wedding season, friends!!
Cristina
