The first wedding I ever photographed was a physically miserable experience. August in Houston, Texas, is hot! I was the 2nd photographer, and we photographed practically all day long, with much of the photography outdoors. By the end of the day, in the grip of exhaustion and a debilitating headache, I told myself that I didn’t think wedding photography was the thing for me.

But then, a few months later, a friend asked if I could photograph their wedding. I gave them what I thought was a ridiculously high price and didn’t expect them to follow up on the quote. But I was wrong.

Thankfully, it was going to be an autumn wedding. Surely it wouldn’t be that exhausting. But again, I was wrong. By the end of the day, my head was throbbing, I was completely worn out, and my resolve was firmer than ever: I would never photograph a wedding again. 🙂

But guess what. Two years later, my very best friend was getting married. And there was no way I was going to decline his request!

So I found myself photographing another wedding.

But this time, I was more prepared. Even though it was still a full, challenging, and somewhat stressful day, I wasn’t nearly as physically exhausted at the end of the day as my first two experiences.

Well, that was over 10 years ago, and I’ve been photographing weddings ever since!

I’ve learned what I need to do before and during the wedding day to make sure I didn’t get exhausted. Things like drinking enough water. Planning in time for short snacks here and there. Getting enough sleep the night before. Being more specific with my shooting schedule so I don’t have to make as many last-minute decisions on the spur of the moment. Shooting with a 2nd photographer.

However, this year, I was asked to photograph a wedding in July that would put to the test everything I had learned about exhaustion prevention!

Another good friend was getting married, and it was to be a huge wedding! I knew from experience that summer in the Virginia piedmont is hot and humid. And here was the real kicker: everything was going to be outside. The portraits, the family groupings, the couple photos . . . even the ceremony!

The large, open field chosen for the ceremony was a gorgeous location! But there would be no shade trees. Full sun was expected for the majority of the day, with highs in the 90’s and near 100% humidity.

But despite it all, I couldn’t wait for the big day! I have known both the bride and the groom for a very long time and it was both a pleasure and honor to be on the inside of what felt like one of my own family member’s wedding.

But the question still remained: would I survive the demands of photographing such a strenuous wedding?

Julianna, Mordecai and I arrived the day before the rehearsal. This provided plenty of time to make sure I was all rested up!

I also asked my sister-in-law to come along with us. She’s the best 2nd photographer you could ever wish for! We could split the various responsibilities between us, sharing the load, and reducing the photography demands on any one individual. (More on the benefits of a 2nd photographer here.)

Because we knew the wedding day was going to be hot, we spent some time on the day of the rehearsal to scout out areas where we could do bridal party photos in the shade. (More on the importance of pre-wedding location scouting here.)

And during the rehearsal, I don’t think I have never sweated so much preparing for a wedding! Thankfully, Julianna was always close by with a bottle of cold water with electrolytes.

By the end of the rehearsal, there were a few things I concluded I would do differently on the wedding day. First, it would be imperative for me to wear a hat. This would be the first time photographing a wedding in a hat, that’s for sure! Second, I decided to ditch the suit jacket. And even the vest. A white, long-sleeve dress shirt with a tie would be formal enough, but cool.

Surprisingly, after hours in the sun, I felt pretty good after the rehearsal. Things had gone smoothly. But we would soon find out what would happen the next day!

Amazingly, the sky was gently veiled in a soft haze of clouds the next morning!

The first stretch of outdoor shooting was warm, but we didn’t have to deal the direct sunlight at all.

It wasn’t until we were wrapping up photos of the bride and bridesmaids that the sun actually decided to come out!

Everything moved indoors until it was time for the ceremony.

Then, at the appointed time, everyone gathered on the manicured lawn for what would be the hottest part of the day. Though the direct sun was relentless, the beautiful ceremony continued as planned.

One by one, video cameras began shutting down from the heat. But our cameras kept running. So we kept shooting.

Half way through the ceremony, my system for keeping hydrated was interrupted . . . but we kept shooting anyway!

I guess the locals are used to days like this, because the ceremony continued to the end without a hitch. Everyone was acting like it was a normal day!

From the climactic ending of the ceremony, we moved on to the family grouping photos at the far end of the field. After 45 minutes there, we photographed the bridal party for another half hour. Finally, we could step under the shade of the reception tent!

But the photography didn’t slow down. There was the bridal party entrance, cake cutting, decorations, speeches, and folks greeting the couple to shoot. Lydia and I took turns sitting down to grab something to eat and regroup before the grand exit.

By now, the sun was setting and the heat was subsiding. But the pace never slowed.

We jumped on a Mule to meet the couple on the far side of the property till we photographed through sunset.

Finally, the heat of the day was passed. A romantic canoe ride on a still pond was the last thing we photographed before it was simply too dark to shoot any more.

It was just after 9:00pm. And we were finished. We had survived the demands of an outdoor wedding in July!

Though, I have to admit, I was pretty exhausted. And my face was beet red.

By the time we returned to the cleanup crew and found Julianna and Mordecai, a fairly severe headache was coming on. I think I had pretty much stopped drinking water before the couple photos. A big mistake.

But thankfully, there aren’t many headaches that a good night’s rest won’t take care of. And sure enough, by morning, we were up and ready for the next adventure . . . downloading and editing pictures. 😀

Well, yes, but we had another event coming up the very next weekend. Over 2000 miles away. And let’s just say, we had our fair share of difficulties getting there as you can read in this next blog post!