Have you ever wondered what a wedding photographer does when they’re not shooting a wedding? The answer: a lot! Being a wedding photographer is about more than just artistry, it’s about running a business. Here’s what a typical day for me looks like when I’m not off shooting a wedding:

7:30 AM

Sometimes I wake up from my alarm, but most often my dog, Pongo, will wake me up by licking my face. She gets fed and walked first thing every morning, and she likes to keep to her schedule.

8:00 AM

After returning home from walking Pongo, I shower, change, make breakfast and drink coffee. I try reading some of the news headlines, but quite often I end up checking social media.

9:00 AM

I catch up with my emails. Usually, I answer emails as soon as I receive them, but sometimes they accumulate too quickly and I need to block out time in my day to go through all of them. I send out contracts, schedule engagement sessions, answer inquiries and talk with vendors. If there’s a wedding coming up on the weekend, I check in with my second shooter and send her the schedule and shot list. I also use this time to update my website and check my SEO analytics.

10:30 AM

I make another cup of coffee and call a bride for a phone consultation. We talk about the details of her wedding, and I answer any questions she has about working with me as her wedding photographer.

11:30 AM

I prepare a batch of photos to post to my blog. I try and update it at least twice a week with wedding photos, engagement sessions, and posts related to working as a wedding photographer in DC and Maryland. I also prepare the social media collateral to coincide with publishing the blog post.

12:30 PM

I’m meeting my second shooter for lunch at a little cafe down the street from my house. I take Pongo with me. I love using my lunch break to take a walk outside and get some fresh air. During our lunch, my second shooter and I discuss our game plan for the upcoming wedding. 

1:30 PM

Time for another consultation — this time the bride and groom are visiting me in my home office. I prepare refreshments and some sample wedding albums to show to the couple.

3:00 PM

Done with meetings! But my day is hardly over — I have several weddings for which I need to edit the photos. I sit down at my computer, crank up my photo editing playlist, and get to work.

6:00 PM

I take a small break to walk Pongo and answer any emails that have come in. 

6:30 PM

Back to editing!

8:30 PM

Usually, around now I finish working for the day. I make dinner, take Pongo on one last walk, and end the night curled up on the couch either with a book or watching Netflix. If I have the energy, I’ll go down to the gym and work out for an hour.

12:30 AM

Time for bed! 

There you have, a typical day in my life as a wedding photographer!