055 How I Approach A Wedding Day & The Healing Power of CARBS!

Have you ever wondered how I tackle the ups, downs, and all the in between that happen on a wedding day? This week on the podcast I’m sharing a step-by-step look at how I manage two very different weddings, each with its own set of logistics and demands. I also dive into what I've learned about healthy diets and proper carb intake when you’re working a high-energy job like this. My mind was seriously blown!

Show Notes: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/how-i-approach-a-wedding-day/

Timeline Freebie - https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/timelines

Template Shop: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop

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Takeaways

• Wedding photography involves physical and mental exertion, and it is more than just pressing a button.
• A well-planned photography timeline is crucial for capturing all the important moments of a wedding day.
• Taking care of one's physical and mental well-being before, during, and after a wedding is essential.
• Carb-loading before a wedding can help maintain energy levels throughout the day.
• Proper hydration and nutrition can contribute to a better overall experience on a wedding day.
• Using tools like massage guns and TENS machines can aid in muscle recovery after a long day of shooting.
• It's important for photographers to have a hands-on approach to the photography timeline and work closely with other vendors to ensure a smooth wedding day.
• Each wedding is unique, and photographers should be adaptable and flexible to meet the needs and preferences of their clients.
• Taking time to relax and enjoy the wedding day can lead to better photos and a more positive experience for everyone involved.

Chapters

00:00 Preparing for Two Different Weddings
15:28 The Importance of a Well-Planned Photography Timeline
20:49 Fueling Your Body for a Wedding Day: The Role of Nutrition
25:12 Taking Care of Yourself: Preparing Physically and Mentally
28:20 The Physical Demands of Wedding Photography
29:10 Collaborating with Vendors for a Successful Wedding Day
31:52 Enjoying the Wedding Day: Balancing Work and Fun 

Chapters

• 0:00 Preparing for Two Different Weddings
• 15:28 The Importance of a Well-Planned Photography Timeline
• 20:49 Fueling Your Body for a Wedding Day: The Role of Nutrition
• 25:12 Taking Care of Yourself: Preparing Physically and Mentally
• 28:20 The Physical Demands of Wedding Photography
• 31:52 Enjoying the Wedding Day: Balancing Work and Fun

Transcript

00:00 Preparing for Two Different Wedding Days

[00:00:00] Sandra: If you've ever wished you could peel back the curtain in somebody else's photography business and see exactly how they approach a wedding day, then today is your lucky day.

[00:00:09] My last two weddings were so different from one another. So today I am so excited to be diving into how I prepped for both weddings, how the days went, the differences between the two hurdles that we came across and things that went well, and then how everything went after the wedding was all said and done.

[00:00:27] My last wedding was just a few days ago and I have so much to say and so many thoughts to share.

[00:00:33] Sandra: So here comes the intro and then we will get right into it.

[00:00:37] Welcome to keeping it candid. I'm your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach. I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the back end of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way. And on a more personal note, I'm a strong enneagram 3 wing too who is obsessed with tacos, and my love for travelling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner.

[00:01:07] Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it's really like working as a wedding photographer, where I'll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends. So go grab your favourite notebook and pen, and let's dive into this week's episode.

[00:01:23] For anybody who's been a long-time listener of the podcast, you know that I have really been pulling back on the number of weddings that I take on every year because I have so many other things going on with my health and things like that, that the physical toll that it takes on my body.

[00:01:37] Just is too much for me to be doing this every single weekend. So this year I have a wedding in June, July, and August. And with my June and July weddings out of the way, I thought there was no better time than to kind of give a behind-the-scenes day in the life look at what it looks like for me on a wedding day.

[00:01:56] I'm going to start with my June couple. They got married on June 22nd, and in my area, we were in the midst of a major heat wave. Earlier in the week, I believe the humidex hit, close to 41 degrees Celsius, which is, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe a hundred and five-ish for anybody who's listening in the U. S. and is using Fahrenheit for temperatures.

[00:02:21] But thankfully, by the wedding day, it did cool off, and I'm using some air quotes here, cooled off a little bit, and it went down to 36 degrees Celsius, or roughly about 96, 97 degrees Fahrenheit. So, still hot as hell, but we were ready to make the best of it. As wedding photographers know, wedding vendors know, there's nothing you can do to control the weather.

[00:02:43] But the day we figure it out, I know we are all going to be rejoicing because it will make our jobs so much easier. Anyway, so I woke up at 8 a.m. that day and I had done a few things the day before to kind of help myself get ready. I had a high-protein dinner, some chicken breast, and some steamed vegetables, and then when I woke up the next day, I had Greek yogurt for breakfast. I had some chicken salad and some cold vegetables for lunch, and I packed a couple of protein bars to bring with me for the wedding day.

[00:03:18] I also packed a ton of water. I did the math on all the water I drank that day and it equalled out to about Four and a half litres of water, which is more than a gallon for all of my American listeners. It was a lot. And I was still dehydrated. Like that's how hot it was. So I get all of my protein bars and my water and everything loaded up into the car.

[00:03:43] And then I had about a half an hour drive to go and meet my assistant Emily. And we started with the groom's getting ready photos at a hotel. This was a lot of fun because it's hit and miss on whether or not the groom and his groomsman or his side of the wedding party are going to be really into photos.

[00:04:03] This time we had a bunch of guys that were just really excited, ready to participate in photos, and that always just makes the photos turn out so much better. So we got that all done, thankfully, keeping everybody inside and the air conditioning at the hotel.

[00:04:18] It didn't make much of a difference for me. I started sweating from the second the day started and I did not stop sweating until I got into the shower after the wedding was over.

4:30 How Your Cycle Impacts Your Body Temperature

[00:04:30] Part of the reason for that was it was hot as hell outside, but I was also in a phase of my menstrual cycle where my body temperature just naturally increases. For a lot of people who menstruate, this is going to happen the week before your period starts.

[00:04:45] For me, it lasts a little bit longer just because of how my hormones are interacting with my body, having endometriosis and things like that. So it was a very, very sweaty day for me. Once we finished up with the guys, we headed over to the venue because the bride was getting ready at the same building as the ceremony and the reception, which was nice.

[00:05:06] I love being able to cut down on any sort of travel time so we can really maximize the time we have for photos.

[00:05:12] So once we got there, we unpacked all of our stuff and we headed inside and this venue is a, it's gorgeous. It's a really old train station, but you all know, with really old buildings, this typically means that there are air conditioning issues and airflow issues.

[00:05:28] So, even though there was air conditioning in this building. You really wouldn't know it unless you were standing like directly over a vent. We headed upstairs where it was even hotter and we went to go and start the bride's getting ready photos.

[00:05:42] But as we were doing details, I noticed that the bride wasn't feeling well. She asked if we could just take a few minutes so she could have something to eat and something to drink. And of course, when it comes to a wedding day, my priority is to make sure that the couple and Everybody having their photo taken can relax and enjoy themselves.

[00:06:01] The priority is not the photos when it comes to whether or not the bride is feeling well. So we shifted things around. I shortened the time that we were going to need for photos. I told her that we could do photos with her bridal party later on during our wedding party photos. So that eliminated some time and we could just let her sit, try to cool off, hydrate herself, and we would keep going from there.

[00:06:25] And so what we ended up doing was my assistant and I took the bride into the bathroom and we plugged in a whole bunch of fans. A couple of her bridesmaids were in there as well, and I was the one who did up her dress. The bridesmaids that were in there had no experience with a corset dress.

[00:06:42] And so, of course, I was more than happy to step in and do that for her while my assistant and her bridesmaids tried to keep her cool. And then once her dress was all ready to go, we took her out and we did some mock photos with her mom. That way she still had those memories captured while we were able to take that extra time to cool her off and make her more comfortable.

[00:07:02] Thankfully that ended up being exactly what she needed. And we were able to head downstairs to start our pre-ceremony photos.

[00:07:10] When I do pre-ceremony photos, I like to section off about 20 to 30 minutes prior to the ceremony, and that gives us a chance to get photos of all of their ceremony details of the guests coming in and saying hi to one another and getting seated. And then, of course, most importantly, making sure that our camera gear is all ready to go for when the ceremony starts.

[00:07:30] Now, because of the heat, cocktails were moved into the reception area. So I had to make a quick little last-minute change. Once the ceremony started, I sent my assistant over into the reception space to start getting all of those details before all of the guests filled the room.

[00:07:47] Thankfully, the ceremony space that we were in was pretty compacted, so it was really easy for me to get all of the necessary angles and moments without being intrusive and being able to send my assistant off to get those photos.

[00:07:58] And that's a perfect example of how as wedding photographers and wedding professionals we really need to think on our toes and sometimes make some last-minute changes and go with the flow of the day to make sure that we get the photos, even if we had planned it all perfectly and things aren't exactly going according to that.

[00:08:15] One of my favourite parts of the whole day was actually during this ceremony one of the bridesmaids came up to do a reading, and she actually did a reading from the movie Crazy Stupid Love, which is one of my absolute favourite movies. If anybody listening has seen it, It was the part where Steve Carell is talking about the first time he ever lied to his dad about being in love with the girl that he had just met. And it was such a perfect reading and it was the first time I've ever heard somebody quote crazy stupid love. So I will definitely not forget that.

[00:08:46] It made me so happy. And then after the ceremony was over, we headed outside the train station to take advantage of a nice breeze that was finally rolling through and we used the old brick and natural light to do their family formals and the wedding party photos.

[00:09:02] For the newlywed photos, they had originally planned on going to a secondary location to have photos done, but because of how hot it was, they decided to just scratch that and take advantage of the great,

[00:09:15] and take advantage of everything that the train station had to offer instead.

[00:09:19] We did photos with them walking around out back of the building, And then we went back upstairs into that room where we had started with the getting ready photos, which had thankfully cooled down because it has the most gorgeous wall with exposed brick and some old drywall still hanging on.

[00:09:34] It's one of the biggest selling features that this venue has and why so many people love getting married there. so I was really glad that we were able to go back in and take advantage without making the couple pass out to have their photos taken.

[00:09:48] Once we got all of the formal photos done, it was time for our reception prep. This is the same as the ceremony prep that I've already mentioned, where we set aside about 20 to 30 minutes before the reception to get photos of the decor, to get candids of everybody as they're taking their seat and socializing with one another, and making sure that our camera gear is all ready to go for when the grand entrance starts.

[00:10:14] When the grand entrance did kick off, it went right into the cake cutting, and then speeches were split between rounds at the buffet. I have to give the biggest thank you to this couple because where they sat me at the table, the pasta portion of the buffet was literally right behind me. And I'm not going to lie.

[00:10:35] It was some of the best pasta that I've ever had and I don't know if that's because of how hot it was or how hungry I was or if it really was the most delicious pasta ever.

[00:10:44] Either way, I had a lot of it with no regrets because there was tons left over and I hate seeing food go to waste. After dinner and dessert were all said and done. It was time for the first dance. And then the dance floor opened with all of the guests invited to come out and join them. And at that point, the incredible wedding planners helped me bring my vision to life for the night photo that I wanted to do with the couple. There was beautiful drapery all on the wall behind the sweetheart table with twinkling fairy lights in behind it and I had a vision of using that as the backdrop for their night photo.

[00:11:19] So the planners helped me move the sweetheart table out of the way and get it all cleared out so that the couple didn't even have to leave the dance floor. The guests just moved their dancing a little bit off to the side and the couple came out onto the center of the dance floor

[00:11:33] and we ended the night with a bang. I'm going to be sharing this photo over on my photography Instagram account, which you can find at @lifeisbeautifullondon. I am going to be posting that later today when this episode airs, so definitely go and take a look if you are interested in seeing what the outcome of that was.

[00:11:49] And it was super fun because they had all of their guests just cheering them on and getting some more natural reactions out of them for the photos.

[00:11:56] Then after about an eight-and-a-half-hour photography day, we were all finished and we packed up our gear and we said goodbye to the couple and we went and headed outside. I had brought my laptop with me because my assistant and I live on totally different ends of the city. So we just hung out in the parking lot.

[00:12:14] Cool off a little bit While we uploaded our photos onto my hard drive.

[00:12:17] And then we said our goodbyes and headed home. Now, for me, this drive, I gotta say, was not fun. It was about 40 minutes from the venue to my house. And with it being a combination of my first wedding of the year, not the most convenient time in my cycle, having an already increased body temperature, and then also dealing with a heat wave, as soon as the adrenaline of the day started wearing off when I got in my car, all of it all kind of culminated, and I was so sick on my way home. I spent almost the entire 40 minutes dry heaving. I just did not want to pull over and get sick, so I tried to just, like, breathe through it as much as I could.

[00:13:07] And my husband, I just love him so much, he was standing outside waiting for me to get there, and he had a ginger chew candy, which they are,

[00:13:16] I mean, they're exactly what they sound like. They're candies that, these ones I get are mango flavoured, and they're just a chewy candy, and they are also made with lots of ginger to help settle your stomach. They're the best. So yeah, as soon as I started eating that ginger candy, I started feeling a lot better. I went inside, I immediately showered With one of the coldest showers I think I've ever had.

[00:13:38] Afterwards, I started importing all of my photos, and Then I went to bed, but the fun wasn't over there because I was so overstimulated from the day, that it took me until about 5 a.m. to fall asleep.

[00:13:52] Sandra: Even though I was so physically exhausted, my nervous system just would not slow down. So I had to just ride it out. I finally fell asleep at around five o'clock in the morning and the wedding hangover lasted about three days. Which is pretty quick. I expect it to last about four days normally. So when I actually started feeling a lot better around day 2. 5 and then by day three was back to my regularly scheduled programming. It was mind-blowing. And the one thing that I had to thank for that was that my husband actually bought me a massage gun for Christmas. And I used that to roll out the muscles on my thighs, my calves, my biceps.

[00:14:40] I used a different attachment to get into my hips and my glutes.

[00:14:45] And it seriously made all the difference.

[00:14:49] I am all about trying different things to help with pain management and getting your body to recover faster. and of course, exercise is always the best thing, but for me and my chronic pain and my chronic health issues, that's not always a possibility. So having this massage gun work so well was great.

[00:15:06] I also have a TENS machine that I'll use, which sends small electric currents into your muscles. And I'll use that for anything that's like real deep down that my massage gun can't get to. And the combo of the two of them had me back up and running at least a good day or more quicker than normal.

[00:15:24] So that was amazing.

15:28 Wedding Timeline Freebie!

[00:15:27] Even if your couples are hiring a wedding planner, I think it's so important for a photographer to have a hands-on approach when it comes to tackling the photography timeline for the wedding day. It's so important for vendors to all work together with the couple to make sure all those important moments are going to be captured perfectly. But when it comes time to actually write that timeline, it can be so tedious. So I put together a timeline template inside Google Sheets that you can download for free if you go to my website at simplysandrayvonne.ca/timelines. This Google Sheets template has four different tabs.

[00:16:03] One for notes, where you can put contact information, And anything else you'll need to refer to a tab for the timeline with simple drop-down menus in 5-minute increments to make sure that you are able to note every single part of the day.

[00:16:16] A family shot list tab where you can write in every single family photo you're going to do and also put notes for the relation of who the people are so you know exactly who's standing in front of your camera. and then lastly, you'll also find a vendor tab where you can put all of the vendor's contact information, get their social media handles and more to make sure that it's super easy to tag them and share photos going forward.

[00:16:39] If this is something you need in your wedding photography business, I want you to head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/timelines to get your copy.

16:49 A Different Approach To A Wedding Day

[00:16:49] Once I was out of the wedding hangover, I did have the following weekend off. So that was nice. And then it took me to my next wedding, Which just happened this past weekend

[00:17:01] This couple had a six-hour package and they really wanted a low-key, candid approach to their wedding day. Not that the other couple in June didn't want a low-key approach either - that's kind of my vibe that I bring to the wedding day but they had more hours and wanted a lot more with like the getting ready and post photos and things like that.

[00:17:24] Now for this wedding, when it came to how I was eating and how I was going to be nourishing my body before and during the wedding day, I decided to take a totally different approach. And I want to explain where my thought process came with this. So normally I associate protein with energy. and I think that most of us do, We know that having lots of protein in our diet is important and plays a huge role in how we can hold our energy throughout the day. And then if you're like me, I'm 37, and if you are anywhere in my age bracket, you know that we grew up during a time when the world was very anti-carb.

[00:18:05] And I know there's a lot of reasons that go into that, and for some people, obviously grains and things like that with gluten, it is an issue for them. But for me, I don't have a gluten allergy, and I think that my understanding of how carbs play a role in your diet and your energy levels and things like that came from that negative approach to carbs.

[00:18:28] And so I was thinking about how that June wedding went, where it was really, really hot, and I'd eaten a lot of protein, but I was struggling to keep up throughout the day, and I assumed it just had to do with the heat And the fact that I was where I was in my cycle and things like that, but when it came time for dinner, I had some chicken and then I had that pasta that I was saying earlier was like the best pasta I ever had.

[00:18:52] Even though I wasn't feeling that hungry because of how hot it was and how busy I was, I could not get enough of this pasta. I didn't think much of it at the time, but as I was preparing for this next wedding in July, My wheels started turning and a light bulb went off about how the fact that athletes will typically carb load before a game.

[00:19:12] And so I decided to do a little bit of research. I did some reading myself and I reached out to some friends of mine who have more experience when it comes to nutrition and how it impacts your body. So I first talked to my friend Sid over at In Ink Weddings. Shout out to Sid. She is amazing at all things wedding.

[00:19:31] But she also just completed a marathon running through the Inca mountains in Peru and I'm not going to lie. I was fully online stalking her because I just found this to be so inspiring. And so I knew that she had been training for that for a while and that diet was going to play a huge role in that.

[00:19:50] So I reached out to her. And then I also reached out to a friend of mine who is a personal trainer and nutritionist and a couple of friends who are massage therapists. And these people all were able to give me so much insight into how carbs can actually help you on a wedding day. They do play a role along with protein and how you're able to keep up your energy levels throughout the day. there's also science behind it about how your muscles are able to heal after high-intensity workouts, which isn't just at the gym. Anybody who's worked at a wedding knows wedding days definitely count for high intensity. So I'm so glad that I reached out to them and I decided to take this different approach to my diet for this wedding.

[00:20:31] And I want to give a disclaimer that this is not advice by any means. I want to make sure that you are consulting who you need to consult before you make any changes to your diet. This is just something that I knew I would be able to try safely on my own and I wanted to share what the outcome of that was.

20:49 Fueling Your Body for a Wedding Day: The Role of Nutrition

[00:20:49] So, the day before the wedding for dinner, I had pesto pasta with chicken and some veggies, and then I had a Danish for dessert. The next morning, I had the rest of my Danish for breakfast. Definitely could have made healthier choices, but I was just going with the food that I had. So I ate the rest of that Danish for breakfast.

[00:21:09] And then for lunch, I packed myself a chicken salad sandwich. And of course, all the water again. This time we had a late start for the wedding day. We didn't actually start until 4:30 pm, but the couple was getting married at a venue with a private beach, so my assistant Shannon and I decided to go up early and we spent a few hours laying out in the sun and swimming in the lake before we went inside and got cleaned up for when we had to start photos. 

We were starting right with the ceremony this time, no getting-ready photos, but regardless of that, we always make sure that we have that time ahead of the ceremony to make sure we're able to get photos of the details, guests as they're arriving, and making sure that our gear is all ready to go for when everybody starts walking down the aisle. 

The ceremony was running a little bit late, and it was very sunny outside, so the guests lingered around the edge where they were able to hang out in the shade and enjoy some water and things like that until the ceremony got started. It was a short and sweet ceremony with the most beautiful exit as the couple walked down the aisle and they had their guests do a petal toss, and then we really got into embracing the low-key, candid aspect of the day.

[00:22:17] We had a few family photos to do, but as guests were trying to make arrangements for their kids, use the washroom, get a drink, and things like that, we floated around doing candids until everybody was available, and we just fit those family formals in where we could.

[00:22:31] We didn't do any wedding party or newlywed formals before the reception started, allowing the couple to mingle with their guests and take time to just enjoy their day.

[00:22:41] It also gave us lots of time for reception details and to get to know some of the vendors that we were working with because most of them were actually new faces.

[00:22:49] As the couple did their entrance into the reception, They did a Polish tradition where they take, I believe it's a shot of water and a shot of vodka, but this couple opted to just do shots of water and then eat some, bread with salt on it. And then receive a Polish blessing and be on your way to the head table.

[00:23:07] And then immediately after the grand entrance, we went into speeches, which was really nice to get those done and out of the way so that everybody could just sit and enjoy their dinner.

[00:23:17] Towards the end of dinner service, the couple headed onto the dance floor for their first dance. And then we headed right outside into a golf cart. The staff from the venue drove us down to the beach for the most beautiful sunset I have had on a wedding day in so long.

[00:23:33] It was seriously like the picture-perfect sunset over the water, which made my photographer heart happy, but also made me even happier for my clients because I know specifically the bride booked this venue for that reason. And so it was so nice knowing that all of her wedding day sunset dreams came true.

[00:23:52] Once we went back inside the venue, we did some more candids on the dance floor, and then we headed home. This drive home was thankfully a lot less painful than the last one. I did not get sick. And once I did get home, I showered and went to bed and fell asleep at a normal time. So a huge difference compared to a couple of weeks ago.

[00:24:15] before. Overall, I felt so much more mentally clear and energized throughout the entire day. I forgot to mention during dinner, I went really carb-heavy again. I did have some chicken to make sure I was getting that protein in me, but I had two dinner rolls. And then I had some potatoes and vegetables, and really just made sure that I kept running with those carbs.

[00:24:36] My total water intake on this wedding day was about two and a half litres of water, which is about 0. 6 gallons for all of my American listeners.

[00:24:46] Now, even though I was at a much better, much more energetic part of my cycle, I really do think that the way I approached my diet and my carb intake for this wedding day was the catalyst for me feeling so much better.

25:00 Taking Care of Yourself: Preparing Physically and Mentally

[00:25:00] Not only did I stay so much more mentally clear and energetic throughout the entire day, But I also cannot tell you the last time I felt that good waking up the day after a wedding. Normally my thighs, my calves, and my biceps are all burning and sore and inflamed. None of that happened this time. My joints were still really sore.

[00:25:24] But that's something that I know my joints are really needing to be strengthened and stabilized. So that's something that I've been working on. Just starting to go swimming and things like that to try and get some low-impact exercise in when I can. But it was just shocking to me how different my muscles felt overall.

[00:25:42] And I didn't wake up with a migraine the next day! No matter how much water I drink or how long I have my sunglasses on, or if I put a hat on when it's really sunny and we're doing photos outside, I've tried all the things and nothing has ever helped me escape that Sunday morning migraine that happens after a wedding, but this time I did not have a migraine and so I don't know.

[00:26:07] I'm not a nutritionist. This is my first time doing this. Again, I don't want to say that this is the absolute way to feel good on a wedding day, but it was enough for me to be really intrigued and for me to want to step back and look at how I'm approaching my diet, especially around work.

[00:26:26] And yeah, it's also kind of been a little bit humbling to realize that something that I thought I really had a handle on was... Not necessarily totally wrong, but a little bit off base in terms of how to approach a high-impact wedding day versus how you would approach your diet for everyday life.

[00:26:46] So take that for what it's worth. If it's something that you can safely try and you're interested in trying, increase your carb intake and see how it feels for you.

[00:26:55] There are lots of different ways that you can approach eating more carbs. For me, I'm thankful that I don't have any sort of gluten allergy, and I love bread, so I will take any excuse to eat more grains. You don't have to ask me twice. And so the next time that I have a really long, high-impact day, Day will be in a few weeks when I have my summer mini-sessions on the beach.

[00:27:17] And as of right now, I have eight families booked in and I still have a few more spots open that I'm hoping to fill before then. So I will be taking this same approach for that, where I'm going to try a really high carb, high protein diet around the time of the session and see how it goes from there.

[00:27:36] Now I know my story and my approach to a wedding day is going to be different than a lot of people listening. It's not everyone's story, but it is for a lot of us. And when it comes to listening to people talk about the photography industry from those who are not actually in the photography industry, they say things like it's just pressing a button and they don't understand why yada, yada.

[00:28:00] I get really frigging frustrated because it is so much more than that. Like, let's ignore all of the editing and all the things that we have to do to prep and do behind the scenes in our office and things like that. On the actual wedding day, we are running, we are climbing, we are standing in weird positions.

28:18 The Physical Demands of a Wedding Day

[00:28:18] We are going nonstop for hours, and the physical toll of that is huge. There's also a mental toll that goes along with it when you have to be on for that many hours. You're not only having to think about what you're actually doing, but you're having to think about everything that is still to come.

[00:28:35] You're probably thinking about everything that you've already done. You have to navigate not only your clients but all the guests that have attended the wedding. It can be a lot. I know I'm preaching to the choir here while I'm standing on this little soapbox, but we all know it is so much more than pushing a button

[00:28:50] and those physical requirements and the toll that it takes on a person's body are a big reason as to why I've pulled back so aggressively on the number of weddings that I do.

[00:29:00] if you want to dive in a little bit more into how to tackle before, during, and after a wedding day to alleviate some of what you have to go through during the wedding hangover, after the wedding day is all said and done, I want you to go back and listen to episode 31 of this podcast, where I was joined by Kassandra Fuller, who is an ex wedding planner, turned personal trainer and nutritionist, she shared so much valuable information that I know is going to help you immensely throughout this wedding season. The link for that is going to be in the show notes. And I'm also going to throw some links in there for some of the things that I've talked about today, like my massage gun that I use, the tens machine, my big water jug and things like that.

[00:29:39] So make sure you go and get all of those details if you are interested. And that wraps up everything for me for this week's episode. I hope that this gave you some interesting insight into how somebody else approaches a wedding day. Whether you learned something that you thought "I'm absolutely never going to run my wedding day like that, or you're like, that's a really great idea. Both are super valuable. So I hope that you had some sort of takeaway from it and enjoy the rest of your week.

[00:30:08] Have a great wedding this weekend if you've got one and I will be back next Wednesday.

30:14 Episode Sponsor - Aftershoot

[00:30:14] Today's episode of Keeping It Candid was sponsored by Aftershoot. Aftershoot is an AI editing and culling software that is going to be an absolute game changer for your photography business.

[00:30:25] You can upload your photos, cull them and do base editing all in one platform before pulling your photos over into Lightroom to make your final tweaks.

[00:30:34] The culling software will go through and filter out photos that are blurry or where people are blinking, it will pick out the best of the best, and it will continuously learn from you every time you modify the selections. From there, you can pull it in for some AI editing that again is trained off of your personal editing style and will apply those settings to your photos It's able to do cropping white balance levels, adjustments, curves adjustments, split toning - anything you could need to, and they're even now beta testing an AI subject masking feature, which for a beta, you guys, it is so good, and I am loving it.

[00:31:15] From there, I pull my photos in the Lightroom, and I apply my final tweaks, and then they are ready to go to my client. For my spring mini sessions this year, I had 10 clients come in and I had all of their photos fully edited and delivered within eight days.

[00:31:31] Yeah, you heard that right. Eight days. Aftershoot is going to save you so much time and take so much work off your plate this year. It's not meant to replace you, but it is going to be your new favourite tool in your toolkit to work more efficiently and get those photos out sooner so that you have happier clients and can spend more time behind your camera or even taking some time off.

[00:31:54] To try out Aftershoot, head over to my website, simplysandrayvonne.ca/resources, or check out the show notes for today's episode, and you will find a link to save 10% off your first year.

[00:32:06] Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today's episode at simplysandrayvonne.ca/shownotes.

In the meantime, let's connect! You can find me on Instagram and TikTok, just search Simply Sandra Yvonne. And if you love this podcast, I'd be so honoured if you go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review. Until next time!