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All-In Wedding Photography
The business podcast for wedding photographers who want to build a booking system that works.
If you're tired of feeling stuck and alone in your business, this podcast is for you.
Join wedding photographer Alex Stead with co-host Ren as they break down funnels, marketing, pricing, and business strategies together in a way that actually makes sense.
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All-In Wedding Photography
What’s in My Kit (Not Camera Gear)
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The essentials of a comprehensive wedding day emergency kit beyond standard photography equipment, sharing our list of items that help us handle unexpected situations with grace and professionalism.
Send us a message on Instagram to share what's in your wedding day emergency kit - we'd love to hear what items you consider essential!
Introduction to Non-Photography Wedding Essentials
Speaker 1we are going to talk about what I take on a wedding day that is not photography related . Why would you take anything that's not photography related on a wedding day ? Because shit happens , and oftentimes you are the only one there who knows how to deal with stuff , because being prepared never hurts . Being prepared never hurts . You were a girl guide , can you tell ? So here's what's in my kit .
Speaker 2This should be a . Oh my God , wait , this is a . This is funny . Okay , let's hear it . Okay , our goddaughter , yes , eleanor , yes , is in girl guides , yes , and she thinks of my gender in a very beautifully abstract way .
Speaker 1God love her . She's a child .
Speaker 2Yeah well , lover , she's a child . She yeah , well , she's our goddaughter . Yeah , she's in girl guides . Yeah , she's a child . Yeah , um , she came home from her sparks graduation , I think , so yeah , with like all her badges and certificate , and I was like , oh my gosh , ellie , like congrats , you know , I did girl guides . I did it all the way to the top , I got my canada cord even , and she said , don't be silly , girl guides is for girls . And I was like , yeah , like I was a girl , I definitely was a girl . The beautiful thing is , and it just made her . She was just so annoyed it makes her so bad well , she thinks I'm , she thinks I'm teasing .
Speaker 2Yeah , and I do want to connect with her on the things that I did as a child , that she's doing now as a child . She'll like she's very close to figuring it out , I think she's . She'll get there she'll get there the three genders being big alex , little alex right and yeah yeah she'll , she'll
Emergency Kit Essentials
Speaker 2win , she's not wrong .
Speaker 1She's not wrong . If anything , it's very validating . I'm sure it's the most correct . Yeah , okay . So emergency kit girl guide . Um , here's what is in mine and ran . I'd like to hear what's in yours after . So I typically carry mine in just like a little tiny sack . It's very small . Um , I have straight pins for boot and errors . I don't usually send enough , so sometimes it's nice to just be able to grab an extra one to fix the boot and errors . If they're like floppy .
Speaker 1Um , body tape for dresses , little mishaps sort of vibes yeah , sometimes you just need to like keep a strap in place , right ? Band-aids often these are just because the heels are too tight and it's always so sad , but it's usually for ankles , yeah , but sometimes like you never know what's gonna happen , like someone will like cut their finger on like the sharp foil wrapping of a bottle of champagne , you know like , yeah , just random things happen . So having band-aids is always nice . Um , more um specific , a crochet hook for button dresses . Um , I can never manage to keep a crochet hook in my pack because they always go missing , so I need to just buy 10 and keep them in my truck , I think . But they are so handy for doing up a dress with a lot of buttons because you can just hook the loop around the button super handy . Um , people love it . When you pull it out they're like , oh , that's so smart it's just a good way to be like hey , I'm so prepared , look , I got you um .
Speaker 1And on that note , I always try to keep like a little snack bag that is for me but also I can share with my clients . That just has like a bunch of granola bars or like basic snacks yeah , like school lunch style snacks . Yeah , water bottles . What I'll typically do is just buy like a big case of cheap regular water bottles at like Costco and keep them in my truck . I know microplastics , whatever . If you are thirsty on your wedding day , you don't care if it's warm water from the back of a truck . No , it is water . Yeah , so like they'll have their own oftentimes . But if they don't , being like do you just want to grab a bottle and they're like yes , or like be able to hand it to like you know the bride's dad , who's like really flustered and obviously sweating . Yeah , um , it's really nice to be able to just offer that um . On the same note , we always try to keep like red bull , pepsi
Food and Drink for Wedding Day Survival
Speaker 1or some sort of caffeine .
Speaker 1For the same reason , if you can tell that the couple is like starting to dip or he's a little sugar boost , I find the a red bull is so nice and people love getting a red bull , and we will keep those on ice like the , like juicy the , the red bulls that aren't red bull flavor , they're like watermelon and stuff they fly out of the cooler yeah , so we'll usually buy like a 12 pack , or is it 12 pack ?
Speaker 1three , four packs or whatever it is . Yeah , and we'll take like three or four on a wedding day in a cooler with an ice pack , and so then it's like you've got like a diet coke , a red bull , a water , a water that are cool , and then if you need extras , you've got that pack of water in the back yeah , and then for snacks , I find the bueno bars also , yeah , and the welches yeah , it's all just from like walmart or oh my gosh , it's not fancy .
Speaker 2I just find those are the like . Nobody wants to be chewing on a cliff bar for like 10 minutes , right or like they don't want like cheesies no , yeah , yeah you're right .
Speaker 1Like welches ? Like a quick sugar rush or like a really easy granola bar ?
Speaker 2Yeah , are often the ones that people grab Like literally like plain saltine crackers at a Red Bull is what I find people grab .
Speaker 1Yeah , true enough , like literally , it's salt sugar caffeine .
Speaker 2There's also like a bit of nerves .
Speaker 1I find like the yeah you know , and that's also why I think the red bull flavor kind of turns people off or is like it's a juice but there's caffeine . Yeah , yeah , all right , I see that you've added . Yeah , let's hear what you add on top of that .
Speaker 2Uh I I always have um like a shocking amount of pens do .
Speaker 1Yeah , well , it makes sense for you . I don't need a pen , you need a pen , and people ask me for pens . Yeah , it's expected that you have pens . It sure is if you're just joining in for the first time . Um , I'm Alex , I'm a wedding photographer and Wren is an officiant .
Speaker 2I am an officiant and we often work together .
Speaker 1Uh , yeah as an officiant and photographer .
Speaker 2So pens a lint roller . People always want a lint roller , oh my .
Speaker 1God , that's really smart . I should definitely add that to my kit . You should definitely have a lint roller . That's a good one .
Speaker 2Yeah , tissues , mm-hmm . I keep the mini packs and I get the nice ones .
Speaker 1Actually , on that note , lint roller and tissues . I should also like um a makeup remover wipe , because one thing that I often see with grooms is when he's hugging people , makeup will end up on his collar , yes , and I'll be like rubbing it , but a little makeup remover wipe would be perfect a very gentle one for his yeah
Officiant-Specific Items and Cash Tips
Speaker 1I should add that too . Okay , yeah this is just our list now of things we're going to add to our kids yeah , honestly we're doing , we're just having an egg or tenner here , oh my gosh , they could totally sit in on an egg or tenner .
Speaker 2That would be great On umbrella . I don't go ham , I'm not having so many , I'm having one and it's for the bride .
Speaker 1Yeah , or maybe you know nanny poppy , I end up like crochet hooks and umbrellas .
Speaker 2I cannot seem to keep that's why I can't have like 10 in the car , because if I hand out 10 , I'm out 10 . Umbrella I used to buy 10 at a time . Yeah , and within a month they're all gone . Yeah , yeah . And umbrellas don't last .
Speaker 1In newfoundland I think like if I had like one good umbrella that I really cared about , I would make sure I kept tabs on it . But like it's hard , I'm like she got a run from my car to the venue . Yeah , she needs an umbrella . I'm not going to be the one to be like actually . No , you need to get your hair wet , you need to .
Speaker 2Yeah , okay , so on umbrella . Yeah , I also added our cooler with drinks and snacks and water bottles like a big bunch in the back . Cash , oh , I love having cash . You love having cash because a lot of the time if they're going in for some photos somewhere , like people don't have their wallets in their wedding .
Speaker 1Which is , I know people don't think about it . We're like , oh , let's stop into like your favorite bar to grab a drink or your favorite coffee shop while you're taking photos . And they're like , oh my God , it's amazing , no one has a wallet , the phone . So having like 20 bucks like buy them a drink , it's like no big deal .
Speaker 2The phone has made a bit of a difference because yeah keep their phones on them and you can pay with your phone a lot yeah , that is definitely like , I think , like , compared to like , even just two years ago yeah , even last summer , I remember and sometimes you just pay cash as a tip if , like you know , I think there's a couple times last summer like here's 20 or 40 bucks if they can like , pour beer behind the bar for a photo .
Speaker 1Yes , very easy to buy $20 goes a long way .
Speaker 2$20 goes a long way and I do think it's the appreciation Totally .
Speaker 1Obviously , yeah , I love being able to like tip a bartender .
Speaker 2Yeah , just being like thanks so much for this If we're just going in for a quick photo , especially I keep floss and mints and I'm pretty ruthless if I have either like and you should be too , as a photographer If somebody's got something in their teeth . And you should be too as a photographer If somebody's got something in their teeth , now is not the time to be like timid about it . I'm like you have something in your teeth and I can fix that . Yep , Because , like , what are you going to do ?
Speaker 1Hope they notice .
Speaker 2Oh , that would be also good as a mirror .
Speaker 1Oh yeah , but a lot of cars have mirrors , yeah , and phones have cameras .
Speaker 2Okay , well , and I keep a speaker on me . Again , that is a thing that's an officiant specific for sure . Officiant specific . You can get those small clip on ones . Sometimes it's really nice if you're . I think that music just like is such a just so good for the vibe if you're just out with a couple and we're together a lot when I have the speaker and they're like having a picnic and I can just lay the speaker down and I'm like , hey , do you guys have a favorite artist ?
Speaker 1That is true , or occasionally when I'm taking photos , and so the thing is like I don't like playing music when it's like a place where there's a lot of people or it's like a busy trail . But if it's like we have the place to ourselves and it's clear that like we're the only ones there being like what's your wedding song ? Do you want to like practice it , that can be a really nice prompt for really beautiful photos and also just a really beautiful memory . Yeah , and couples really like that , I find , because they're like actually , yeah , we'd love to practice our wedding like in the dress and the outfit .
Speaker 1Make sure it all works out well and then you get the most beautiful photos . I personally think that some snacks , a favorite drink and music can make any moment in scenery feel like you're having a beautiful experience yeah , or also like what you do is you actually will play their their first dance , like they'll have their first dance during the elopement yes , absolutely the way ryan does um ceremonies I think is really beautiful . Often is the ceremony and then we'll end with a song for a first dance .
Speaker 2So the first kiss flows into the first dance , because a lot of the elopements we do , they're not going to have a reception with the first dance . Yeah , so what's really nice and really natural , and I love
Music and First Dance Moments
Speaker 2it .
Speaker 1It's so nice , it's really sweet , it's one of my favorite parts of the ceremony and it makes for beautiful photos .
Speaker 2It makes a beautiful experience . So I basically say , like you may now kiss , and then I step aside , I hit play on a prepared speaker and I just leave them to have this moment , which is , you know , a lot of the time . The moment after , like immediately after , you've kissed , it becomes chaos . Yeah , and I like doing the opposite . I like saying let's make this like so relaxing .
Speaker 1Yeah , and it's . It is really relaxing , it's really nice and it allows , I think them to genuinely take the time to like soak in the moment .
Speaker 2Soak in the moment . Shake off the nerves , come back to their person who is , you know , that's who they're there for , is to like laid back with , and music just shakes it . Just everybody shakes off any any funny nerves . I think yeah , yeah , so that's everything in my kit . I'm big on tissues , lint rollers , pens , uh , water bottles , mints , cash speaker uh , those are things that I just keep in abundance . Want to hear a funny story . Those are things that I just keep in abundance . Want to hear a funny story .
Speaker 1Yeah , I did a wedding once where I was pretty sick , like I was nauseous at the wedding , and so I brought some saltines with me to , like you know , hopefully keep something down . I was like I'm not going to cancel a wedding because I'm nauseous . That's wild . I'm going to go . And I think I was doing a pretty good job of hiding it and so I was just like eating saltines while we were getting ready for the next shot and the couple had brought a dog with them and they were like , oh good , you brought crackers for the dog . I was like I sure did . Yep , that's , it's for the dog god love also dog treats .
Speaker 1Dog treats honestly like like you can go as intense or as simple with this . I think anytime that you can just offer a little something extra
Final Tips and Funny Stories
Speaker 1is always nice and is always appreciated and noticed .
Speaker 2This is a great and it makes my day go smoother . This is a great big list that you can just customize to each time . Great big list that you can just customize to each time . Like , if I'm going somewhere where the getting ready suite is like in the same location as ceremony , they probably don't need all these items . Yeah , they have themselves . I think we can carry a lot of items because we find ourselves in very remote places , on cliff sides , and if it's not in our bag , they're not getting it . Yeah , and some couples bring this themselves . Yeah , totally . Yeah . Oh , my god , like a corkscrew , I see you like this is a corkscrew bottle opener .
Speaker 1Yeah , that's honestly really common lighter I .
Speaker 2I mean , listen , I'm not getting between I'm . I'm not getting between me and alex needing a cigarette . I don't need a cigarette , I'm kidding but it grooms it in yeah corkscrew bottle opener now I'm just making a list but a lighter , often for the late night ones , because you'll like the sparklers , the sparklers oh my god , the sparklers and not having a lighter is classic .
Speaker 1So classic because the couple's like lighter or no . They're like we're going to pick up sparklers to do a cool sparkler photo , but they don't think to pick up a lighter , and the amount of times where it's happened actually like so many times like four lighters and I end up going back to the reception and looking around and be like which of these uncles looks ? Like he smokes , literally , and I like tap people show . He was like do you have a lighter on you by any chance ? And they're like what is this skeet photographer doing ?
Speaker 2like literally yes , yeah , you're like outside in the like smokers section and you're just waiting for somebody to join you . Um , yeah , a lighter also for the candles , because sometimes you have the kerosene . Is that what they are ? What are they ?
Speaker 1oh yeah , they're like sometimes you have a lantern for a certain shot that you do .
Speaker 1It's very uh old timey lighthouse keeper it comes out beautiful yeah , oh , sometimes and I should do this again a spare outfit once I'm way to a wedding and as I was getting out of the car , I spilled my coffee all over myself and all I had in my car was like a spaghetti strap crop tank top and jeans with holes in them . No , you didn't . This was back when I dressed like that right , and I had to be like so I'm gonna get changed into this , nobody make fun of me . And I had to like start like just texting my friends , being like can somebody bring me a plate ? Like a black dress ?
Speaker 2who has a black dress . I can meet me in kitty video a black t-shirt and black pants from walmart . That's what I keep in the car now in a bag . Yeah , I can meet me and kitty bitty with a black t-shirt and black pants from walmart that's what I keep in the car now in a bag , yeah , I'm gonna end this one with I want to know what's missing from our list .
Speaker 1What do you have in your list that would surprise us ? Is anything here you're gonna add to yours ? Send me a message on instagram . I want to hear all right .
Speaker 2So currently you're listening as alex in day . What are you'll be day like 10 ? Probably . Yeah , Hope that you are enjoying your trip .