Triple header weekend - thoughts?

[tim]

I have two weddings booked for a Friday and Saturday in the middle of summer, i've just received an enquiry for the Sunday. At the same time i'll probably be working a contract IT position. Would I be insane to consider taking this wedding?

Answers from experienced pros only please.

[liza]

Probably, but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. :)

[deadpass]

if you need the money, go for it, if you don't, then i wouldn't bother

[sapearl]

Well Tim, we won't comment on your sanity - I think you know how we all feel on that topic :lol:

I've had several situations where I did back to back Saturday/Sunday jobs - and then felt like hell Monday morning when I went to my regular job :cry: . What you propose can certainly be done.... after all you are a lot younger than me and probably in better shape; what you propose is truly THE PHOTOGRAPHY DECATHALON!! As long as you get enough sleep, nutrition and hydration you'll pull it off.

Here's my big concern: do you have enough time between jobs to recharge both flash and camera batteries, as well as download and backup your files? Sleep, I can always cheat on a little - but the gear does NOT like to be cheated. - Stu

[jamiewexler]

Yes (as in you are crazy). I did a triple decker last May. I survived, but I won't even do a double anymore. Maybe once I'm full time, but not while I'm working full time at my day job...

[tim]

Thanks guys. I presume that i'll be working in IT at the time, but since I do contracting it's quite flexible, and also uncertian whether i'll have work then or not. If I was doing photography full time then i'd probably do it, but i'll have to give it some thought. Of course if I keep booking things at the rate I am i'll have to go full time again.

I'll easily have time to download and back up my images, also to charge my batteries, but there's lots of stuff around it.

I'm probably tending towards "no", and I have to reply to the customer soon...

[sapearl]

Do any of these go late into the night, and then have you have to meet the bride early the next morning? That circumstance would be a real killer, in which case I'd drop one in order to keep my sanity and health.

On the other hand - how much is it worth it to them? Is that peak season for you? If so, charge a premium.

[Grace]

To me it would be a question of, "will I be able to get the very best creative shots on the third wedding as I did with the first." Good luck if you accept! I am anxious to know your reply.
kp

(meaning, are you gonna give your brain enough time to rest and recoup!)

[sapearl]

Kathy makes a very good point. By wedding #3, you may not even know where you are anymore :lol: . Everything could start looking the same. The ideal circumstance would be to take the Friday and Sunday job. At least you could recoup in between.

.......(meaning, are you gonna give your brain enough time to rest and recoup!)

[tim]

I've already taken the Friday and Saturday jobs, i'm thinking doing Sunday as well isn't possible if i'm working a normal job as well. As it is i'm going to be working like a maniac. I think even if I weren't working in IT it'd be hard.

I think i'll have to decline this one.

[cmM]

i won't even consider more than 1 / weekend.

cmM

[sapearl]

Sure you can :D ! They're just like Pringles... you can't have just one...

i won't even consider more than 1 / weekend.

cmM

[PIXI_666]

Well seeing as i am actually a pro photographer and being paid to take photo's as a full time job i think i am classed as a PRO in here too :)

And if it were me Tim, im sorry but id just say no, persoanlly for me i mean i work 38hrs a week and then my weekends are my weddings (Of coruse not anymore because i am phasing them out) BUT even so...3 weddings in 3 days.......id be no...lol

Del

[mizuno]

I'd do it.

I'd take monday and tuesday off to recover, using annual leave in necessary. It's not often you get the opportunity to earn that sort of bread in one weekend.

[subtle_spectre]

Hey Tim...after a 15 hour wedding gig Friday and another 7 hours on Saturday, not including travel, I would say "No" to a triple...although if it was a full package price it would be hard to turn down!

[sapearl]

Tim, maybe you should have opened one of those Forum Polls so everybody could cast an official vote ;)

[ssim]

I think any pro photographer should be able to handle 3 days in a row. I think the question that you really need to ask yourself is are you doing a disservice to the Sunday job by taking it. Are you going to be on your game as much on Sunday as you would be on Friday. Don't lose sight of the customer in all of this.

[cmM]

Sure you can :D ! They're just like Pringles... you can't have just one...

I didn't say I can't, I said I won't :p:D

[tim]

I've declined to see the people about the third wedding. I'm sure I could do it, but I doubt i'd be doing my best work, so i've given them some names for other photographers I know are good. Thanks for the thoughts everyone :)

[mizuno]

I've declined to see the people about the third wedding. I'm sure I could do it, but I doubt i'd be doing my best work, so i've given them some names for other photographers I know are good. Thanks for the thoughts everyone :)

I'm disappointed, young padwan.

I thought the Force was strong in you. :rolleyes:

[tim]

I'm disappointed, young padwan.

I thought the Force was strong in you. :rolleyes:

You're dissapointed that I made the choice that will let me deliver the best service to two customers, rather than average to below average service to three customers?

[mizuno]

You're dissapointed that I made the choice that will let me deliver the best service to two customers, rather than average to below average service to three customers?

No, of course not.

I'm disappointed you didn't embrace the challenge of delivering the absolute best service to three customers in one weekend. :cool:

[tim]

I just don't have the time if i'm working full time, and three 10-12 hour days would be very tough for anyone. I'll do the two then be in a position to consider three in a weekend after that.

[DocFrankenstein]

You need to have faith.

I'd do it if I didn't commit to staying till the end of the receptions.

This is the kind of thing that can turn you off photography for a while. lol

[PIXI_666]

I dont think its abot having faith or anything like that, i think its if you feel confident in doing 3 in one weekend, for me i am barely confident in myself to do ANYTHING. If you feel you wont give your best work then its a matter of being able to decline.

[MagicallyDelicious]

You'll be dead on your feet when waking up monday for work! dont do it!!

[JMHPhotography]

Tim... you are underpriced my friend. Your work warrants a rate hike.

I would have declined the third wedding too. If I were more fit, I would have done it though.

Also Tim, I have to mention that the first two weddings wouldn't have suffered in quality any more than they would as it is, since the third wedding would have been performed after the fact, right? :lol:

[JMHPhotography]

I dont think its abot having faith or anything like that, i think its if you feel confident in doing 3 in one weekend, for me i am barely confident in myself to do ANYTHING. If you feel you wont give your best work then its a matter of being able to decline.

You should be confident... your work is very nice. But at the same time, I think it's good to lack some confidence. If you become too confident in your abilities, you can get to be one of those photographers that thinks the day is all about him/her. And you hear stories all the time about them. The last B&G that I met with to book a wedding in June said that they mainly wanted to meet in person with us not only to look at our photos, but to judge how "nice" we were. The groom to be even said if we were snooty.. he wouldn't have hired us regardless of how nice our photos are. They did book us. :)

[Padawan Dad]

I just had a double header weekend (9/30 & 10/1.) I normally only book 1 wedding per weekend... this past weekend reminded me why.

For me, I have a wife and a daughter. I also have a 2nd job. To give the quality that I want to give to my clients, and give time to my family, and "other job;" this is how I have to do it.

If weddings were my full time job I would have know problem doing a double. However, I would never do two events, much less two weddings in one day.

I think you made the right decission Tim.

[Wilt]

tim, you are certifiable (as insane) if you take on a triple wedding weekend! Weddings a just too demanding both mentally and physically for me to ever consider something like that. Double is bad enough, triple is beyond comprehension!

[Banbert]

I think you should pat yourself on the back for not letting greed get the better of yah and that your high standards mean more to yah than some extra cash, hope if I ever get to that position I would do the same !

Of course the alternative is for yah get that blonde assistant and I am sure it would have been easy then :)

Respect

[nchphoto]

I had the opportunity to do this, for video. ugh. I have Dec 30&31st booked, got a call for the 29th. Said I would do it since the winter is slow, but the bride must have been price shopping. She didn't call back. I am glad now I didn't take it. too much editing to do.

[RachaelSilvers]

Tim - Good question and I am going to answer first and then read back through what everyone else has said.

When you are building your business it's easy to get excited and try to tackle each opportunity that comes your way. I WAS working full time (group health insurance sales) for the past 5 years while growing my photography business. I averaged 30-40 weddings per year. It's very seasonal in Chicago, most weddings happen May-October. Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend are two holiday weekends in the states when we have an opportunity to shoot Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I have done this before and luckily b/c of the holiday we get Monday off from work so it made it a bit easier on me and I could catch a chance to rest.

I left my corporate job in July of this year, YAY! And I am relying on my photography to support me full-time now. So triple headers will become the norm for me and I will have the chance to recoup on Mondays. But I am also VERY high energy to begin with.

Sept. 1,2,3 were Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend this year. I photographed 3 weddings as lead photographer - one each day. One of my associate shooters was a lead at wedding #4, also on Sunday. And my husband does wedding videography and he video'd 2 of the 4 weddings. On top of that I had the bride and groom from wedding #4 get redressed on Monday, Sept 4th and trek around the city with my associate shooter and I for 2 hours to get some extra shots of them at various Chicago locations and landmarks to add to their Chicago, My Kind of Town theme and inability to hit many of their choices on the wedding day due to time contraints and holiday weekend traffic in downtown Chicago.

So needless to say later that day, Monday Sept 4th, I crashed HARD on the couch and slept from 2:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. woke up for a couple hours and then went back to sleep until the next morning.

Was this an insane schedule? Maybe. But it also is my livlihood and I wouldn't rather be doing anything else. I also did the quick math and realized all of our efforts produced 1/10th of our gross for the year. FOR ONE JAM PACKED WEEKED OF THE YEAR!

Each wedding of the 4 was very different in size, age of couples, locations and even cultural inclusions. I did a very good job on client selection. (I choose my clients as much as they choose me and there must be chemistry, it's like dating.)

So yes, I would do it. But I would also make sure to choose the clients carefully when the opportunity arises and if they are amazing and genuine to work with, it makes it perfectly enjoyable for me. Which I believe reflects in my work.

Each wedding also started in the afternoon, nothing earlier than 1:00 pm which also made it easier to do day after day. It probably would have been harder and I may not have done three in a row if it required me to shoot into the late evening at one and then have to start at 8:00 am the following day.

I was able to charge my cameras overnight while I slept, but it was a little more challenging to download all of my cards and make sure they were done. If you have more cards than that would be a moot point.

So it can be done if you plan carefully and choose wisely.

HTH! :)

[jessiper]

A photographer I know will schedule 6 weddings in one weekend all at the same beach. Keeping track of all the film is difficult for her, and she is practically dead by Monday, but she really needs the money and weddings is her sole source of income pretty much. I'm sure by now you've already made up your mind (I haven't read all the posts), but it is possible to do that much, and you do have to be a little crazy to do it.;)

[sapearl]

Hello Rachael, and welcome to the forum. Always a pleasure to see another wedding shooter. I'm just down the road from you in Cleveland and know what it's like to use those local landmark venues - lottsa' fun. ;) - Stu

[RachaelSilvers]

Hello Rachael, and welcome to the forum. Always a pleasure to see another wedding shooter. I'm just down the road from you in Cleveland and know what it's like to use those local landmark venues - lottsa' fun. ;) - Stu

Hi Stu, thanks for the welcome! :) Cleveland rocks right?

[tim]

Thanks for all the thoughts and feedback :) Welcome Rachael and thanks for sharing your story. 1/10th of gross in a weekend is impressive. Luckily I don't have to rely on photography to support me, though in summer it could.

Tim... you are underpriced my friend. Your work warrants a rate hike.

Thanks for the encouragement :) The prices on my website are for the base package with no extras, I don't actually sell that alone any more. By the time people add on an album and other things I offer the average price is around 3 times that. I'm priced about right for my area, but there's room to grow my prices in future.

[RachaelSilvers]

Thanks for all the thoughts and feedback :) Welcome Rachael and thanks for sharing your story. 1/10th of gross in a weekend is impressive. Luckily I don't have to rely on photography to support me, though in summer it could.

And just think, one day you hopefully might say - LUCKILY I am able to ditch the dayjob and pursue photogaphy fulltime! ;)

[Arnie1]

Tim, load up with Red Bull and Proplus and go for it.

My first two weddings were back to back, I didn't sleep too well the night before the first one, didn't get to bed until 2am and was booked till midnight the next day.

Baptism by fire!

[Wazza]

Aw shucks Tim, you could have asked me, flown me down, grabbed me as an assistant, and I can take over as main photographer on Sunday, if you fell asleep ;)

What weekend was this for anyway?

So far, I've got only single weekends, on Saturdays, however I'm also working on Sunday-Thursday full time, and one of the weddings involves a flight to Blenheim, and a weekend away.