How do you store your equipment at weddings?

[Cougar548]

I'm starting to do a few weddings and I need to get a new bag to store my gear. I thought I'd knock out two birds with one stone and get something that would be good to hold all my gear at weddings and be able to protect between moves? What do you guys use/suggest? Thanks!

[Wilt]

Something lockable! dishonest guests.

I keep my stuff next to the DJ and strike up a friendly relationship with him/her. But at the church stuff is less well attended and temptation can be overcoming

[tim]

LowePro backpack, within my sight all day, or somewhere safe or with the DJ in the evening. I occasionally leave cameras by themselves and i've never had a problem, but I will never leave a memory card in the camera.

[SuzyView]

I always keep the equipment with me, you can ask the people I shoot with. I don't necessarily do it for security alone, I tend to switch lenses and other things often, so I need everything with me. If I need to store something, I usually have a helper, like my husband or one of my sons to carry the bags and keep track for me.

[Mike]

I am still refining my event day storage but for the last wedding I kept my Lowepro rucksack in the car boot open ready to drop the gear in when we move and a smaller shoulder bag with me during the shoot with a couple of extra lenses, batteries, cards etc which stays on my shoulder. It worked quite well.

[cdifoto]

Backpack. It's insured and the memory cards are on my person. If someone steals it, I hope they take the whole damned thing because my deductible sucks.

[SuzyView]

I also keep the CF cards in the little Sandisk pouches in my pockets. I don't want to lose those.

[form]

I often hide mine in an out of the way corner or under a table, and check on it frequently.

[Mike]

I had a "heart in mouth" moment last year when my bag disappeared - I had tucked it into a corner while taking some candid shots around the reception and once the wedding party was seated for the meal I went to check on it and it had gone. Fortunately it was the bar manager who had moved it to somewhere safe! That's why I am trying to minimise my baggage so that I can carry everything I need while keeping the bulk down.

[maytay20]

If I can't hold it on me then it stays in my car. I learned this the hard way with uninsured equipment. It is now just gone. :( I have found I do my job better if I have less to worry about also.

[johnnybfan]

How about a Pelican case with a laptop cable so it won't "walk" away?
Several years ago there was something in our area about a wedding photographer leaving his gear alone in a hallway and having someone pick it up & leave with it. made me paranoid about turning my back on any of my gear.

[KSG Photography]

I keep everything in a Billingham 550. If I'm shooting, it's right next to me (with the strap around my ankle usually) although if it' a fairly large wedding I'll use an assistant and I'll sometimes leave it with them. I subscribe to the 'paranoid as h3ll' school of thought, if it's on me and someone manages to get it from me then they've earned it.

[S-S]

shootsac (clone) bag for working gear - holds up to 6 lenses, plenty for any wedding
and car boot for the rest (no signage on car either - less temptation on the street).