It starts with a cramp in between your shoulder blades, the souls of your feet start to throb, your stomach starts to rumble and you suddenly feel like you have noodles for arms and egg shells for knee caps. Yup–Post-wedding hangover for photographers. It’s no secret that the ability to drink as much as I like and not feel it the next morning has deserted me in recent years. The things I’d do to be the young 18-year-old heading off to college again. I can remember the thrill of finding an idgod fake id maker and buying my first beer like it was yesterday. Sadly, those days are now behind me.

While shooting a wedding such symptoms are so easy to overlook as you are so caught in the moment of trying to CATCH every moment for our clients…that we ignore the actual physical strain we really are putting our bodies through.

If you are anything like me, you get home, back up those cards, feel your eyelids closing by themselves and you face plant right into the mattress. The next morning….you eat like you have been entered in an eating contest next to the 400lb champ named Bubba sitting beside you. For me, the next day is spent eating, napping, hydrating, showering—twice—BECAUSE THE HEAT IS AMAZING ON MY BACK…then previews : )

It is usually by the third day after the wedding you start to feel ‘recuperated’ only to realize you have another 2 days until your next wedding and its back at it. Our back muscles and shoulders tense at the thought…but our minds, hearts and souls can not even wait. I am sure this is how professional athletes feel about their sports. They LOOOVE the game…but man do they kill their bodies for it. What professional athletes do or shall I say HAVE in comparison to most professional wedding photographers is a recovery system….a workflow of stretching, supplements, etc.

So, after my fair share of shooting, I have developed a post wedding hangover workflow of 5 steps that just may help you:

1. After the wedding, take a HOT shower while your images are backing up. In the shower use a salt rub on your skin. When you exit the shower while your pores are still expanded from the heat adn salt….rub in some Bio-Freeze. You can get this at any drug store–its like Bengay…but stronger ….especially the PERFORMANCE brand. Take a non habit forming “ny-quil” sleep aid. It just helps you fall asleep and relax faster so you can get the perfect amount of sleep for your body. Swallow those pills with a full glass of cold ice water. Then once in bed, prop those feet up on a pillow at the foot of the bed….and happy snoozing!

2. When you wake up, take a cooler shower. After exiting the shower, reapply the Bio-Freeze (maybe ask the hubby/wifey to assist : P ). Sit on the floor and stretch as if you are stretching for a work out. I would recommend NOT working out the day after a wedding. Your body needs time to heal!

3. FOOD TIME! Make a breakfast full of protein AND metabolism boosters (apples, nuts, etc). I usually make peanut butter protein shake and have some buttered toast with jam. (Im not much of an omelet, egg, bacon girl) I know- strange!

4. SLOW, RELAXING, CONTROLLED BREATHING WALK…either with your signifcant other…or by yourself. Take 30 minutes to get out of the house, office, and your own head. Dont worry…those images will be there waiting when you get back! : )P

5. GET ORGANIZED. In addition to being sore and tired from shooting a wedding…you may feel the pressure and stress about getting them edited…delivered, will they like them. You start to think about everything you have to do and need to do in the remaining hours of the work day. I say get back into the office, check your email, make a list of what you have to do today and MAKE SURE YOU SCHEDULE BREAKS for yourself so you dont get overwhelmed and turn into SHUT DOWN MODE. I know you know what I am talking about photogs! Even if its an hour away in between editing the ceremony and formals to go do lunch with a friend or loved one…DO IT! It will refuel and re-motivate you.

I hope these tips help your hangover as I am still nursing mine. I skipped step 4 and 5 after this past wedding and boy-oh-boy I am paying for it NOW! Luckily my hubby is really good to me and made an appointment for me to have a 1 hr massage today at our local day spa….I could just marry him all over again! : P

Have a blessed wedding season and a happy and healthy one yall!

xoxo,

Kaitlin Noel