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So I thought this would be a fun change of pace! Ever wondered what the days of a wedding photographer really look like? It might seem all exciting & glamorous to shoot fabulous weddings on Saturdays, but what does the rest of life look like? What about a wedding photographer who is also a wife & Mama? Here’s what a typical day looks like in the Abbey house!
Braelynn is an early riser, she always has been! So, we’re typically up around 6:30am. After a few lazy moments in bed snuggling & looking for the dog, we tromp downstairs where she gets her morning smoothie & Mama gets her coffee. Braelynn settles into the couch with Abby to watch her newest obsession: Daniel Tiger (a few weeks ago it was Baby Einstein, but we’re progressing!) and I head over to my computer. I have about 30 minutes to get administrative tasks completed for the day: answering emails, bookkeeping, paperwork.
Then the business is put on hold & it becomes Braelynn & Mama time. We make breakfast, read books, do laundry, vacuum, play dollies – until nap time which is typically around 10am. Braelynn goes down for a nap & I set back to work. It’s amazing the amount of work I can get done when I have a limited amount of time! 90 minutes isn’t a lot, but it’s the bubble I get, so I put my hustle on & get to it! Editing, timelines, blogging, SEO – it all happens while the babe is asleep!
When she wakes up, we make lunch, and then if we have any errands to run for the day – we head out. We run to Target, go grocery shopping, stop over at Grandma’s, or go have a playdate with the little boy Aunt Amy nannies. Then it’s back home for an afternoon nap – typically around 3pm. Enter another bubble of hustle time for this Mama! During off-season, this time is a little more relaxed & includes more reading, and research, and learning. But during wedding season, it’s all about getting those wedding photos turned around!
Derrick gets home typically right around the time Braelynn gets up from her afternoon nap & then we move into dinner & family time. We like to go for walks, read books, and play outside together! Braelynn’s bath time is 7pm and bedtime follows! I would love to say that my evenings are typically spent relaxing & enjoying time with Derrick, but he would beg to differ that most of my evenings are spent working. We both are building small businesses so, we both tend to work for at least an hour after Braelynn goes to bed. Computers usually go off by 9pm though and we snuggle together with our good friend Netflix. Our current obsession is Fixer Upper and we simply can’t get enough!
It might not be pretty or perfectly “balanced”, but it works! Of course, there are days when we completely scrap our schedules and go do something completely different! And that’s exactly the flexibility & freedom that comes from owning your own business! I know there are tasks and things that need to get done, but I also know if I work hard & tackle my to-do list, I have the freedom to do fun things! And I absolutely love it – I wouldn’t trade it for the whole world.
