A Day in the Life of a Destination Wedding Photographer

KT Merry’s Daily Routine

Today, I’m going to pull back the curtain on my daily routine as a global destination wedding photographer. Without a daily routine, I honestly don’t know where my destination wedding photography business would be. And I certainly don’t know where my mental health would be. So, without further ado, here is a peek into my day-to-day life as a destination wedding photographer, and how all the magic (read: work) is able to happen. Keep reading for my exact daily routine.

A Day in the Life of a Destination Wedding Photographer

5:30 – 6:30am: Rise + Shine

I have a very specific and established morning routine that includes meditation, reading, journaling, and exercise—all things I must do first thing in the morning to ‘get my mind right’ for the rest of the day. Because to be honest, if I had to attribute my business success as a destination wedding photographer to one thing it would be this: mindset. Your thoughts create feelings. Your feelings trigger behavior. So when you’re truly intentional with your thoughts and taking care of your mind, the possibilities in your life expand ten-fold. 

For my complete morning routine—including:

> what I do the night before
> my trick for waking up quickly + with energy
> my 5 journal prompts…

…check out My Morning Routine here.

A Day in the Life of a Destination Wedding Photographer

7am: Sweat

For me, this usually means running 5+ miles (especially if I’m traveling for a destination wedding and I want to explore the terrain a bit). Sometimes I’ll use a workout guide, like Heather Robertson on YouTube, but the most important thing is to GET MOVING! I’m a firm believer in the idea that energy creates energy. 

In fact, when I’m flying across the country or even across the world, and I feel tired or jet-lagged, my #1, no-fail solution is to break a sweat. It works every time; my energy recalibrates and my mind fog vanishes! Exercise is a daily routine non-negotiable for me.

I’m so dedicated to my morning routine, and the difference it makes in my business—and my life!—that I schedule all my travel around it if at all possible. And trust me, that’s a lot of travel. 

If you don’t have a daily or weekly routine to care for your mind + body, you will burn out very quickly in the wedding photography business—and life, for that matter! That’s why developing sustainable practices is one of the most important pillars of my holistic approach to business.

A Day in the Life of a Destination Wedding Photographer

7:30-8:30am: Get Ready for the Day

After sweating for at least 30 minutes a day (I’m going on a 2-year record, I haven’t missed a day yet!), I shower and get ready for the rest of my busy day. 

Chad and I don’t eat much breakfast. Instead, we opt for either hot water with half a lemon and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or juiced celery. If I’m feeling really ambitious, I’ll make Reese Witherspoon’s Green Smoothie:

> 2 heads romaine lettuce
> 1/2 cup spinach
> 1/2 cup coconut water
> 1 whole banana
> 1 whole apple (core removed)
> 1 whole pear (core removed)
> 1 whole lemon (rind removed)
> Celery (optional)
> Almond butter (optional)

It’s delicious and fuels my mind until lunchtime when we fuel up on a plant-based meal (more on that later).

A Day in the Life of a Destination Wedding Photographer

9am: Clock in

I typically sit down at my desk to work around 8:30 or 9am (unless I’m on location for a destination wedding photoshoot). In that case— and if there are no scheduled events that morning—I’m usually location scouting for the next wedding event. Chad and I visit wedding event sites once or twice before shooting the actual wedding to make sure we’re fully prepared with a plan and ready to pivot if there are any surprises the day of. I can’t tell you the number of times this simple practice has saved me during a session! Preparation is everything and a vital part of my pre-shoot routine as a destination wedding photographer.

If I’m not on the road and I’m working from home, this time block is when I do my deepest thinking and work. I reserve these hours for any projects that require me to write, teach, or strategize. Whether I’m drafting this week’s Journal post or writing an updated lesson for The Abundance Plan program, it’s important for me to block off undistracted stretches of time. When I need to focus, I utilize time-blocking to help me do that. I put my tasks in my calendar, alert my team, and off I go, undistracted and undisturbed until I accomplish what I’ve set out to do! I can get so much more done in two hours of focused time than I can in four hours of scattered energy.

Time-blocking is just ONE of the tools I teach inside The Abundance Plan (my signature program for photographers looking to grow their businesses). Click here to find out more about what I teach inside the program.

A Day in the Life of a Destination Wedding Photographer

12:00pm: Lunch Break

Chad is our resident chef (no seriously, he’s really good), so on a typical workday at home, I’ll whip up a delicious vegetarian or vegan lunch and he’ll cook dinner. My lunch specialties are protein-packed salads and buddha bowls. We love to eat outside on our balcony any time the weather allows. Lunchtime is a much-needed break from the deep work of the morning. 

We also use the lunchtime break to walk our foster-turned-rescue dog, Rue. I’m a big believer in fostering and adopting over buying. When we can, we’ll take in a litter of kittens or a loveable mutt to be our housemates until they’re able to find their forever home. It’s just one of the ways I integrate my values and my belief in the importance of making an impact into my life and destination wedding photography business. Read more about the print shops I created to ‘do good’ with my business here.

A Day in the Life of a Destination Wedding Photographer

1:00 – 5:00pm: Clients, Calls, and Appointments

If possible, I always reserve all my calls, meetings, and appointments for the afternoons. Putting this structure around meetings allows me to reserve those valuable morning hours for deep thinking and working ON my destination wedding photography business. 

The afternoons are geared more towards working IN my destination wedding photography business. Afternoons are for client calls, team meetings, and appointments with wedding planners or outside contractors. This is also the time when I might schedule a mastermind coaching session with one of my mentors.

As a global destination and luxury wedding photographer, educating myself has always been a top priority of mine. Ever since the day I realized I wouldn’t be attending the ivy league college of my dreams, and instead entered photography trade school, I made it a point to set aside time for learning nearly every single day. And I don’t hold back on investing in that education. 

Because what I’ve learned in the 15 years of business is that, most likely, someone has already been where you are. Someone else has already figured out the problem you’re struggling with. There’s so much to learn from those who have gone before and done ‘the thing’ you’re trying to do.

So WHY would I waste precious time trying to figure it all out on my own???

Chad and I buy the courses and programs we need to get to the next level in our business. We join masterminds to get valuable feedback and insights from other professionals facing the same challenges. We invest in continuing to learn and grow as artists so that we can stay at the top of our game. And it’s been worth every penny. 

My first bit of advice to every photographer or creative entrepreneur is always: invest in education. You don’t have to know how to run a business, as long as you’re willing to learn how to run a business.

A Day in the Life of a Destination Wedding Photographer

6:00pm: Clock Out + Unwind

I try and finish up work by 6pm each day. The last hour is usually spent wrapping up emails or delivering images to clients. It’s so important to put boundaries around work when you do it from home! For a full rundown of my evening routine as a destination wedding photographer (including how I manage my to-do list and track my #dailybig3), check out this post.

Once I leave my desk at the end of the day, I don’t return until the next morning. Mentally, I’m closed for business. My evenings are about relaxing and enjoying some time with my husband, Chad. A few years ago, we established a ‘reading happy hour’ that’s become a favorite evening activity. Chad pours the wine (usually a crisp white Sauvignon Blanc or Muscadet) and we read for a minimum of 30 minutes. There is just something about pulling out a long-stem wine glass and pulling that cork that relaxes me. Do whatever it is that allows you to step away from the stress of the day! 

At the end of a long shooting day, I love a good foot soak. I mix a combination of epsom salts, dried chamomile, Bentonite clay powder, and an essential oil (usually thyme). Shop my foot soak ingredients here.

A Day in the Life of a Destination Wedding Photographer

7:00-8:30pm: Dinner

After catching up on daily reading, Chad and I head into the kitchen to prepare dinner. We are both vegetarians and when we’re home, we cook mostly vegan meals. I love experimenting with recipes (here are my favorites), cooking with others, and truly appreciate a nutritious, home-cooked meal. Especially since we spend so many days traveling. While we’re preparing dinner, Chad and I love to put on some classical music, French jazz, or reruns of Friends (if we need some comic relief). I also always light a candle, as it signals that it’s time to unwind. With the wine poured, music on, and candle lit, Chad and I catch up and talk our way through preparing dinner.

We live on the bay in Miami and have a great view of the water. Our place is tiny but we have an outdoor dining table and when the weather allows I love to eat dinner on the porch. I am a terribly fast eater so I love an ambiance that encourages us to linger and continue the conversation and have another glass of wine. After dinner, if we both cooked, we clean up together. If one of us cooks, the other cleans; a house rule we live by.

A Day in the Life of a Destination Wedding Photographer

9:00pm: Entertainment or Bed

I like to crawl in bed early (gotta be ready for that 5:30 alarm), but if we need a little more wind-down time, we might opt for some more entertainment. I’m not a huge fan of TV in general, but I will watch Netflix. Lately, we really enjoyed the Bob Ross documentary, Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a must for all artists and creators!  When we’re truly just looking to veg out and laugh, our go-to is reruns of Friends. I think I’ve seen every episode 5 times. 

But my favorite evenings are when I have a virtual session with my mastermind group. I said it above, but I’ll say it again: there’s nothing like getting the support and guidance you need in your photography business from someone who’s been there. My business coaching sessions leave me invigorated, bubbling with ideas, and reeling from the ‘ah-ha moments’.

When it’s finally time to turn in, I blow out the candles and either make a wish, or just put something out into the universe. Because it all comes back to mindset. 

After a full, productive, and fulfilling day of doing what I love with the person I love—I fall asleep content! 

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Not every day is as straightforward as others when you’re a global destination wedding photographer. But no matter where I find myself—in a hotel, on location, or at home—my daily routines and sustainable structures give me a truly solid foundation of support and self-care. They allow me to balance a successful destination wedding photography business AND a fulfilling personal life.

If you’re looking for more balance between your personal life and your wedding photography business…
If you’re looking for guidance, education, and support…
If you’re interested in creating a more manageable, abundant business and life…

Check out my signature program for photographers: The Abundance Plan. It’s all about building an abundant life and a business that you’ll love. 

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