Hi friend! After photographing tons of weddings I have learned a few things along the way 😉 I thought sharing my top five wedding tips would be a helpful resource for all the newly engaged couples out there. I hope you find these to be encouraging, informative, and FUN. Let’s get to it!
Tip #1: Hire a wedding planner
Believe me when I tell you this is worth EVERY penny. I have photographed too many weddings where there is no wedding planner/day of coordinator and the bride becomes too stressed out to enjoy her wedding day. I promise you or anyone thats significant in your life does not want to be the point of contact on your day. It can keep you from enjoying time with the people you’ve hand picked to be there. I don’t want you looking back on your wedding day thinking about how you were putting out fires instead of enjoying the life giving belly laughs with your best gal pals followed by happy tears when you all realize you get to marry the man of your dreams.
Tip #2: Take some time to be with JUST your boo on your wedding day
Your day is most likely going to be packed full with the two of you spending most of the day with your loved ones. Let me clarify – there is NOTHING wrong with that. This day is about the two of you entering a brand new & exciting chapter of life TOGETHER. The two of you deserve a moment to be able to soak all of that in. None of my couples have ever regretted taking time to be with each other!
Tip #3: This is YOUR dayÂ
Opinions about your wedding day never cease to surface once your boo pops the question. I hope I can encourage you in that what others want for you on your day might not be what you want and thats okay. The people that really matter in your life will be happy because your happy – regardless of the date, time, location, anything!! Wedding planning can be so stressful but the only reason it should bring you to tears is because you’re so excited to marry your best friend. NOT because you want to make sure guest number 1,2, & 3 are well pleased with how you planned everything. Tell all those people your photographer said you can be selfish on this day. Not in hateful or ugly way but in a I only get to do this once kinda way 😉
Tip #4: Get to know your photographer
As a wedding and elopement photographer, I know how important this is. My BIGGEST fear in this biz is that my couples would look at me as ‘just another wedding vendor’. I am not here to show up to your big day, get the job done, and dip out afterwards. I am here to walk through this journey WITH you. It is so important that I get to know my couples beneath the surface, I am a better story teller that way. Like any relationship, this can’t be one sided. My favorite weddings are always the ones where I count down the days for but am wishing the night would never end because of my relationship with the couple. Let’s be real life friends, beyond your wedding day.
Tip #5: Unplugged ceremony
Consider asking guests to put away their cell phones, iPads, cameras and electronics during the ceremony. I’ve had so many almost – amazing moments ruined by large i-pads or phones being held up in the aisle way. Without all those distractions, your guests will be able to focus solely on the two of you, and the reason they’re there.
bonus: and most importantly
Every once in a while, STOP and look around. Take a mental snap shot of what is going on. Breathe in, breathe out. You’re getting married!
