I don’t know about you but when I was planning a wedding I WISHED their was some sort of manual to help me through. Weddings are funny because there is so much pressure to have this perfect day, yet most of us have never even planned one before. Looking back, I wish I knew what I knew now. I have photographed a lot of weddings, and I know what works, and what doesn’t. This is also why I am so passionate about helping couples plan their big day and making it as stress-free as possible. I’m going to share my top tips for planning a wedding in hopes that it will help all you couples out there in your wedding planning endeavors!

1. Don’t skimp on vendors

In my opinion (I might be biased, but also am not), photography is one of the most important parts of your day. You will have these photos for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. You will hang them on your walls, you will show your children, and you will look back on them 50 years from now. While I understand the importance of budget, your photos will reflect what you put into them. Hire someone who’s style you jive with and ask a LOT of questions! When I got married I went against my better judgment and hired a friend, and my pictures weren’t what I envisioned. This is one of my biggest regrets and one of the reasons why I got into wedding photography to make sure every couple has pictures they will love!

I am also a big proponent of hiring a good wedding planner. A wedding planner or day of coordinator is well versed in weddings and can help you plan for things you don’t expect. Also, from my experience most weddings run behind. Even my most detail oriented brides lose track of time and things take longer than expected. A planner will help with this and keep everything on schedule so all you have to do is sip your mimosa and get ready for the most special day of your life!

2. Have a timeline!

I am unapologetically detail oriented and time focused. Not only am I made that way, but as a wedding photographer, timelines are SO important. You want your day to run smoothly, and this helps with that. The wedding timeline is largely based off the photography timeline. Your wedding photographer (or planner) is likely an expert at creating these and can be a helpful resource for this part of your planning. I offer my couples complimentary timeline planning help when they book their wedding package. We know exactly how long family, wedding party, and couples portraits take and can help plan those accordingly. The bigger the family and the bigger the wedding party, the longer pictures are going to take, so keep that in mind. Here is what I normally say to set aside for photography formal portraits…

-Allow for 30 minutes for typical family formals

-Add another 30 minutes for bridal party formals

-Add another 30-40 minutes for bride and groom formals

3. LEAVE WIGGLE ROOM!

No matter how prepared you are, there will be things that will come up that you don’t expect on your wedding day. People will run late, things will take longer than expected, and curveballs will be thrown. That is okay because of WIGGLE ROOM! When it comes to the timeline, my second tip is to leave wiggle room between transitions. Almost every wedding I shoot that has a back to back schedule always runs late. When things run late, people get stressed and we want to avoid that on your big day. Add some built in time to your timeline to ensure things don’t get backed up.

W H A T N O T T O D O

3:00-4:30pm // Preparation Photos

 4:30pm-4:45pm // Ceremony

 4:45-6:00pm // Family, wedding party, and bride/groom photos

 6:00pm // Grand Entrance to the reception

WHAT TO DO….

3:00-4:30pm // Preparation Photos 

5pm-5:15pm // Ceremony 

5:30-6:45pm // Family, wedding party, and bride/groom photos 

7:00pm // Grand Entrance to the reception  

4 . Think about the vibe

Take some time to consider what kind of wedding you want to have. Are you interested in more of an intimate affair with family and friends? Or do you want a large celebration where people don’t leave until midnight? Whatever your preferences, the day and time really affect this.

While Sunday weddings are a great way to save some costs on the venue, consider that people might have to work the next day. While you might be down to celebrate past midnight, your guests might feel a little differently if they have to wake up early for work. I have seen a couple weddings where a majority of the people left before the grand exit, and a super bummed bride and groom! If you value this, consider Friday or Saturday. If you are an early bird and want to jump into your honeymoon while the night is still young, Sundays are the perfect day to have a wedding!

5. Consider a first look

When I got married my husband and I never even considered having a first look. We wanted that moment when the first time he saw me was when I was walking down the aisle. Was it beautiful and everything I thought it would be? YES! But, looking back, I would definitely do it differently and here’s why. Weddings go by SO fast. This day that you plan for over a year is gone in the blink of an eye. One thing I was really surprised about also is how even though the wedding is a celebration of you and your partner and your commitment to each other, it is a communal affair. There really isn’t tons of alone time together. This is why I think first looks are great. They provide this peaceful moment before all the chaos between you and your future spouse to get out the nerves and just enjoy each other. Ive seems couples pray, exchange gifts, read special vows, whatever they liked. You could also do a “first touch” and still not see each other, but have that moment together. Also, it is a great time for extra pictures. If you choose to first see each other at the ceremony, most likely all of your portraits will be after. This basically means that while your guests are having cocktail hour and starting to celebrate, you will be taking pictures. Some brides prefer to knock a portion of those out before. Whatever you decide will be beautiful, just know there are many options!

6. Have an unplugged wedding

Is this even possible in todays phone-obsessed culture?! Let me tell you, YES IT IS! Some of the best weddings have been when the phones are put away and people can enjoy it. We are so trained now to want to capture everything with our iPhones (guilty as charged) and sometimes we can miss out on the special moments. Also, from a photographers perspective, I can’t tell you how many times good pictures have been ruined because Uncle Bob jumped infront of me to get the picture. I routinely have to edit peoples phones out of the picture or try to maneuver my way around people taking their iPhone pictures to get the shot that YOU are paying for. An unplugged ceremony not only helps your guests be present, but also helps the photographer.

7. Have a grand exit

Who doesn’t want to leave their wedding with a bang? A grand exit not only is a great photo op, but logistically it is a great way for the bride and groom to exit in a swift way. Schedule this into your timeline. Pro-tip, have your best man and maid of honor pack your get away bags and have them ready to go so you don’t have to gather your stuff before leaving. If your venue doesn’t allow for sparklers, try bubbles or confetti poppers to get that added sparkle.