Top 3 tips when planning your wedding
I could do top 20 or top 10 pretty easily when it comes to this topic, but I really wanted to limit it to just the top 3 across all things wedding planning. As noted too many times before, I was a bride before I was a photographer. I have seen both ends of the spectrum in its entirety. All bride and all photographer.
Tip 1: Pad that schedule
The last thing you want to feel on your wedding day is rushed. I like to break the wedding into 6 major components. 1. Getting Ready 2. Ceremony 3. Portraits 4. Cocktail Hour 5. Reception 6. Travel. When inquiring with vendors, venues and artists, start talking about timing right away. How long is it going to take a group of people to get from point A to point B? How much time is needed to do updo's for 6 people? How much time is ideal for your portraits? How long will it take to get in your dress? These are just some of the questions you may want to think about when setting a rough schedule. Once you have a rough schedule, add in some additional padding. If something runs slightly behind, or maybe it doesn’t, you won't even realize it. If you have an extra 30 minutes, use that time to simply relax and enjoy your wedding day, or maybe even some extra photographs :) Your wedding day shouldn’t feel like supermarket sweep, it should be as stress free and fun as possible. That starts with a great schedule!
Tip 2: Can I wear this for 12+ hours?
Whether it be dress, shoes, undergarments, etc. Ask yourself if you can see yourself feeling comfortable for 12 hours. I made the smart decision to change into ballroom dancing shoes at the reception, but I made the not so smart decision to pick a dress that squeezed my ribs and hips into barbie size dimensions. Yes, it looked good, but it was extremely uncomfortable after hour 4. The last thing you want to be thinking about before you walk down the aisle to see your spouse is how you need a bandaid for your blister.
Tip 3: Hire a wedding planner
Yes, you may have a coordinator at the venue, but there are so many other factors outside of the venue that you may need help with that day. Who will make sure everything is running on schedule? That will be the LAST thing you should be thinking about when you are getting your hair and makeup done in the morning. Who will make sure your transportation arrives on time to pick up guests? Who can help if a giant pandemic hits? I never expected to have to write that one. Who makes a plan A, B and maybe even a C based on weather? Who will bring up the uncomfortable conversation on the day of if something is not right? These are things you shouldn’t have to worry about on your wedding day. I have never heard of someone regretting hiring a wedding planner but I have heard of MANY people who have wished they did hire one.
