The Best 10 Wedding Tips

After many years as a Wedding Photographer, and as a former Groom myself, I think I’ve gathered some experience in this area to give engaged couples 10 tips to prepare for their Wedding day.

First and foremost have fun!!! Enjoy your Wedding to the fullest, not just the day but also your engagement. For that to happen, work with wedding professionals that put their heart and soul into everything they do.

1. Having an early ceremony does not mean you’ll get more of your day. A ceremony around noon has some undesirable consequences:  

• Ladies will have to wake up earlier in order to have enough time to get ready (between hair, make up and getting dressed) meaning they will get tired earlier too.

• During the ceremony your guest will start to get hungry, as they did not have enough time to eat , and truth be told “You’re not you when you’re hungry”.

• You’ll have more down time during the day and guests will start to get bored and want to leave earlier.

• A ceremony later in the day will allow you to have more time to enjoy the day calmly, take advantage of better lighting and not be in the heat so long.

2. Choose a well lit, bright and photogenic place to get ready. It is important for it to be tidy and not too dark so that you can have pretty pictures with the bridal party and some beauty shots.

3. We all dream of the perfect sunny day, with no hiccups whatsoever. But believe me: it is the people that make the day and not the other way around.  There will be unforeseen events and delays during the day, not everything will run smoothly and as expected. The most important thing is how you deal with it and your attitude towards this.

4. Allow yourself, and your guests, free time. Don’t fill your wedding day with activities and entertainment because some things may take more time than scheduled and some down time will make sure you can enjoy your day and mingle with your guests. Try and have at least 2 hours for Cocktail hour so you can take family pictures, have a chat with everybody and so you can relax and enjoy your day.

5. A Welcome Dinner the day before is an excellent idea. If I could turn back time I would have done it at my wedding, and I didn’t have that many guests. Having a reception the day before helps to decrease anxiety and allow everyone to get to know each other before the big day. It will also allow you to spend more time with your guests.

6. If you don’t have a Wedding Planner delegate to your Bridesmaids and Groomsmen. They can help you in small situations that may occur and that you shouldn’t worry about on your wedding day ( “I got lost on the way to the church”, “is there parking spots available at the venue?”, “can somebody call my uncle for the group shot?”).

7. If your goal is to have a memorable night invest in a good DJ. Make sure he has good lightening equipment for the party. No one wants the pictures from the First Dance to be gloomy.

8. Nowadays smartphones are a part of our daily life. However, it is good to avoid that during the ceremony your guests are more concerned with the perfect photograph than enjoying the moment. Having a father looking at the bride through his iPhone or an aunt in the middle of the altar capturing the first kiss does not make the photographer's job easy. Sometimes it is wise to let the guests know that someone is doing this job (and certainly better than them) and ask them to “unplug”. 

9. Traditions are no longer what they used to be and some do not need to be followed. It doesn’t make sense to have a cake if you don’t like cake or to toast with champagne if you don’t enjoy it. Make this day yours and create your own traditions.

10. I always like to hear about your ideas and what you are going for, so creating a moodpboard on Pinterest can be a great help during the creative process. Something easy to share with all your vendors, me included. Also, I’m glad to help my couples to create their wedding timeline. You can count on my input and help with logistics in order to anticipate moments, so that you don’t wast precious time on your wedding day.