The Wedding Coordinator:
If you’re having a wedding of over 25 people consider having a wedding planner or at least a day of coordinator that is not related to the wedding in any way (also not a guest or a friend because you want everyone invited to enjoy your wedding day) He/she will be able to answer all of the questions so you can spend time floating through your wedding day with your friends and family. A coordinator that I would recommend is Mathews Weddings and Events. She's awesome (and she has clients around the US).
If you're thinking a coordinator is out of your budget, I would recommend her DIY guides.
Unplugged Ceremony
You have hired and paid for a photographer to take all of the photos. Have a sign that says it’s an unplugged (no phones and cameras) ceremony. You don’t want your uncle’s cousin twice removed ruining the special shot of you walking down the aisle because she decided she wanted to post a photo on Facebook.
Starting your Day – Breakfast
It’s tempting to feel like you want to skip breakfast because there are a lot of nerves and you just don’t feel that hungry. (I get it.) Wedding days are long and exhausting days that need to be fueled with some food. You won’t have enough energy after taking all of your photos to walk down the aisle without a bite to eat. Start your day off with your wedding party and make it a fun breakfast before the big day!
Set aside Alone Time
Even though the whole wedding day is about you two, alone time has to be scheduled into the day. Take a few minutes to talk about how excited you are or how the day is going. Soaking up some alone time with the person you’re getting married to can help you relax and take away the nerves you have had all day.
Hair and Makeup
Instead of doing your hair and makeup inside a dark room, choose a window to sit in front of for some gorgeous photos. If you don’t have a window in the bridal/groom suite, choosing to do some last minute touch ups in front of a window can create prettier photographs.
Snacks and Water
Having some mess free snacks and water in the bridal and groom suites will keep people from getting hangry (hungry and angry) as they wait around while pictures are taken. Your wedding party will appreciate you, especially if they felt rushed to get ready and skipped breakfast.
Write out your vows before your wedding day
This one sounds like an obvious one,
but almost every wedding that I have attended, either the bride or groom ended up writing out their vows in the middle of their wedding day. It’s something that gets easily put off until the last minute. Having it all ready, the night (or week before) will help save some time and stress on the big day.
Rain/ Bad weather
Sometimes it just happens. If your venue happens to be outside, looking into renting a tent just in case may be a good idea. If you would rather embrace the rain, there are cute clear umbrellas on Amazon that photograph well. For photographs inside when it’s raining, I will put almost all of my subjects as close to a window as possible.
Talk to your Photographer
Your photographer has likely shot many weddings, so they should have a general idea on the average time each part of the day lasts. Like each family photo group generally lasts 3 minutes to set up and get everyone into position. Taking time tips from your photographer will save the headache of being rushed for time. PLUS if your photographer is anything like meeeee (Cailie) they want to get to know you and love you and serve you on your wedding day. Communication is key.
Most Importantly – Stop and Look Around.
Take a mental snap shot of what is going on. This moment will only happen once. Breathe in, breathe out. You’re getting married!
To all my married people do you have any tips you found helpful for your wedding day?
Okayyyyyyy, so who wants me to photograph their wedding?