Your wedding is one of the biggest events you will ever plan.
With tasks such as finding the perfect venue, hiring the right vendors and planning the timeline and logistics of the day, stress can quickly build-up and overwhelm!
On your wedding day, you should be able to relax and enjoy each moment with your partner and loved ones. The key to this is preparation and knowing what to do to make things go as smoothly as possible both before and on your big day.
Our team has been in the wedding industry for years and while we are not professional wedding planners, we’ve had a front-row seat to the stress brides and grooms can often deal with while planning their big day.
In an attempt to kick wedding planning stress to the curb, we’ve put together a list of sanity-saving tips, from a professional wedding photographer and videographer’s point of view.
Perfectly Chilled-out Preparations
The Space. When choosing a location for your morning preparations, size and lighting is most important. Try to ensure there is enough space for your group to get ready together and there is access to adequate bright natural light for the best possible photographs.
Hair & Make-up. You’ll want to be looking your best for the morning’s candid photos, so don’t wait until last to get your make-up and hair done. This also leaves room for any last minute touch-ups before you leave for the ceremony.
The Dress. We recommend getting into your wedding dress at least 50 minutes before your ceremony. This allows enough time for your family to see you for the first time and for your photographer to capture some special photographs. Where you put on your wedding dress for photos is not too important. All we need is a clean backdrop, a tidy space and access to bright natural light.
The Bridal Party. What the bride & the bridesmaids wear in the morning during hair & makeup is important. Having an assortment of clashing pajamas or clothing can look jarring in photographs so where possible try to colour match the bridal team in advance.
Important Items. Save time in the morning by gathering any items you would like your photographer to capture in advance. This could include the wedding dress, wedding party outfits, wedding shoes, perfume, flowers, jewellery, spare invitations, wedding bands, etc, essentially anything that is important to you to remember from your wedding day.
The Little Ones. In our opinion, it’s so important to include children or pets in your wedding day photographs, that being said, it’s a good idea to have someone on hand to take care of them and get them ready on the morning of the wedding. If possible, delegate this task to somebody in advance to avoid added stress on the day.
Special Moments. Work with your photographer or videographer before the big day to decide what moments you would like to capture on the morning of your wedding. This could be a champagne toast with your bridal party, a father’s first look at his daughter in her dress or an emotional hug between mum and the groom.
Cool, Calm & Collected Ceremony
Timing is Key. Aim to have your ceremony as early as possible to ensure there is enough light for photos afterwards. Consider the time of year as this will dictate the best times for the best light.
Here Comes the Bride. For nervous brides in particular, the temptation can be to race down that aisle. We advise to take your time and walk as slowly as you can. This allows everyone to catch a good glimpse of you in your wedding dress and your photographer to capture enough photos of you as you walk to your groom.
The Groom’s First Glimpse. To capture this special moment, we always recommend that the groom continue to look forward until we give them the nod to turn around. This allows us to capture his excited expression as he sees his future partner for the first time
Wedding Booklets. As beautiful as these booklets can be, they can often ruin a great shot of the bride and groom. Avoid holding your booklets throughout the ceremony and, instead, rest your hands on your lap or embrace hands with your future partner.
