Your big day is almost here. You’ve planned. You’ve stressed. You’ve planned some more. You’ve dreamed up how everything will play out in your head. Now you wait for it to all fall into place, right? Well, almost.
There is one more “to-do list” you need to tackle. Following these steps before your “I do’s” can help ensure things run smoothly on your wedding day and guarantee the most special moments are captured by your photographer.
Once you’ve finished these, it’s time to give yourself a little break! Giving yourself the chance to feel relaxed and refreshed will ultimately leave you looking and feeling your best on your wedding day! Trust me, everything will be just fine.
These are my 5 MUST DOs before your “I DOs” to ensure your big day goes as smooth as possible!
1. Decide on wedding traditions
Decide what traditions you’ll include… first look, bouquet toss, your entire family doing the chicken dance in feathered boas – whatever it may be! Then incorporate those traditions in your draft timeline for the entire wedding day.
2. Meet with your wedding photographer
It’s important to review your wedding day timeline with your photographer. And, if you have flexibility, get input from your photographer on where and when to take portraits. Having the time before the wedding will allow your to get any professional feedback from your photographer, as well as allow them to be 100% prepared for your expectations on your wedding day.
3. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate group shot times
You’ve probably already made a list of who you want to be in photos… So you should tell them you want them in formal group shots and, more importantly, what time they should be there. Remember that timeline from above? Share the plan with everyone involved! We typically move fast on wedding days, and after Bride and Groom portraits, that’s when group portraits start. Consider assigning someone to help corral people for pictures and tell them to arrive 10 minutes earlier than planned to account for Uncle Bob who is notoriously late. This will help keep everything moving smoothly and prevent a lot of unnecessary miscommunication.
4. Choose your other “must have” photos
Make “must have” photo list of any details you want to capture… wedding invitations, Programs, family heirlooms. Make that list and add it to your group shot list for your photographer. Something to consider: Your wedding day goes by so fast and those sweet details that you spent months planning should be remembered. Take your time creating this list, give it a little thought.
5. Relax
Your big day will be here before you know it! While it’s natural to stress about the last minute little things, remember this: you’ve chosen a team of professionals to take care of everything on your wedding day. With that, take a deep breath. Go ahead, take a deep breath and know everything will work out as it should. Bonus: your photography team is seasoned, especially when it comes to wedding day chaos.
Once you have done your part by taking the steps above, you and truly RELAX! You’ve made it this far, so pat yourself on the back and get ready to have the best day EVER! Stay tuned for more tips next week for after you’ve said: “I do!”
Looking to book your wedding photographer? Contact me today!
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