As fun as wedding planning can be, it can also be summed into a few different categories — stressful being one of them! After you get engaged everything seems to happen in fast forward. You get the ring, you find the venue, you find your dress, and the date is coming up! You may feel overwhelmed as you step into unknown territory, especially if you’re planning it on your own. As a wedding photo and video team, we’ve seen many couples go through the wedding planning process, but we’ve also experienced it ourselves! We want to take what we’ve learned and share a few of the things we wish we knew before planning a wedding.
It’s About You And Your Partner (Not Everyone Else!)
This is YOUR day. So, make sure you plan it according to what makes you the happiest. From the venue to the guest list, you should have the final say! I totally understand that your families may be contributing to the wedding day budget, and their opinions are valid! However, it isn’t mom and dad’s wedding day. It’s yours. So, take their suggestions and let them know you cherish their opinions but ultimately if they don’t line up with your vision don’t do it! Remember, there is no way to make everyone happy so you might as well make sure YOU are happy. Every detail of your wedding day is up to you. You get to determine who you invite, what you have for dinner, who should be in your bridal party, and more. Whatever you decide to do make sure you don’t have any regrets or wish you did something differently. If you want to go against the grain and throw in an untraditional spin — go for it!! This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, so make it all about you and your partner.
Do A Bridal Session The Day Before Or After Your Wedding
Ready for an insider tip? Spend alone time with your partner before or after the big day… believe it or not, you’ll hardly be alone with them during your actual wedding! Especially if you don’t do a first look. Bridal portraits can be stressful if you’re fitting them into the day-of timeline, so schedule time before or after your wedding day with your photographer to get all dolled up and take those bridal shots. Use this opportunity to take an adventure to a different location, maybe even a bucket list spot! Have fun soaking in the joys of marriage. There are sooo many options when it comes to scheduling your bridal session on it’s own separate day. One of my favorite ideas is taking your wedding attire (or something similar… big fluffy dresses don’t always fit in a carry-on, haha) and take your bridal session photos on your honeymoon! There are so many options so don’t stress if they don’t fit into the timeline, your day will be BUSY so let’s check one thing off the list ahead of time.
Hire Your Favorite Photographer And Videographer
I kid you not, the number one regret I hear from people is that they didn’t hire a videographer or that they didn’t hire the photographer they really wanted. Your wedding photographer and videographer are one of the MOST important decisions you make. This day is going to fly by faster than you expect and while you can soak in all the moments it’s just not possible to take in and remember every single detail. Your photographer and videographer are there to capture each moment for you so you can look back on something other than your memories. This day only happens once! So don’t skimp out, hire a photographer and videographer you love and mesh well with. Trust us!!! It will be worth it twenty years from now when your family and/or children are watching your wedding video and flipping through the photo album.
A Wedding Planner is Worth The Investment
I know, I know. You want to plan your wedding yourself and your best friend, sister, aunt, or mom is convinced they can handle all the wedding details themselves! But, hear me out… hiring a professional and experienced wedding planner is WORTH IT. They do so much more than help you pick out linens and flowers. A wedding planner will help you streamline everything, as there are sooo many moving parts you might not even know exist. If you saw what goes on behind the scenes you’d be shocked! Your wedding planner has been there and done that time and time again, so trust them. They’ll keep you organized, alleviate soooo much stress, and act as a second set of eyes. Plus, after years of experience, they have TONS of ideas and know all the tricks it takes to execute them! Engagement season flies by and you don’t want to be stressed or wish you did things differently. So, hire a wedding planner who can allow you to let go and enjoy this season of your life. I promise you’ll be thankful for them.
During this season of your life, we encourage you to do things exactly the way you want. Spend time with family and friends. Celebrate your love and enjoy quality time with your partner. Take our advice and remember these tips when planning your wedding. We’ve seen so many clients’ wedding planning fill with stress and would hate for you to go through that! This is a time to be stress-free. Your wedding day will come and go so make sure you look back on this time fondly and aren’t thankful it’s over! We promise you, each moment will be absolutely worth it.
Ready to say goodbye to stress and hire your dream wedding photo and video team? Don’t wait to reach out. We’re so excited to capture your day — wherever it takes us!
