As a wedding photographer, I see your day through a different lens. I have the joy of being apart of almost every part of a wedding day. This means that I also get to see the big picture of YOUR day!
After photographing many weddings and planning a wedding of my own, here are my best wedding planning tips:
01. Flexibility
We all know that things happen. Let’s start off with one of the most dreaded wedding topics – rain. In the South Texas area, April-August are typically the months with the most rain. This DOESN’T mean it will by any means rain on your best day ever, but it’s something to keep in mind while planning. I’ve come to realize that rain is okay! Rain won’t ruin your wedding day if you don’t let it. Here are the best ways to prepare for a seemingly rainy day.
Cute Umbrellas
Either clear, white, or black umbrellas – whichever match your wedding style best. Nothing is worse than red polka dot umbrellas with blush bridesmaids dresses. If you think rain might be a guest of honor at your wedding, order a few umbrellas on Amazon a week before so you don’t even have to worry about it putting a damper on your photos!
Extra Shoes
Have everyone in the wedding party bring an extra pair of shoes for the weekend. This way if their shoes get a little dirty during the ceremony, or while taking photos, its no big deal for the reception! They can still dance all night long.
Communication with Guests and Vendors
If rain tremendously changes the structure of your wedding day, send out 20 texts to people who you know will help you spread the word. A few weeks prior is also a great time to talk to your venue and vendors about possibilities and game plans.
02. Communication
On the topic of communication, this really is the best way to have a smooth wedding day. It takes an army to make a wedding happen am I right?
Make a List
Make a list of vendors, key wedding party members, and important helpers. Also Include their arrival time and contact information. Give this to your wedding day coordinator so they can share this list with everyone who is helping make the day happen!
Make a Master List
On the master list, you can have the hotel room numbers of the wedding party, check-out times, and any other information your coordinator, maid of honor, or mom would need to know! This is helpful especially of you are getting married out of town/state.
03. Make This Day About You
Don’t get caught up in the details that you forget why the day is happening. This day is about YOU and your love story. If you don’t want to have a first look, don’t! If you only want to invite 50 people, do it! When planning your wedding, always keep in mind that there is no formula or template for the perfect wedding day. The perfect wedding day consists of:
1. the two of you getting married
2. having tons of fun while doing so
BONUS TIP: Make Your Decisions and Don’t Look Back
With Pinterest and Instagram being our biggest source of inspiration, it’s easy to get caught up in the coulda, shoulda, woulda of wedding planning. Once you choose your colors, venue, and vendors, be at peace about it and don’t look back! Your day is going to be incredible no matter what!
- Delete pins of ideas that you aren’t going to use
- Unsubscribe from emails
I hope this was helpful and that it makes you even more excited about your wedding day!
Hugs,
Brooke
