HELPFUL TIPS WHEN PLANNING YOUR WEDDING
Wow! It’s all overwhelming I know! Not only does a wedding eat away at your savings bank balance (and very quickly), it can be stressful too. Let me guess, you’re still waiting for your cousins, uncles and aunties to RSVP so you can sort your table lists out, right?
We had a destination wedding and while we had an awesome day, there is probably a few things I would do differently if I was to get married again. We chose Bali as our location, and we organised everything from here in NZ, so trust me when I say that I know the work involved in organising a wedding. I had photographed many weddings before I got married, and even as a photographer who sees lots of different ones, I don’t think I fully respected and appreciated just how much effort goes into planning a wedding, until we had to do it ourselves. The good news is, somehow it all seems to come together and your day is going to be massive fun. For sure
In fact, your wedding is going to be epic! It's all about celebrating your love for each other with friends and family. You are going to make a promise to your partner, that out of the gazillion people on this earth, you chose them. Forever. Awesome
To help you along, I have created this tips page. These are recommendations only. They are definitely not hard and strict rules - so feel free to take some/all/none of it on board:
1) TIMELINE - Smart planning for your day & timeline is very important. Time slips away very, very quickly on a wedding day (just like normal time, except wedding day time is like normal time sped up x 10). You will need to choose locations for both of you getting ready, the ceremony, the wedding party and creative portrait session, and the reception. Try be realistic and keep all these places close to each other, if you can. Take into account driving times and traffic (if any) for you and your guests. Having everything nearby helps in so many ways. Less time driving and sitting in traffic means more time with guests and loved ones = more time having fun and enjoying the day you’ve paid a lot of money for. If you’re planning on a different location for photos, remember to consider driving time and that you need to multiply that time by 2 (there and back)
2) HAIR & MAKEUP - Be clear with the artists about exactly how long they need for everyone. Factor in all people involved, and any family members too. Once done, add on 15 minutes for touch ups (seriously). When you are deciding on your hairstyle, keep weather in mind. It might look amazing indoors, but how will it handle outside at the beach, or in the wind, heat and humidity? Talk to your hair stylist about this and choose a hairstyle that will look great in photos no matter what the weather is doing. Bits of loose hair and fringes often cover your face in the wind, so definitely consider your hairstyle carefully.
3) THE WEATHER - Obviously this is something we simply cannot change or control. I have done rainy weddings, sunny weddings, stormy weddings and even weddings with hail. At the end of the day we always get great photographs, no matter what, and very often the ‘bad’ weather makes the day even more special. Photos in the rain can be fun and beautiful too. You might not believe it, but a sunny day is not always best. An overcast or cloudy day can be really good, as it's cooler, it gives you shade when needed and the photos look great too (even lighting/no squinting). So don’t stress about the weather, no matter what mother nature brings on your day, it’ll all be special
4) EAT. DRINK. EAT. DRINK. EAT. DRINK - In the craziness of the day many people forget to eat. Make sure you have a good breakfast, and that there are plenty of snacks around during the day while getting ready. For the photo session make up a hamper for you and your bridal party with some drinks (some venues do this complimentary - ask them!). Throw in a bottle of cheap champagne too (one that you don’t mind spraying) as it always makes for fun photos. Drink lots of water! Especially if you are going to be drinking alcohol later
5) CEREMONY LOCATION - is there shade? Not just for your guests, but for you too. Ceremonies in the full sun (or dappled light) can be challenging for a few reasons. It's uncomfortable to be hot and sweaty in full sun, while wearing dresses and suits. So if your ceremony is in baking sunlight, then definitely consider how long you want it to be. About 30 minutes is standard and usually more than enough to cover all the important stuff. Talk to your photographer about the timings of your ceremony if you need to. And if you want a really cool pic, then definitely plan to have guests throw something in the air when you walk back up the aisle (petals, leaf confetti, popcorn - whatever works for you) - AND make sure there is LOTS of it!
6) YOUR MC - It’s a huge honour to be an MC. Some things to consider are humour, being organised, a good communicator and somebody who has no problem speaking and being behind a microphone
7) YOUR CELEBRANT - Talk to them! Get to know them! Make sure you are on the same page. Meet with them for a coffee/beer/wine before the big day, to see if they are the right person for you. It’s a short, yet very important part of the day that they will be part of. You have some meaningful and special words to share with each other. Thats pretty huge, so you want to make sure you are comfortable with the person standing up there with you guys. Talk to them. While we're talking about words, consider taking some time to write some personal vows for each other, it's always more meaningful than generic ones found online ;)
8) GOING 'UNPLUGGED' - Phones and tablets are part of the times we are living in now. Many of my wedding couples choose to have an 'unplugged' ceremony so the photos are of their faces and not screens. Personally, I really don't mind. The only thing I might suggest is asking your guests to refrain from posting anything on social media until you (or your wedding photographer) posts a photograph that you would be happy with
9) HUGS AND KISSES AFTER CEREMONY - This is honestly one of my favourite parts of the day. A showering of genuine emotion and real happiness from your guests, which I just love capturing. This 10-15 mins of congrats time after the ceremony is so lovely, definitely factor in the time so you can soak it up and enjoy
10) FAMILY & GROUP PHOTOS - The best time for these is straight after the ceremony (after everyone has congratulated you). It’s best to start with the big group photograph of everyone first (before people disperse) and then move onto the important family photographs straight afterwards. It can be a mission getting everyone together and it takes time, but something that makes it easier is to ask your MC (or somebody who knows most of your guests) to help get everyone together. Closer to the date, it’s a good idea to make a list of what family/friend photographs you want
11) YOUR PHOTO SESSION - Always try leave enough time for wedding party photos and your creative portrait session. Us photographers know that you don’t want to be away from your guests for too long, but we do need some time to make sure we get great photographs for you. Personally, I work quite quickly and my goal is for you to have fun during this time
12) FIRST LOOKS - expanding on the point above, one of the ways to spend more time with your guests, is to have what we call a ‘first look’ (or reveal), where you see each other before the ceremony. The great thing about first looks is that you can get all the wedding party and couple photographs done before any of your guests arrive at your wedding. Then, after the ceremony you won't need to go anywhere or leave your guests for photos, which some people do find to be an advantage. It does however mean that you both see each other before the ceremony, but if you’re not the traditional type, then consider a first look. First looks can be fun, and many couples prefer seeing each other for the first time while alone, rather than in front of all their guests. It’s not for everyone though, and it might mean that you need to start hair and makeup (and the entire day) a bit earlier to make it all work. You can read more about the pros and cons of first looks here
13) TRY STICK TO TIME - I have thrown this in at this point, because by the time you get to your reception, things are likely to get a bit delayed in the enjoyment of the day. The only reason I suggest trying to keep to time as best you can, is to ensure you have enough time left over to catch up, have fun with your guests and party. I have seen speeches go on till quite late and the band arrives all set up and ready to go, then they have to wait for 2 hours before they can play, and only end up playing for 1-2 hours. Bands love playing, guests love partying and dancing, so make sure to leave enough time for everyone to have a great time. Make sure you communicate with your MC so that they know what your requirements are, and so they can communicate this to your wedding guests
14) SPEECHES - I know some people have a lot to say, but if you have too many people all talking for too long, it can quickly eat into your mingling and fun time with your guests. Unless this is what you want (which is perfectly fine too), but if you’re concerned about time, maybe speak with your MC (and everyone else who is doing speeches) and allocate a certain amount of minutes for each speech. 3-5 minutes per speech is generally a reasonable amount of time
15) SUNSET PHOTOS - I'll always suggest we take a 10-15 minute gap for some sunset photos. This truly is the best time of the day for light and your photos will be epic! This is, of course, if there is a sunset happening, so if you’re keen, then take a look at the sunset times to try fit it into the day’s timeline. Even if there is no sunset happening, it's still cool to get some photos at this time of day as light is softer/better, and you’ll be far more relaxed at this part of the day
16) SPEND A TINY LITTLE MOMENT ALONE - it’s a mega busy day, with so much happening + a timeline to stick to. There will be a lot of attention on both of you, so don’t forget to take a breather and have a little moment alone for yourselves. After all, it's your day! A good time to do this could be right after your sunset photos. I remember my good mate giving me this advice at our wedding. We went for a toilet break and then stood watching, while all our mates partied and danced. It is one very special part of our day that i’ll never forget
17) A VIDEOGRAPHER - If you can afford to have one, go for it. We never had a videographer at our own wedding and in a way I wish we had. If you are interested, let me know as I work with some good ones, and can provide some recommendations for you
18) PHOTOBOOTH - these are good fun too, if you have budget for it of course. It really is a hit with guests. A photo will always make a good addition to the messages in your guestbook
19) CHILL - Other people will have ideas and advice for you, and that is fine - but remember that it's up to you to make the decisions. It’s your wedding. But it’s a big, long day too, and things might not always go to plan, but that's not important - how you deal with it is though! So...just like beer, for best results, keep chilled
20) HAVE FUN & LAUGH - It’s easy to get caught up in the planning and all the serious parts of your wedding day, but it’s so important to have fun. You’ve no doubt spent ages planning this day and you’ve also spent a lot of money, so make sure you enjoy it all