I feel for brides and grooms, planning a wedding is a huge task (no wonder there are wedding planners out there!) and it’s not like you get a trail run of it. There are so many things to think about and you have a number of people giving you their 2 cents to how you should do things. Â I’ve shot a lot of weddings, been a bridesmaid twice and been a bride myself so I feel somewhat qualified to offer hints, tips and offer suggestions for your wedding. Take them or leave them – but definitely think about them! My 3 tips to help your day (and your photography) run smoothly.
- DRESS EARLY
Depending on the type of dress you are getting into, it could take a lot longer than it did at your last fitting. Those amazing ladies at the bridal boutiques get brides into dresses for a living! They can tie up the back of your corset style dress perfectly in record time! The chances of your maid of honour/mum/sister to get it perfect first time are slim. So the more time you give for getting into the dress, the more time you have to fit the hoop, adjust the straps and make sure it’s fitting just right. If you just have a zip to do up, its a little different but invisible zips can be a bit tricky!! It’s better to be waiting around in your dress RELAXED, than stressing it out because it’s taking longer than you expected and you are running out of time.
- HAVE A FAMILY PHOTO LIST
Family portraits after a ceremony have a stigma attached to them. They take a long time, it’s hard to find everyone for each photo and some people just don’t like their photo being taken. I’m here to tell you that family photos can be quick and painless. ITS POSSIBLE! I’ve done it! I’ve even had parents of the bride and groom thank me for being organised, directive and getting the job done quickly. They even said they ENJOYED family photos! This doesn’t happen by accident. If you have a plan, and in this case, I mean a family photo list then you have a greater chance of success! Make sure you send a list to your photographer AND designate a helper who knows the family (usually a sister bridesmaid or brother groomsman). Stay tuned for a future blog post where I’ll go into more detail about effortless family photos at weddings!
- FACTOR IN TRAVEL TIME
Factoring in travel time to your timeline will help things run smoothly throughout the day. IF you don’t factor in the 20 mins it takes to get from your ceremony to the location for bridal portraits, it’s going to cut down the amount of time for your photos. Be smart about where your ceremony, bridal portraits and reception are located. If your ceremony and reception locations are far apart, consider having your photos at a location on the way or at the reception venue itself. Less travel time means more time for photos or even to just have some time to chill out!Â
I hope these tips help you when planning your wedding. Contact me if you have any questions about any part of your wedding day – I would love to help you out.
x
