5 Helpful Wedding Tips

I've been reviewing past weddings I've photographed, and memories have been coming back. Today, I want to share some lessons I've learned from both shooting and attending weddings over the years.

Plan Ahead

I think one of the most important things you can do to make sure an event or wedding goes smoothly is to plan ahead. I think this might look a little different for everyone, but having a general timeline of how things are going to go is sort of a must when you’ve got guests and people you’ve hired there for you on your big day. There is always going to be some sort of snag in the timeline that might shift things a little bit, but having a general idea of what happens when is extremely helpful for a Photographer and I’d imagine the DJ and other vendors as well.

Another reason planning ahead is important is that it gives you some time to really figure out what truly matters to you for your wedding. When you put things on a realistic timeline and sort of piece all the little bits together it can make things less stressful. Some people will want to hire a Wedding Planner for this sort of thing, but many are able to sit down with their partner and hash out a pretty solid timeline of events for the day and what to expect.

Clear Communication

Sometimes the big day comes and it’s easy to get carried away with all that is going on. This kind of coincides with Planning ahead, because even if you have the plans set in place sometimes it doesn’t get told to the Photographer or the DJ. I’ve encountered this and it always goes smoother when everyone is in the know about what is going on and roughly when. As a photographer I am there usually until after the main events of the festivities and maybe a little while longer to get some more photos of people enjoying the party, but it puts everyone at ease when they don’t have to guess when something is going to come up. I’ve been in situations where the one moment I step out to go to bathroom or talk to the DJ it would have gone smoother if I were already in place to take the photos. Unfortunately, I’ve come to realize that I’m pretty good at just focusing on the task at hand and photographing a wedding or event, but sooner or later I will need to use the bathroom or have something to eat. I’m not sure how many calories I burn shooting weddings, but I’d imagine it’s quite a lot. I have shot before without eating and regretted it later that night and the next day.

Expected & Unexpected

This sort of feels like it steps on the first two tips that I wrote before, but even though we have a plan set in place and everyone that needs to be in the know are in the know, things will happen that we didn’t expect. I’ve shot weddings before that started earlier than planned and ones that started much later than planned. Sometimes things will happen that you don’t expect and you have to roll with the punches. The first two tips come in handy here. If you have a plan in place and clearly communicate to people what you need or what is going on then things will still go smoothly.

“If you dont’t like the weather, wait a minute.” This is a saying I’ve heard my whole life living in Maine. Weather can change sometimes very unexpectedly. It’s not a bad idea to have an umbrella or, if your wedding is set to be outside, an indoor or some sort of shelter backup plan. It can be very difficult planning a date that we put so much value on and are largely at the fate Mother Nature for. These don’t have to be the end of the world though and sometimes clouds, rain, or even snow can make for some really special memories and great photos. The most important thing about things that might happen that are unexpected and out of your control is to just keep a positive attitude and be flexible. I haven’t seen anything at any weddings I’ve been to that can’t either be shrugged or laughed off. Sometimes it’s the little quirks that end up being the most memorable.

Be In The Moment

This one you may have heard before, but I think it might be the most important overall. You can sit there and have everything planned out to the T and everything goes well, but if you aren’t there actually in the moment and enjoying it then what’s the point? I think this might be the most difficult thing to do as well, because all that planning and expectation and then it’s the big day, you blink and you’re home. Then again.. I guess it’s a good thing you booked me to be your photographer to capture the big day so you can look back and rekindle all the memories and feel the feelings all over again.

Photographers Perspective

Okay I guess this last one isn’t really a tip like the rest of them, but instead a bunch of thoughts on my experiences from photographing weddings.

Unplugged - Everyone has a camera on them these days. I’ve found that generally speaking most photographers ask or urge their clients to not have their phones out while the ceremony is going on. It’s an odd thing that we do these days, looking at the world through a tiny screen in the palms of our hands rather than the real world itself right in front of us. I understand the wanting to capture a loved ones big day, but I’ve been to both weddings where people are holding phones and taking photos and videos and ones where they aren’t. The photos look better when people aren’t holding a phone in front of their face. You’re making an investment in hiring all these people to create your big day and you’re hiring a photographer to capture it. Sometimes I think maybe if the people that want to use their phones could sit off to the side so they aren’t going to be in any of the photos that might work, but I’ve also had many experiences where people have been taking photos and a flash goes off or something that becomes a distraction. So it’s definitely worth considering having a no phones during ceremony policy.

Coordinator - This sort of goes largely with planning and clear communication and being prepared.. Having someone that knows the wedding party and is designated to help move things along helps immensely. It’s natural for people to want to all gather around outside and talk to the bride and groom right after the ceremony, but that’s where I’ve seen issues arise the most. As a photographer we need to get photos of the bride and groom and the party while the guests should be making their way to the reception. Having someone to clearly direct people where to go is a huge help in these cases and I think maybe one of the most important things you need for a wedding day to go smoothly.

Relax and Have Fun - A wedding is basically a big party celebrating two peoples love for one another. You’re probably already put time into planning and stressing about things or finding the right dress, right cake, right food, dj, venue, photographer, etc. Your big day you should try to relax and have fun. Kind of reiterating the be in the moment thing that I said earlier. People you invited are happy to celebrate with you and you should enjoy the party with them. One thing as a photographer that I love is when the Bride & Groom or the parties do some fun photos that are less serious than the regular posed photos. It can reveal some smiles that you had been hiding away and get makes for some pretty great photos. Before you know it you’ll be looking through the photos that your photographer spent days planning for, shooting, and editing for you.

I’m sure there’s a million other things I could write about in my experiences with weddings, but these are a few of them that I think most should know about when planning their wedding.

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