Preparing for a wedding can be so dang overwhelming, so we want to help make this journey as smooth as possible for you! The week before your wedding doesn’t have to be a rat race. We have put together a few tips to help you prepare for your big day & ease your mind.
Prioritize What Matters to You & Your Partner
Before we even dive into the nitty gritty, I want to be sure you remember that THIS IS ABOUT YOU & YOUR LOVE. It is absolutely not selfish to prioritize yourself and your partner on your big day. Despite what anyone else says or wants, this is a celebration of your love & your celebration should reflect that. Take some time to write down what you want to remember most about your day & find ways to prioritize that. For example, if your priority is time with your loved ones that have gathered from all over to come see you, then make sure your schedule & plans give you the most time possible to do that. If that means doing things in a less traditional way, then so be it! Prioritize what matters most to you.
Collect all of Your Details Early in the Week
This is so helpful for your photographer – simply collect all of your details & place them into one bag. On your wedding day, place this bag next to your dress so that everything is in one place for when your photographer arrives. Your details may include (you do not need to include everything on this list – include what is important to you and what you want photographed):
- Both partner’s shoes
- Jewelry
- Veil
- Cufflinks / watch that may be important to a groom
- Hand written letters
- Gifts that you will be giving to one another / any other important gifts
- Invitations / paper-goods
- Groom’s tie
- Anything sentimental that will be included in your wedding
- Rings
Inform Family / the Wedding Party of the Schedule
Your family and wedding party are some of the most important people that will be involved in your big day. They are just as much on a schedule as anyone else, so it is important that they are well informed. Make sure that your family and wedding party are aware of where they need to be and when that needs to happen. For example, if uncle Bob doesn’t know that family photos will be happening by the alter directly after the ceremony, he may wander off to grab a beer and be gone in the cocktail hour abyss for who knows how long, delaying your family photos / creating confusion while going through your family photos list. As long as everyone is on the same page & no one is being a stinker… we should be in the clear ;).
Speak with Relatives about Photo Requests
Although we always want to make sure everyone is happy, we cannot meet everyone’s requests. Our main priority will ALWAYS be our couples (that means YOU) & what you prioritize on your day. Many of our couples opt for minimal family photos in order to maximize the time they can spend with guests at their cocktail hour. We are all about this decision as we want you to have the time of your freaking life… but, sometimes mom, dad, grandma or someone won’t be happy if large group photos (or whatever photos they have in mind) aren’t taken. Our policy is that we will not add on additional photos to the list unless they are requested by you – our couple. Otherwise, we politely tell friends / family that any photos that are not on our list can be taken when things slow down at the reception. As you may guess, this can tick some people off. But, when it is communicated beforehand that there is a shot list the photographer will be working off of & all other photos can be taken at the reception, there may be less confusion / aggravation by anyone who makes requests. Communication is key.
Have a Plan to Keep your Getting Ready Space Clean
One of the main things that can ruin getting ready images is CLUTTER. If your wedding party / family can keep their things in one closet / space, that would be ideal. When there are no available closets, you can choose one wall (opposite of any natural light – we want to take photos near the windows / natural light) to place all of their belongings. Make sure they are aware of this rule so that random clutter / garbage doesn’t make it’s way over into the area that will be designated for getting ready photos.
Breathe, Take a Break & Enjoy this Moment
You have worked so hard to get to this point. Instead of stressing, try to live in the moment. This moment of your life will only come around one time – soak it in! Yes, planning a wedding can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! Choose to prioritize your joy in this moment. Celebrate what is about to happen… it’s once in a lifetime.
