Hindsight is 20/20, so naturally it’s easy to look back at your wedding day and say, I’d do more of this and less of that. BUT in all actuality, you’re doing your best, and planning your dream wedding the best way you know how. So for those of you who are lucky enough to stumble across this post BEFORE you say I-do, here are a few insights from a photographer looking back at hundreds of wedding days!!
CUSHION YOUR TIMELINE.
It’s easy to think that you’ll be able to do family photos in 15 minutes (and sometimes we can!) but in reality, someone disappears, or is late, or the weather intervenes and life happens. Timelines are more of guidelines, due to the fact that most wedding days will run a few minutes behind, that is why we say plan for more time and execute with less.
PICK YOUR PRIORITIES.
Of course it’s your wedding, you want everything to be perfect, but the fact is, you need to have a few highlights that you focus your time, energy, and budget on so that those can be really spectacular, rather than a lot of things that are just mediocre. For my husband and I, photography, food, and location were the top picks for us. I have a client now who really wanted to have a kick-ass party with an epic band. Guess what? One isn’t better than the other; you just have to make the decision on what will be your highlights!
INVEST IN YOUR PREMIUM VENDORS.
I’ve seen it time and time again. I have consultations with clients, they want to find someone cheaper, who in turn is usually less experienced. My photography collections are more than just digital files. You will have timeless images to share with family and friends for years to come but the experience you have and remember is of equal importance to me. I want you to look at the images 5, 10, 50 years from now and remember how you felt on that day. Investing in a professional is the best way to ensure you have a wonderful experience.
GET RECOMMENDATIONS.
From your venue, coordinator and family/friends that you know had a wonderful experience. Ask them questions about why they loved working with them. I can proudly say that all of my business comes from word of mouth referrals and I think that speak volumes of the experience that I provide to my clients. HuffPo Weddings agrees and says that one of the biggest regrets was not getting a personal recommendation for their wedding vendors. To see more of what their readers would have changed, read more here.
Married?? What would you have done differently looking back?
