Well, except for me, of course! :D Wedding planning is well underway for you and you’re checking off boxes one by one. I applaud you! Good job! Perhaps you’re the laid back type or the go-getter type, no matter which one, here are some very important things to keep in mind when planning your wedding day. These things will affect how you experience your wedding day and how smoothly things go. They may not seem to make sense now, but you’ll thank me later after the day is over and you realize that these 3 key things changed your wedding day by volumes. Let’s jump in!

1. Plan for things to NOT go according to plan. Kailee, WUT?!?! I know you put the last 9 or so months into planning this bad boy, but just hear me out! Schedule things loosely to accommodate for unexpected events that could push your schedule back 15 to 30 minutes. These setbacks could be positive things or negative things. An example of a negative setback would be a lost bouquet, unexpected rain or a bridal party member running way behind. An example of a positive setback would be a few more minutes to take photos or an extra 10 minutes alone with one another after the first look. When I schedule the timeline with my brides, I call these little potential blocks of time “buffer time”. Even if no negative or positive setback occurs, it helps to consider the reality of time progression with large groups of people. I usually add 5-15 minutes in between every major photo even during a wedding day to make room for comfortable progression.

2. Ask your photographer what time is best for photos. One mistake many brides make is planning their timeline and not consulting the photographer first to see if this is a good time for images. Believe it or not, while we photogs will do our darned best during your wedding day, it is wise to consult your photographer about times, locations, and their suggestions. Why is this important? Well, first of all, the best photographer in the whole world can make lovely images out of any lighting situation, but chances are, you don’t have that photog. Not to be harsh, but there are just some lighting situations that are very difficult to navigate. The look of your images depends on the time of day you are shooting, the time of year, trees or open space, hot or cold weather, ect. If you hired a “light and airy” photographer, then you’re not going to want to schedule your ceremony and family portraits during mid-day when the sun is blinding and directly overhead, casting dark shadows under the eyes and neck. Can you say unflattering? Yikes! So consult your photographer!!!!!! They will advise you on the best time to take photos that will come out beautiful and memorable! Not sure what else to ask your photographer about?

3. Wear your wedding dress a few times before the wedding day. Sister. All those fittings will go to waste if you don’t wear your dress around during some off time. Whether it’s too tight, too loose, or just right, and even if your dress works out for you perfectly on your wedding day without a hitch, it will provide you with some peace of mind to wear it for a bit before your wedding day. I can’t recommend this enough because it often gets overlooked and if you’re suffocating/drowning in your dress on your wedding day, you’ll feel less than beautiful which is a no-no!!! If you don’t have time to wear it around, make time for yourself by scheduling a bridal session and you’ll get to wear it then!

Did these suggestions help you! I’m so glad! I hope they help your wedding day be incredible and over the moon wonderful! Tootles!