I dive into this topic extensively in my Documenting your Day Guidebook, but as a fellow bride-to-be I really wanted to share the following little details most of my bridal clients forget going into their Wedding Day.
1. Tidy Up the Bridal Suite
Don't get me wrong, the most important job of a photographer is to document your wedding day as authentically as possible. But let's be honest, there's nothing that takes away from the magical feelings of your wedding day like crunched up White Claw cans in the background of your photo with your grandmother zipping you into your wedding gown. It only takes a moment to scan the room when you get the head's up your wedding photographer is on the way and remove any trash or distractions. Have your bridesmaids + groomsmen move suitcases to one room, have an a corner for phones, cans, brumates, and just make a mental note of what might clutter up special photos. Yes! Photographers can photoshop, but that's extra time getting your wedding photos back to you when it easily could've just been removed from the environment in the first place.
2. Hangers
While it seems like an unnecessary expense to add to your wedding budget, having some upscaled hangers can make or break the vibe of your wedding photos. One of a wedding photographer's shots on the to-do list is always going to be a photo highlighting the dress or suit hanging up before it's on the bride or groom. If you're planning on having photos of your dress or suit on its own, it makes a world of difference for it to be on almost anything other than a plastic hanger. Same goes with bridesmaids gowns. It can be a custom hanger from Etsy or just some upscaled felt or wooden hangers off Amazon. Pro tip: add this to your bridal shower registry!
3. Everything out of your Pockets
Just like plastic hangers and crunched up beer cans can cheapen the luxury vibe of your wedding day, leaving crap in your pockets for bridal portraits or group photos of the bridal party can really take away from the timeless magic of a wedding gallery. If you want your wedding photos back promptly, make the job easy for your wedding photographer. Don't put your wedding photographer in a position where they'll have to edit out phones, wallets, vapes or anything else from pockets. Often times, these things can't be easily removed with editing and can actually look worse with photoshopping.
4. Schedule in some Breathing Room
Whether it's ten minutes of time alone before walking down the aisle to say "I do" or a small escape around the corner for the newlyweds to check in with one another - your day is destined to be high energy and fly by! Make sure you schedule in moments with nothing to do - just time to be present and take a cleansing breath.
5. The Night Before
Set aside any details - like rings, your veil, cufflinks, stationary, etc - that you want to give your photographer when they arrive to help tell the full story of your day. This not only helps document your day with all the details behind the scenes, but it also gives your photographer a little time to assess the location, introduce themselves but then step aside and get to work without immediately chucking a lens into your face.
And, yes! There's so much to celebrate, but remember the night before to celebrate responsibly so you're not hungover, grumpy and sleep-deprived on the most special day of your life. Those elements are hard to hide during getting ready photos in the morning. Trust me!
6. The Day Of
Try to be present! Sometimes this can be the hardest thing for couples on their wedding day. It's easy to fall into the trap of wanting everything to go perfectly. However, stressing over every little detail is a sure way to take away from all the truly special moments happening around you on your big day. Trust your vendors, trust your people and let yourselves be celebrated.
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