Wedding planning Tips for Brides

One of the pages on my website is devoted to sharing some of the things that I have learned over the 30-plus years that I have been taking wedding photos.  The link to this page is Advice for Brides, and I’d encourage anyone who is starting to plan the timeline for their wedding day to read it.  I have photographed 1200+ weddings, and have seen that there are a lot of things that are common to almost all weddings that can go more smoothly if they are thought about before the “big day”, when chaos reigns and clear thinking can be in short supply!

I created this page because I want to help couples avoid some of the common pitfalls that I see happen over and over again.  Simple things that are easy to overlook, like making sure your florist delivers the bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids (as well as the guys flowers) early enough that they can be used during the pre-ceremony photos.  You’re spending some serious money on those flowers, you want to make sure you get them into all the important formal photos!

Here is item #1 on my list, and is probably the single most important piece of advice that I can give to any couple –

1. Remember – it’s YOUR wedding!

The most important thing for you to remember is that this is YOUR special day. That means that if you want to do something in any particular manner you should be able to do so (assuming that it is possible). You will get lots of advice from many different people (including me!) about how you can make your day go better, things you don’t want to forget, activities you should do, etc. But the bottom line is that this day is supposed to be about the two of you; it is possibly the most important day of your lives, and you should do whatever you want to make it yours.

This can be difficult. Well-wishing relatives and friends may give you all kinds of advice and suggestions that simply don’t fit with how you visualize your wedding day. You should certainly consider what they tell you, but if you decide that you want to do things YOUR way then that’s what you should do! Some of the best weddings I have photographed were those where the bride and groom had some really unique and creative ideas that allowed them to express their personalities in their ceremony and reception. Don’t be afraid to try something different just because a friend or relative doesn’t like your idea. It’s YOUR day!!!

Lots more on my website, just click on the link above to go to the page.