Plan Your Wedding Day

 

Plan your wedding day

You wedding day will go by fast. It’s hard to believe, but the day you’ve spent so much time planning for, dreaming about and investing in will absolutely be one of the quickest days in your life. And this is one of the main reasons to invest in good photography! We will capture the entire day so that you can relive it over and over! To make sure you get the most out of your big day (and that you can actually enjoy it), you’ll want to plan your day carefully, so that nothing gets rushed or forgotten. If you break it down into stages, it feels more manageable. We suggest:

 

Dream and Brainstorm (12-9 months before your wedding day)
First and foremost, you should come up with an overall vision for your day— including the general location you are thinking about and the time of year (and day) you’d like to get married. The best way to dream and brainstorm is to sit down with your partner and imagine your perfect day from start to finish. Try doing it on your favorite date night, or cuddled up at home with your favorite beverage. Think about the big-picture first – What do you want? Your wedding day should be all about YOU! Make it personal! And don’t be afraid to dream about what you really want!

Your major to-dos:

  • Create a guest list

  • Book your photographer (DONE – YAAY!!)

  • Schedule your Engagement Session

  • Create a vision/mood board

  • Dream!

Research and Logistics (10-7 months before your wedding day)
Once you’ve come up with the overall vision for your day, the second stage is all about diving deep into research and figuring out what’s actually feasible. Your goal with this research is to make your wedding day vision a reality in the best way possible. Set your budget, find vendors, figure out who is paying for what and when. What do you prioritize? This is one of the most stressful stages of the planning. An experienced wedding planner or coordinator can help immensely with this and can help you avoid stress and conflicts. We are also happy to help in any way we can!  Alos, if this all feels too overwhelming and not like you – you could always elope (we have a chapter at the end about that) and escape all the stress. We’ll still photograph it – we promise.

Your major to-dos:

  • Set your budget

  • Contact vendors

  • Consider a wedding planner


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Commit and Book (8-4 months before your wedding day)
Now is the time to take action. While it’s good to do your research and weigh the pros and cons, at one point or another you need to make a commitment and start booking! Set some things in stone by booking your venue and important vendors, such as a caterer, the officiant, accommodation, transportation, florists and DJs or live music. Find your dream dress and order your invitations (or build your ECO-friendly Wedding Website) so that they can be sent out in time!

Your major to-dos:

  • Book your venue

  • Commit to your vendors

  • Buy your dress

  • Order and send invitations

Finalize and Have Fun (At least 3 months before your wedding day)
Finalizing the details of your wedding can feel endless, which is why it’s good to not leave everything until the last minute. The sooner you tackle all of the smaller details, the sooner you’ll be able to enjoy the final months and the days leading up to your wedding. During this time, contact and book any remaining vendors, have a trial run for your hair and makeup, plan all pre-wedding activities (from bridal/bachelor parties), and take care of your guests by creating favors and setting up a timeline for the day to make sure everything goes smoothly. The more work you put in here, the more relaxed and at ease you’ll be on your wedding day.

Your major to-dos:

  • Finalize all vendors

  • Trial run for hair and makeup

  • Plan pre-wedding activities

  • Make guest favors

  • Create wedding day timeline

Vendors
The vendors you choose for your wedding day have a big impact on how everything goes. Choosing your vendors wisely is important! While some couples try to limit how many vendors they use for their big day, the additional cost can sometimes mean the difference between a stressful day (and chaotic months leading up to the wedding) and a wedding day you can really enjoy. If you know a vendor will help you stay calm and less stressed, then making the investment is worth it in our opinion.

Not only do great vendors help make all of your wedding dreams come true, but they can shape you and your guests’ entire experience.

If you are looking for professional vendor recommendations, feel free to ask us! Being in the industry, we’ve met A LOT of amazing and talented people who can help. We’ve even partnered with some of these vendors so that you can get a better deal. For example, we have a great friend in the stationary business and a spectacular contact for men’s wear!

Do I Need a Wedding Planner?
While a wedding planner isn’t always necessary for a stress-free, beautiful wedding – they definitely help! Wedding planners take care of all of the details (including the details you wouldn’t have even thought of!) and, because they are the point of contact for all vendors, they help to keep you focused on what really matters – enjoying your wedding! Wedding planners come in all shapes and sizes and are often happy to work with your budget and style.

Before ruling out a wedding planner altogether, we recommend at least looking into it! As photographers, we know that having a wedding planner organize the day makes our job easier too!


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