So it’s the big day you’ve been waiting for, planning for and possibly even losing a little sleep over. No sweat though, my name is Patrick Julian and I am a wedding photographer located in Phoenix, Arizona. I have some pro tips to share with you so that your wedding day can be all you ever hoped for. So many good tips I don’t know where to start! Number #1 is a tip that can really impact a wedding day negatively if not followed so I guess we will start there.
Pro Tip #1 No Peeking!
Whether you intend on doing a first look with your significant other or not, that precious moment you both see each other for the first time can be foiled unintentionally by social media. What do I mean? I suggest letting your wedding party know in advance that you don’t mind them taking pictures while you “get ready” but please no social media sharing. One Snapchat of the bride in her dress sent to the groom, one Instagram post of the boys tying ties seen by the bride before it is time can really suck the wind out of your sails. I suggest to my couples to stay off social media for the day, enjoy your wedding experience, enjoy your friends and family. You really only need your phone for wedding coordination or emergencies the rest can probably wait.
Pro Tip #2 Hired Professionals
This tip plays off the first tip with cameras. This day and age everyone has a camera in their pocket, purse (cellphones) etc. I recommend to my couples that they have what is known as an “unplugged Ceremony” (up to the couple) politely ask your guests in the wedding invitations or even a small sign at the front of the venue to enjoy the day with you and leave the photographs to the Photographer(s) you hired. This doesn’t mean no pictures at all throughout the whole day but at key moments like first kiss, father daughter dance, walking down the aisle your Photographer(s) can capture those moments for you to later share and print. If a guest really wants that photograph for their phone and steps in the aisle or is in the background trying to get the shot, then the Photographer(s) can’t get a good image for you. And after all that’s why you hired them.
Pro Tip #3 Carry Out
This is one of my favorites, when booking your caterer see if they will make up a “to go” box for the two of you. Wedding days are a lot of fun and at the end of the day, chances are, it will be late and you’ll be hungry! Get your “to go” box from your caterer after the reception and enjoy that amazing meal you picked out back at home/hotel. I hear it all so often “We were so hungry after our wedding we had to stop at a drive thru or ordered pizza.” But not you... no, you had your “to go” meal ready!
Pro Tip #4 RELAX!
Enjoy your day, this is an awesome and amazing experience in life so make sure you stop and take a few moments to savor it. Wedding days can sometimes seem like an organized chaos, getting ready, where’s Uncle Joe etc. With my couples I will often times tell them at certain points of the day to take a break, relax… It will all get worked out and don’t be afraid to delegate. Spend some minutes alone with your spouse after the ceremony, hug without everyone watching, laugh together and most importantly have fun!
Pro Tip #5 Divide and Conquer
There are a lot of moving pieces to a wedding day, far too many for just the bride or groom to handle on their own. Don’t be afraid to give various tasks to your groomsmen and bridesmaids. One groomsman is in charge of transportation, a bridesmaid in charge of locating key people for certain parts of the day. Or just simply having someone to get some snacks and water for the bride and groom. (I get hangry, do you see a theme here?) It’s your wedding day, enjoy it and don’t be afraid to have your friends and family help you with various parts of the day so you can relax. After all you guys are the stars of the show.
Well those are some of my Wedding Day Pro Tips, I hope you enjoyed them. I offer my couples many more tips and suggestions along the way to help make their wedding day as special as possible for them. If you’d like to see some other tips or just follow along with me be sure to check out my blog. Have a great day!