Weddings are a huge undertaking that requires research, time, and energy to ensure your day goes off without a hitch. Whether you are hiring a planner or taking on the task yourselves, you are in for a wild and emotional roller coaster ride. We hope our tips for planning your wedding can help move things along or help you identify things you haven’t considered. Fortunately, with today’s technology, there are many resources available to make this all so much easier.

A great example of such resources is Wedding Wire. They offer fantastic free resources and planning tools to help you find inspiration, vendors and so much more. The journey you are now on may be challenging at times, but it’s important to focus on what you want without having to settle. All these decisions will come to a crescendo on the day of your wedding.

It’s often difficult to make any sense of the information that is out there, but we’d like to draw from the wisdom we’ve gained over the years to clear some of the mud regardless of the type of wedding you are planning. We have seen just about every scenario and observed how easily things can begin to fall apart without preparation. With that in mind, let’s get right into our top tips for planning your wedding.

5 Tips for planning your wedding (From a photographer’s perspective)

Most people are somewhat organized, but often times the motions they go through during the process tends to disconnect them from the experience.

Tip #1: The Wedding Planner

Planners are a great addition. If you can squeeze one in the budget, do it!  Aside from the planning, the added value of being able to delegate many tasks to a trusted professional will allow you to truly enjoy your day, and the wedding process altogether. It will ease any anxieties or strain you may have.

Having a planner you trust is key to making your day as pleasant, stress-free, and organized as possible. Ensuring they know exactly what your vision and priorities are is the best way to see that it all goes down smoothly. Don’t be afraid to pipe up and tell them what you want. It’s their job to make sure it happens, within reason of course. The less you have to do, the more focused you will be on being present and enjoying the moment. The interactions you have with everyone that day will likely be much more pleasant because of the positive headspace you will be in. Your day will go by so unbelievably fast so it is important to let it soak in as much as possible.

From our perspective, the result is an overall better experience for you because you won’t be caught up worrying about minor details. Feeling the moment and being present is the best thing you can do for yourself.

We’ve worked with fantastic planners that always deliver and are incredible people! Our favorites include Opportunity Knocks Events and Courtney Elizabeth Events. Both are amazing, personable, thorough…need we say more? They will do what it takes to ensure your day rocks!

Tip #2: Vendor Selection

When choosing your vendors, be very selective of those that will play larger roles and be present the entire day. Ensuring their personalities fit you and your wedding should be at the forefront after you have approved their past work.

Vendors play a unique part in every wedding. It’s very easy for couples to overlook this. Many couples will spend more time than needed on minor details or vendors that they won’t much interaction with on the day of their wedding. And yet, they will spend so little time focusing on vendors that will be very present throughout the day. All vendors play a special part in your wedding planning, but there are some that will have a more profound impact on everyone if you find the right fit.

 

Weekend Forecast: Wedding Planning…. Wine…. Sleep…. Repeat

Ask yourself which vendors might fall into this category. To answer this, you’ll have to figure out which vendors will play an active part in dealing with you and your guests. Most couples will find that their wedding planner, photographer/videographer, and DJ will fall into this category. These particular vendors will have the power to influence the overall mood and flow of key elements throughout the day.

A DJ for example has the enormous task of making sure things remain upbeat during your reception.  If they have no personality and cannot read a crowd, your guests will head for a coat check in a hurry.  Pick a DJ that has personality and knows how to have a good time. Someone  personable that won’t have an ego and will have no problem taking requests.  We’ve seen both good and bad sides of this and we can’t emphasize the importance of taking the time to meet a few to make sure they gel with you and get a sense of what your vision is! No one wants a lame dance party right? We’ve worked with some fantastic DJs and would recommend them any day. If you are getting married in Ottawa, make sure to speak to Dynamix Productions.

Jess and I got married just a few years ago and naturally valued photography more than anything else.  What we failed to realize was the importance of video because we were too narrow-minded at the time.  We felt the only way to relive our day was through images.  In hindsight, this was a huge mistake on our part and we have many regrets because of it.  We have no video of the father of the bride speech or our ceremony.  Nothing to remind us of the quirky things we all did that day.  Simply put, we have none.  Only after our wedding did we realize the importance of video.  All this time our focus was on photography because that’s what we did.  I can’t tell you how much we would have loved seeing our day through video.  Can you tell how disappointed we are in ourselves over this?
That being said, if you want to know if it’s worth having a video, the answer is a definitive YES!

We have worked with some incredibly respectful and talented videographers over the years. Two of our favorites are Cassidy and Chris from Peaking Zebra and Natasha from Dear Darling Films. These two teams are fantastic in every way and are so kind.

Jess and I want the best for our couples no matter what. This trumps any shot that we might have our heart set on because it all comes down to ensuring they also get the best out of every vendor present. If this means we have to modify our position for the sake of us all to get our shots, then so be it. After all, the vendors you hire have to set their pride aside and work as one to make your day as rad as it can be.

If you can take anything away from this, it should be that vendors be considered in terms of the impact they can have on your day. Your photographer for example will be by your side the entire day. Can you imagine having to spend the day with someone you have absolutely no relationship with? Having someone by your side like this should be seen as having a trusted advisor when things go wrong. Someone that has no problem running out to the store because the groom forgot cuff links, someone that can take charge of an unexpected situation and make it right, someone that makes you feel like they care and that you can trust them. Finding that special someone that cares enough and can contribute to a healthy and positive emotional state is worth spending the time on, no matter how long it takes.

Tip #3: It’s in the small details

Small details help set a mood and complement an experience. They create the setting for your story but it’s also important not to let them become the focus of attention and distract from the story itself. Of all the tips for planning your wedding that we discuss in this blog, this is a biggie!

Weddings have changed so much in the last 10yrs. There is more emphasis on details than ever before. People now put a great deal of thought into planning and this often leads to details that don’t really serve a meaningful purpose to their wedding day. With such a focus on these details often comes misguided judgment on their purpose. Things people assume they are supposed to have because of traditions that they can’t even explain or know the meaning of.

Let’s take the wedding cake for example. Our local bakers won’t like this part much but it’s a reality for most couples. They spend a fistful of money on a cake that they figure they absolutely need because they have to have a photo of them cutting it. Most don’t even know the meaning of a cake cutting! This act was once believed to be the first task that a married couple would do together after uniting. The unfortunate and sad truth about wedding cakes is that when the lights go on at the end of the night, ¾ of that cake is still sitting where it was placed, uneaten. In most cases all $500+ of it. I cringe when I see that yummy goodness waiting for its demise. We are in no way saying you shouldn’t get a cake but some serious thought should be put into other options.

Some new trends include cupcake stands from the same bakers you’d purchase a wedding cake from. They are easy to take home, are cost effective, and are just more practical. One baker we fancy is Michelle at Mama Shell’s Cakes. She is such a lovely person and her product speaks for itself!

Donut walls are also quite the thing in the past 2yrs. We are quite fond of SuzyQ Donuts and drop their name whenever we can because they are that good! You can see said donut wall in action in our last wedding blog.

I have never heard one person at the 100+ weddings we’ve shot ever complain about taking a cupcake home! Money well spent in our opinion….and that, of course, is just that, our opinion. Take it with a grain of salt. Bakers do an amazing job at what they do and all we are saying is that there are other options while still supporting them.

If you can forgo a few details they can really add up to save you money or allow you to transfer those savings towards things you can’t live without. Take photography for example. Having your day documented by that photographer you absolutely want rather than the one you were ready to settle for can be more attainable. Unfortunately, this is a story we hear quite a bit. The last thing you want is to look back and kick yourself for not splurging on what matters most. This is just an example because that’s the first thing that comes to mind and we tell our clients this all the time. Even if we aren’t the right fit for them, we want to educate them so they get the very best out of their wedding day.

There isn’t one detail that is worth compromising your entire wedding for. They all deserve attention but prioritizing them is what will make your wedding stand out.

Tip #4: Focus on Relationships

If you are constantly following a checklist throughout the day, then you aren’t enjoying yourself

Something we emphasize with clients is how we allow them to enjoy their day as it progresses. If you have a planner, let them worry about the details and checklists.  Allow yourself to focus on the relationships around the room.  The one regret Jess and I have is that we did not take the time to go around and speak to everyone that came to be with us for our wedding. Many of our couples will go around to every table and although we loathe this moment as photographers, we can agree that it is probably the best and only opportunity you may have to reach everyone and make sure no one is forgotten.

If you are constantly following a checklist throughout the day, then you aren’t enjoying yourself. You’ll be uptight and it will come through in your photos. Allow yourselves to step back and let things happen the way they will. There are people all around making sure things run smooth and we are no exception to that.
Nothing in the room is more important than the people you’ve invited to be with you. Take the time to focus on them and keep in mind that Grand Parents may leave early.   That many of your friends could have curfews as they have young children to get home to.  Think about how you can fit all of these people in a day as hectic as this.

There just isn’t enough time for you to focus on a checklist when you have all of these people around. Take the time to be with them and enjoy their company! Some of these interactions may be the last you have with them.

Tip #5: The Heart of it All

Embrace the relationships, the emotions and peculiarities of the day

This part my friends is what it all comes down to. This day is going to be a whirlwind. One that will likely go down in your family’s history and won’t be recognized as such until years later. With all that will go on, we as photographers see the emotive moments and individuality in every wedding. We can easily sense emotions that occur, allowing us to react and bring composure to tearful moments. It also allows us to intuitively react with our cameras when we identify tears of love and tenderness. The one most important takeaway  from this is to allow meaningful and authentic moments to naturally happen during your day. This allow your photographer an opportunity to capture the most amazing photos of you as a couple.

Photography is considered to be the one single investment you will make for your wedding.  Once your wedding is over, nothing will allow you to relive your wedding as vividly as your photos. Not only is it an investment for the two of you, but it’s an investment for your family. As time passes, your photos will have an additional purpose. They’ll serve as an introduction to future generations, allowing them to discover who you were. There is no denying their worth as their value will increase exponentially and become invaluable family heirlooms.

If this resonates with you at all, you undoubtedly are now aware of how little the minor details will matter. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t focus on them at all. The message we want to get across here is that we’ve witnessed couples who have looked back and regretted some of the smaller details they once felt important. Not once have we heard a couple regret emphasizing the relationship aspect of their day.

We’ve come across numerous couples that have cried tears of happiness after delivering their wedding gallery. In 90% of these cases, they chose to follow the guidance listed here, prioritizing being present with their guests. They also chose their vendors based on positive and pleasant interactions.  They emphasized the human component of their details rather than the associated cost.

There is no denying the quality of content when human connection is in full bloom. As photographers, we see couples at their most vulnerable, emotionally. We see and feel their emotions as they drive us to give an accurate representation of their day.
And there you have it guys. Straight from the heart! We hope this information serves you well and brought more clarity as you embark on your planning journey!

If you liked these wedding planning tips, we’d love to hear from you!  Email us to let us know what you thought or what you think we might have missed.

Cheers!
Joel + Jess