WEDDING DAY GUIDE.
Welcome to my Wedding Day Guide packed with tips to help your day run smoothly and make the most of your photographs while still having the Best Day Ever!
One of the main reasons couples book me is because they love my relaxed and natural style. To achieve this, most importantly, it comes from couples who let go and enjoy their day to the full. Genuine emotion and laughter make for the best memories. I won’t boss you around but will simply guide you along the way while keeping a watch on time!
Planning Your Day.
Time of Service.
Your day goes by so quickly so why speed it up by rushing it with a tight timescale and recommend a midday service (where possible) to make the most of your day to give you time with family and friends and get all the photographs you require.
A few weeks before your wedding day I will send out a questionnaire for you to complete with all your finer details. From this I will produce a timeline so we all know what is happening. Example of a timeline based on 1.5 hours travel to venue:
9.30am - arrive at brides house and photograph details
10.00am - capture what is happening around the home, hair/makeup finished and drinks toast
10.30am - bridesmaids & family to get dressed
10.45am - bride to get dressed
11.15am - photographs of bride on own and with family present
11.30am - meet partner at service, photographs on own, with their bridal party and family present
12noon - service
1.15pm - greet guests
1.45pm - family photographs
2.15pm - leave for reception
3.45pm - arrive at reception
4pm - bridal party photographs
4.20pm - couple photographs
4.45pm - couple back with guests
5.30pm - hotel calls for meal
As you can see, there isn’t a huge amount of free time before guests are called for meal. The timings are not excessive, it’s the reality of your day.
Morning Prep.
HAIR & MAKEUP - When you are confirming times with hair and makeup I recommend you speak with them about the time you need to be finished by. If in any doubt get in touch we me and I can work this out for you. Times to be getting dressed by may seem early but if I’m at meeting the groom 30 mins before the service, I need to be finished with you by a certain time so I can capture both your stories of the day. If you leave getting dressed until late you will feel rushed and stressed. You are freshly made up, it’s such a shame not to make the time for beautiful portraits and dress reveal.
PREPARE AND BE ORGANISED - Prepare and organise as much as possible the night before. Know what needs to be done and delegate tasks to your bridesmaids and family so you can enjoy your morning. Nothing raises tensions more than everyone running around trying to find and organise things 5 minutes before you are about to leave the house.
Being organised is good - it means you have more time with your guests and ultimately a more enjoyable day!
Details, Details, Details.
Here are a few tips to make the most of your photographs on the morning of your wedding. By following these tips I can get your details captured and then go on to document your morning preparations.
Room to Get Dressed.
Choose a room with good natural light and one to match your colours or with neutral colours. Select your bedspread to compliment your colours/season of the year and not clash with your details etc. De-clutter and pack away anything you don’t want to be seen in photographs!
Dress & Hangers.
Have your dresses hanging ready to be photographed. Be conscious of your hanger. The dress looks far nicer hanging on an original dress hanger or even a plain wooden one. You don’t need to spend a fortune, Dunnes sell packs for a couple of pounds.
Details.
Have all the details you want photographed laid out together so I am not hunting around your house. Little details that mean a lot to you can easily be missed if they are not all laid out together.
Shoes.
Have your shoes and the bridesmaid shoes all together and buckled (they look so much better this way). Ensure labels are removed from the soles of shoes (stickers and false nails don’t do well!)
Time to get dressed.
The bridesmaids are dressed and now it is your time! Be aware of how long it will take to fasten your dress. If you have a lot of complicated buttons please let me know so I can allocate additional time. Have a crochet hook ready as false nails, tans and detailed buttons can make it difficult.
Keeping Warm, Clean and Comfortable.
Keeping Warm.
Autumn and winter make for the most beautiful photographs but if you’re freezing cold you will not make the most of your natural portraits. You don’t have to spend a fortune, buy something you can use again. A blanket can make for lovely photos, all snug and warm. If you want to be different a customised cashmere jumper is pure luxury (see the photos here)!
Long sleeved wedding and bridesmaid dresses are beautiful and will definitely help keep away the chill.
Keeping Clean.
On booking me, many couples talk about how much they love my natural photographs. It stands to reason that if you are uptight about your dress getting dirty then the photographs won’t be very natural!
The very colour and nature of bridal wear means it will get dirty. Accept this! It’s likely no one except yourself will notice.
If you know it will bother you then consider the type of dress you go for. A long train on a dress always ends up being carried most of the day and will be harder to keep clean.
Keeping Comfortable.
During the couple shoot we suggest you have a pair of flip flops or comfortable shoes. The grass may be wet and if you want to make use of the grounds you may prefer to leave your Jimmy Choo’s inside. For winter weddings something more substantial may be required to keep those feet warm!
Having a nice pair of flat shoes can also help when the feet are sore and you need something comfortable to slip into, especially for dancing!
Group & Family Photographs.
Think about the group photographs important to you and what you really want. Your day goes so quickly, you want to enjoy it to the full. Don’t waste time on endless group setups if you’re not bothered about having them. If you have a huge list they will take a long time to get through and couples always get fed up. Speak to your partner as they may not be as keen as yourself to have numerous setups! Tell family how you feel, that you want to enjoy your day rather than standing for photographs with every aunt/uncle cousin in the room. Hunting people down for the photographs is a task in itself, there is always someone checking into their room, at the loo or in the bar when they are needed. That being said, immediate family is important and I recommend the following setup for both sides:
WITH PARENTS
WITH PARENTS, SIBLINGS & PARTNERS
WITH GRANDPARENTS
If we have time at the reception I am more than happy to take any other group pictures you request.
Timekeeping.
No one wants to think about timekeeping on their wedding day but if you want everything to flow, be stress free and get all the photographs you requested then it is very important. It is often left to the photographer to ensure the couple are present at the hotel on time ready to be seated for the meal. If you are late, the meal is late and the band start late. If you agree with the hotel to start seating guests at 5.30pm then all their preparations are based around this. Therefore I need to have all your requested photographs taken to meet this time goal. If time is very tight then any delay will have a big impact. One of the reasons why I recommend an earlier service is to provide you with as much time to enjoy your day. A normal time for guests to be seated is 5.00/5.30pm - anything earlier will mean a rush and less time to socialise with your guests - unless of course there is very little travel time or your service and reception is in the same location. If you need a rough guideline please just let me know. My goal is to get the photographs you require in a relaxed and stress free environment, I want you to enjoy your reception, just give us the time to be able to provide this service to you!
Remembering Your Day.
Enjoying your day is the most important thing! You want photographs to recall happy memories. Without a doubt the very best photographs are of couples who kick back and have a ball. You really cannot beat genuine, happy photographs packed with laughter and emotion.
Right from the start of the day you should relax and enjoy it. Protect yourself from people or situations you know will change your mood or create unnecessary fuss. The flowers may be a different colour to what you wanted, the cars may be late, the weather not as expected. Don’t let this worry you - what will be will be!
If you stay chilled and prepare for minor hiccups you will have a much better day and will look far more attractive in your photographs!
You’ve spent too much money to let something ruin your day. Remember what your day is about, it’s about two people getting married, celebrating their day with family and friends.
LASTLY no one likes a diva, no one will thank you for it, do you really want to be remembered that way?
