Easy tips to making your wedding day awesome | Atlanta Wedding Photographer

Want to have an awesome wedding day? Keep reading.

1. Plan 30 minutes per girl for makeup….45 minutes for the bride.

Weddings are often late. The 10 minutes before the bride leaves the suite and walks down the aisle are sometimes the most rushed and stressful. But if you plan adequately for each person’s makeup, you’re more likely to be on time…..or at least less rushed.

2. Schedule your most important photos around the best time for lighting.

The best time for pictures are right after sunrise or right before sunset. That may not always be possible but the couple can always sneak off during the wedding to snap a few lovely photos. You can even consider planning for two short bride/groom portrait sessions instead of filling it all in between the ceremony and reception.

3. Do a first look.

You get to see, feel, touch and bond with your honey when your makeup is fresh, in private before the ceremony. I’ve found that it calms nerves and all the hustle and frenzy before the wedding just goes away. Besides, if you plan for a first look, you won’t be late and your wedding will absolutely start on time.

4. Limit family photos to immediate family only

Each set of images takes about 3 minutes to set up, pose and capture. The more groups (and people) to be captured, the more time you need to schedule for these images. You could consider photographing immediate family (parents, siblings, grandparents) during the formal photo time and leave the rest for the reception. 

5. Laugh alot

This seems obvious but in the middle of the stress, sometimes couples forget to laugh and enjoy the day. You’ve invested a lot of money and time and want your images to bring you back to a happy time. All weddings have hiccups but the only thing that truly matters is that your spouse is there. Enjoy the day.

6. Do something unexpected for your husband/wife.

Maybe it’s a letter, a gift or something quirky. But do something that he/she never expected. It could bring laughter or happy tears but it’s worth it. Oh and tell the photographer a head of time to expect the surprise so that she can be ready to capture the surprise and the reaction.

7. Eat a good breakfast.

Eat something with lots of protein. You may not get to eat again for a few hours and fainting on your wedding day can be a bit of a issue. 

8. Don’t get wasted before the ceremony.

You want to be fully present in the moment of saying “I do.” Don’t drink yourself into oblivion. 

9. Dance like nobody’s watching….and tell your bridal party to do the same.

Actually, when it’s dancing time, tell the bridal party that they need to be the first ones on the dance floor. Dancing makes everything more fun.

10. Have an unplugged ceremony. 

It’s a beautiful moment when everybody is fully present, without any distractions, while you are saying your vows. Plus it leaves room for prettier photographs of peoples faces rather than the back of the their cell phones. Trust me, I’ll take beautiful pictures for everyone to enjoy.