London Wedding Photographer
So obviously being a wedding photographer I know a little about weddings, however I’m not married myself! So I teamed up with my bestie, Harriet, who got married in Zante in 2017. We had a chat about things that she would have found helpful during the planning process. Also things she learnt along the way and would love to tell future bride and grooms! So wether you’re in the first stages of planning your wedding for next year, or you’re getting married next month! Have a little read through our top 11 things to know when planning a wedding.
So here they are…
Number 1
– Something which I believe to be the most important thing to remember. REMEMBER WHAT THE DAY IS ABOUT!!!! It is about the love you have for each other as a couple, the fact that you want to make this grand gesture of a commitment to each other. You’re starting this kick ass new journey in your life. It is about you two!! It isn’t about what other people think you should be doing. Nor is it about having a bigger wedding than your friend that got married last year. The day is about you as a couple, make the day reflect that.
Number 2
– Don’t worry about not having the “OH MY GOD, THIS IS THE ONE!!” moment when choosing a wedding dress. Most of my brides don’t have this moment. It does not mean that the dress isn’t perfect for you. Don’t let it put you off buying a dress you love because you didn’t have that moment.
I tagged along with Harriet and her Mum when she went wedding dress shopping. She tried on maybe four dresses. The last one she tried, by a long shot was the dress for her. The shape was perfect on her, the details were gorgeous. She looked stunning in it! But neither of us gasped, Harriet didn’t well up, her Mum didn’t cry. Mainly because they’re just not cryers! HAHA But she knew it was the dress for without having that crazy “OH MY GOSH!!” moment. So ladies…don’t panic! Also….I bet you get the dress that you wouldn’t have imagined yourself in!
Number 3
– Nothing goes to plan! Be prepared for this. Ideas and plans in your head may not necessarily work out. Or be the right thing to do for your day. And remember, that’s okay!! Be prepared to have back up plans, change your ideas slightly or adjust. Also compromise with each other! Just breathe and think of an alternative. If something goes wrong on the day, it’s okay!! Most people won’t even notice. There will be people in the background to sort things out. Gosh I have had a wedding dress break whilst the bride is getting in it. The bridesmaids and I kept quiet, calm and fixed the problem. The bride never knew!!! Get a good wedding planning to. help with runnings and problem in the background.
Number 4
– Okay, so this one is a pretty difficult truth to learn. This one came from Harriet, having experienced this and learnt from it. People WILL let you down!! They will forget things, the will irritate you. They won’t turn up to things you’d expect them too. They’ll cast their unwanted opinion on your plans. It will happen. And one thing you have to remember, is that your wedding day is not the centre of everyones universe. Please remember that, because you don’t want to ruin life long friendships with someone. Just because they forgot about a dress fitting. Or didn’t save enough money for your hen/stag do and then let you down last minute. Yes it’s bloody rude!! It’s frustrating, and annoying! But it isn’t worth breaking friendships over.
To them its just one day of their year, to you it means so much more. Of course it does, it’s your wedding day! Just prepare for people to not put your wedding to the top of their priority list. They have other shit going on in their lives too.
Number 5
– DON’T feel guilty about the decisions you make! It’s your bloody wedding day! If your Mum wants to invite all her friends, or distant family members that you don’t speak to. Well tough shit! It’s your day, don’t feel guilty about saying no! One of your bridesmaids doesn’t like the colour of the dresses you’re choosing for them. Don’t feel guilty for putting her in the colour she hates. Sorry gurrrll! I mean by all means, try to come up with a dress that suits all your girls body shapes and skin tones. But if they’re just being fussy, then tough shit!
Number 6
– Don’t stress about the small things, like table favours. People don’t care!! Harriet, our friend Nessa and I spent a whole evening separating 100 mints into little boxes with other goodies for a hangover relief pack. We did this for hours!!! I mean the Prosecco helped! But guys, it was a waste of time!! People drank the alcoholic miniature that Harriet had kindly given to everyone. The rest of the hangover cure kit was tossed aside, left for rubbish. People drank their drink and sacked the rest off! I mean slightly ungrateful, but it’s what people do.
Alcohol miniatures are a great idea, but can be pricey! Something for them to nibble on is a great idea, everyone likes food! Don’t get them something that they’ll just throw away. Or nothing at all! People will not care if there isn’t a wedding favour there. Don’t get bogged down with the little things. Don’t worry that the colour pink of your flowers is slightly off from the colour of the bridesmaids dresses. People will not notice, they will not care!!
Number 7
– My favourite tip!! FUCK TRADITIONS!!!!!!!! My mantra is to DO YOUR WEDDING YOUR WAY! You don’t have to follow traditions, you don’t have to do what your parents did, your cousins are doing. Its your day! I can’t stress this enough! Harriet and Craig spent the morning of their wedding day together. They woke up together, enjoyed breakfast together before getting ready. Harriet said this was such a precious moment for them. The day goes so fast, they didn’t get any other alone time together for the rest of the day! A few of my couples last year walked down the aisle together. No one gave anyone away. It was so refreshing to see! Also in my opinion, saves on the agro if you have split families and two Dad’s to choose from to walk you down.
Sack off chair covers!!! They’re horrible, and a waste of money! Most venues now have really lovely plain rustic looking chairs that don’t need to be covered up. This may be an unpopular opinion but…wedding cake is a huge expense, and possibly the biggest waste of money! The only person who eats wedding cake is your photographer! Guilty!! I always try to grab a bit before the drive home, the last little sugar boost before heading home and backing up all your images.
Number 8
– Leave enough time between your ceremony and sitting down for food. EVERYONE is going to want to talk to you! Also your photographer will desperately be trying to grab all the group photos that you require. Battling with time and people that don’t want their picture taken. Uncle Bob will be in toilet, someone is always getting a round in at the bar. Ask your photographer how much time they need for the amount of group shots that you have asked for. Then add time on!! You’ll want 10 minutes to yourselves to have a breather. Then there’s your couple portraits! And getting round to staying hi to everyone. Forget eating canapés or getting drunk guys! It won’t happen! you’ll be too busy. Give yourself time!
Number 9
– Getting married abroad isn’t always cheaper! Another lesson learnt by my friend Harriet. They wanted to get married abroad, because of guaranteed sunshine, and to save on costs. They got sucked in to this amazing offer of a wedding abroad, it was going to save them a fortune. But there were loads of hidden extras!!!!! Watch out for this guys!
Number 10
– Consider Eloping! haha. Again a sound piece of advice from my lovely friend. Part of Harriet wishes she eloped and just had a huge party in the UK after. My Mum would kill me, but I have also considered eloping! Just the two of you, no stresses, no formalities. It would probably save you a fortune. And you can have a huge party when you get back with everyone to celebrate it. Don’t forget to book a photographer if you do elope. We’re more than happy to travel with you!
Number 11
– ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!! I’m sure you’ve heard this from everyone, but the day flies by! It goes so quickly, blink and you’ll miss it. So enjoy every second. Don’t stress about little things that may have gone wrong or been forgotten. Just enjoy it with your new husband or wife, and your amazing family and friends that surround you.
