3 Tips for a Less Stressful Wedding Day
Hi friend!
If you’re reading this there’s a high chance you’re planning a wedding! Congratulations!!! Don’t let anyone tell you this season is going to be stressful!!!! With the right planning practices, vendors, and mindset, you are going to have a blast! We are here today to help you have a less stressful wedding day.
Aside from being wedding photographers, Joseph and I are married ourselves, and have had the experience of a big, traditional wedding. We’ve personally known how this time is from both sides of the equation, and want to help you with what we’ve learned along the way as vendors and as newlyweds! Read on for three of our favorite tips to destress your wedding day!
NOMINATE SOMEONE TO BE YOUR POINT OF CONTACT
On your wedding day, there will likely be a whole bunch of people from vendors to family members trying to get your attention to ask last minute questions and such. This is stressful. You want to spend the day leading up to your wedding away from your phone, celebrating and getting ready with your people, and soaking up the fact that today is your wedding day, not answering calls from your florist asking which side of the arch you want the big flowers to hang on.
Nominate someone who will be with you for the majority of the day (MOH & Best Man or other bridesmaid/groomsman are usually best!) to field all of those random requests that come in. Give his or her phone number to whomever may need to contact you morning of (or even in the days leading up to the wedding if they’re willing!!) so that he or she will be able to take questions and keep you from being stressed.
There is always one of those type-A people in groups, and this is a job that they will absolutely rock. Don’t feel the need to put all the weight on your shoulders. Focus on enjoying the day and being served well by your loved ones!
2. Make a Shot List for Family Photos
You don’t need a shot list for the entire wedding day (we could write a whole other piece on trusting your vendors), but this is one part of the day in which a shot list will come SO in handy! For whatever reason, everyone and their mother (literally) seems to lose their brain cells when it comes to family photos, making it simultaneously one of the most important parts of the day AND the most dreaded for all involved. Save yourself from going on a hunt for Uncle Joe and wrangling your already drunk cousins into photos.
Create a shot list of your most important family member combinations by their first names and send it to your photographer before your wedding day. Be stern on your combinations, only do the ones important to you, and don’t let Aunt Suzy try to create any weird groups of people day of if you don’t care! Communicate with anyone involved they will be needed mentally and physically present at whatever time you choose to take these photos, and to stay away from the cocktails as best as possible until this part of the day is over!
Your photographer will be able to call people by name and quickly and efficiently take your family photos, you won’t be stressed, and you’ll get to enjoy more of your day and your people!
3. Create Plenty of Intentional Space in your Timeline to Relax!
No one is lying when they say your wedding day will be a blur. If you’re anything like me, you may try to create a timeline that is super efficient and always entertaining for your guests. In theory this sounds like a great idea, in reality it is not. Your wedding day will already be a blur, and it is a day you will want to remember fondly when you look back. You will not get many opportunities to breathe or spend with each other, so plan wisely!
Things always seem to get delayed, so intentionally plan space for this, but also intentionally give yourself time to just rest. Create space in which there are no activities planned, empty fields on your timeline are absolutely ok! I would give anything if I could go back to our wedding day and spend a little more time just Joseph and me soaking in the fact that it was our wedding day! I believe we live in an era in which we feel like we need to be entertaining to people at all times. Please don’t feel the need to be the most entertaining on your wedding day. It is your day, spend it how you would like it!! Make sure you’re drinking enough water and breathing a bit :)
Now is that time in which we step in and say HI!!!! We’ve been in your shoes before and we love serving people! If you are in the process of planning your wedding, we would love to help you however we can, whether that is through advice, prayer, or providing you with awesome photos of your day! Our inbox is always open to simply chat about all things weddings! The best way to reach us is by email or DM!
We’re Katie & Joseph, a husband & wife team, and wedding photographers in Phoenix.
We are big fans of documenting wedding days in an unposed, raw, genuine, and honest way that allows our couples to maximize their experience on their day while also receiving a gallery full of stunning images that communicate how it felt to be there.
Though we’re based in Arizona, we’ll travel anywhere for a good love story (and dance party). We invite you to follow the links below to learn more about us and our services, and to get in contact with us!
