1. CREATE A TIMELINE FOR THE DAY

In order to stay cool and collective you have to have plan. There are so many working parts coming together to create a master plan. Your photographer should help you plan the morning all the way up to the reception. This way there is no guessing games for when the ladies get dressed, or when the guys are suppose to be somewhere. Everything is planned with photos in mind, and also wiggle room just in case.

 

2. SCHEDULE TIME TO TAKE EVERYTHING IN

The day goes by quickly. With so much to do and so many formalities, it’s easy to get lost in the bustle. Schedule a time to sit back with your new spouse. That could be 5 minutes alone after the ceremony, or do a first look where you’ll have time one on one to get a breather before it all starts. You’ll also have time to create beautiful, intimate photos with each other without the time crunch of cocktail hour.

 

3. DELEGATE!

Your wedding party is there for a reason. They are there to help and support your through the biggest day of your life. Have your Maid of Honor make sure all your detail items (dress, shoes, jewelry, heirlooms, etc.) is in one place, out of bags and with no tags, this way the photographer can grab and go. The Best Man can get all the envelopes with tips, make it his job to hand them out at the end of the night. Maybe another bridesmaid can be in charge of straightening your dress, or holding the flowers during photos. Use the people there to help!

 

4. COMMUNICATE THE SCHEDULE

You should share the timeline with the wedding party and parents. Just you going by the shedule isn’t going to help when everyone else has no idea. Bridesmaids and Mothers should know when they are to be getting dressed. The makeup and hair vendors should also have a hard stop, if they run late it cuts into those photos you may want before heading out the door for the next formality. Try to have everyone on the same page.

 

5. LIMIT THE SIZE OF YOUR WEDDING PARTY

I know this is a hard one, by this time in your life you have accrued many friends, but the issue is, the bigger the party, the more complicated. There will be more ladies to get ready, more bouquets, bigger transportation, plus more opinions. From someone who has documented close to 200 weddings, take it from me, the happier couples have smaller parties. Much less stress and less people to worry about.