I don't know about you... but I always hate it when, after an event or situation, I'm like..."Man! Why didn't I think of that?"! Those "bang your head on the wall" moments are always so annoying! After my wedding, I remember thinking of several situations where I wish I had done things a little differently. They weren't a huge deal, but they would have been nice to have thought of sooner or include in my wedding day! Sometimes it's hard to think of everything, especially when it comes to something as detailed as a wedding! But guess what!?! Your wedding photographer can help with that! Your wedding photographer (whether it's me or someone else) has been to so man weddings and have seen the good, bad, and ugly! Your wedding photographer knows what to do, what not to do, and all kinds of little tips and tricks! In this post, I wanted to list a few little tips and tricks that I have learned along the way that will hopefully be helpful!
1) If your dress is strapless, halter, or a has a low back, don't wear a bra the day of your wedding. It will leave marks on your back and shoulders that will be visible in pictures.
2) Have your engagement ring cleaned right before your wedding so that it's extra sparkly for pictures!
3) Take a few moments at dinner to just sit and observe all of your family and friends and just let it all soak it! They are all here to celebrate you two and the love you have for each other!
4) On your wedding day, give your phone away to someone you trust. That way they can answer any texts or calls you may receive, take care of any issues that may arise, and maybe even be in charge of taking selfies and behind the scenes pics throughout the day! That way you can just relax and enjoy the day!
5) On the day of your wedding, collect all of the details and accessories that you want photographed and put them in a shoebox for your wedding photographer. It makes things WAY easier on the wedding photographer (because they don't need to go hunt down everything) and you are certain to get pics of every little detail that you wanted pics of!
6) Make sure to have a photogenic hanger for your wedding dress. This is actually one of the "DUH" moments I had on my wedding! I forgot...and I'm a photographer!
7) If you would prefer for people not to bring their little kids to your wedding/reception, consider putting "babysitter recommended" on your invitations. It's a nice little *hint hint* without sounding rude or like you hate kids.
8) If you don't want to have a big bridal party, but you still want to include all of your girlfriends in your wedding day, have them come over to the venue while you're getting ready! That way you get to spend special time with them prior to the wedding! This is especially special if they live far away and you don't get to see them very often! This is what I did (pic below)!
9) I get it, having your friends and family give speeches about you is fun and special....for you! Not really for anyone else though. If you want more than just the best man and maid of honor to give speeches, then consider having anyone else give a speech at your rehearsal dinner. That way you aren't pressed for time and guests won't get bored.
10) Have the groom and groomsmen leave their phones, keys, and sunglasses with their plus one, a friend, or just somewhere safe. Guys always forget to take these things out of their pockets for the ceremony and especially for pics! And it's not a good look!
Those are just ten tips out of many! So I will probably do another post about this topic! Hopefully it was helpful and please feel free to share!