Here it is! The moment everyone has been waiting for! The music is playing and the guests have been seated. The coordinator is lining up the bridesmaids while giving the musicians a 5 minute warning. The bride is about to walk down the aisle to the love of her life. If she’s like most girls, she’s dreamed about this moment for a long time. Vows will be shared and promises will be made. This is what it’s all about!! Below is some items to consider when planning out your ceremony.
LIGHTING
Ceremony lighting is really important. If you get married outdoors at 12pm, the lighting will be extremely harsh and not only will there be harsh lines of light on your faces, you will also be squinting. I suggest planning an outdoor ceremony for 2 hours before sunset if you are having a first look. If you are not interested in sharing a first look, then I would suggest having your ceremony 3 hours before sunset to ensure that you will have plenty of time for all of your portraits afterwards. The lower the sun, the more romantic the lighting. If you are having an indoor ceremony, it is always best to have soft and EVEN lighting at the altar. If there are two spotlights on the bride and groom, I will not be able to expose the rest of the bridal party.
PROGRAMS & DETAILS
The BEST advice I have for the program making process is to remember that not every guest needs a program. We printed a program for everyone attending our wedding but quickly realized that most families only took one. We ended up with over 60 extra programs! Also, before ordering your programs, have several people check it for spelling and grammatical errors. Programs and the ceremony decor are something that the bride can plan in advance but then delegate the actual job of setting it up to a friend or coordinator. The last thing a bride needs to be doing the morning of her wedding is running around setting up floral arrangements.
COORDINATION
Hiring either a full event planner or just a day-of coordinator is SO important! Brides realize very quickly that if they do not have someone in charge of the coordination on the wedding day, that responsibility automatically falls on the mother of the bride, the photographer or the BRIDE! When a photographer is in charge of the coordination, the images end up suffering. The most stressful wedding situations I have witnessed were caused by a lack of organization and coordination. It’s so important to make this a priority. If you need any recommendations here is a link to some of my favorite vendors you can contact.
UNPLUGGED CEREMONY
If you haven’t heard about unplugged weddings it’s where the bride and groom have signs posted and the officiant makes an announcement before the ceremony that there are no cameras or phones allowed. The reason they do this is that guests tend to stick their camera phone and arm out in the aisle ruining the professional photos. Sadly, I’ve had guests stand up and get in the aisle during the first kiss while I’m trying to capture it with my telephoto lens from the back. Guests get excited and want to capture the moment but instead should be relaxing and ENJOYING the moment. I HIGHLY suggest going this route and you can get a ton of helpful information and examples of wording online by searching “unplugged wedding” on Pinterest. I find it works best when it is also announced just prior to the ceremony starting, otherwise people will STILL use their phones and cameras.
FIRST KISS
You might want to ask your officiant to step back during your first kiss so that only you two are in the frame. And don’t be afraid to smooch! Kisses that last longer than a peck allow for a few different photos. If it’s possible, it’s always fun to get a shot from behind you so that your guests are in the background!
During the recessional make sure you and your groom stop halfway down the aisle and kiss! It makes for an incredible photo as your guests will be standing, clapping, and if you choose… throwing petals, confetti, etc!
