Prioritizing a Stress-Free Day (and Staying Present For It!)
Cate and Yannick facetimed his parents before the ceremony.
Find Ways To Slow Down, and Make Time For It.
The wedding day goes by quickly - anyone who had a wedding will probably tell you this. Find time to yourselves to soak it all in, and be intentional about scheduling it into the timeline. As free flowing of a day as you’d like it to be for moments to naturally occur, marking those pauses in the day will help you remember it all.
Some examples include:
If you’re seeing each other before the ceremony, make it a private moment. Ask your wedding party to hang back a bit so the two of you can really spend time catching up. What was the morning like? What unusual or hilarious moment happened?
Some time after the ceremony, mark 5 minutes to sit down somewhere quiet alone, even without me there.
Before you go mingle with your people at cocktail hour, take 15 minutes to eat and drink with your new spouse. Your caterer will usually have a personal plate of appetizers and your signature cocktails set aside for you. Make sure you take time to eat!
If you don’t want to read your vows in front of everyone, read them to each other before the ceremony. Or, read them privately to each other before reciting them again during the ceremony. Owl and Rose Ceremonies is a fantastic resource if you are looking to write your own vows and/or your own ceremony script.
Anh and Mike about to head off to the ceremony.
Make a Go-Bag List Beforehand
Make a list of the actual items you need to bring with you from your hotel / home to the wedding venue. Who is making sure the rings are on them and gets to the ceremony? Does your officiant have the marriage license or are you bringing it there? Designate a bag and make it the “It needs to go in here” bag.
Renee and Efrem rented a trolley to take them from the hotel to the church.
A rented Big Bus takes guests from the SF Botanical Gardens to the reception.
Minimize Travel Time on the Wedding Day / Hire a Shuttle Service
In a busy city like San Francisco, hiring a shuttle service or party bus to take you and your wedding party from the hotel to the venue will cut down on the parking, the driving, the calling of Ubers, etc. If possible, minimize travel time and distance on your wedding day. If the venue has a getting ready space, take full advantage of it!
Lindsey with her parents - she wanted to make sure to have a moment alone with them before starting the day.
Consider What Matters and What Doesn’t
It is always interesting to learn what matters to my couples, because every couple is different. Here are just a few things that couples have mentioned to me during my conversations with them prior to the wedding, as I invited them to consider what was important to them.
Things Clients Have Said Were Important:
5 minutes alone, after the ceremony, without a photographer or anyone else present.
All their friends were getting ready with them at their house, and this was their hangout time.
Taking time to facetime the groom’s family who couldn’t make it due to travel restrictions.
For the ceremony to take place before sunrise, and for the resulting photos to reflect how it really looked, with the darkness and glow of twilight.
To no longer have to think about taking photos, once family group photos and couples portraits were done.
A moment alone with her parents, before the first look with her groom.
Things Clients Have Said They Don’t Care Much For:
A separate photograph of the shoes.
Getting the bottom of the wedding dress dirty.
Staging a “first look” — that was not a particularly momentous thing for them. It was simply a slight deviation from the everyday occurrence of getting dressed.
Portraits of the couple looking at the camera and smiling - they preferred any photos of the two of them be completely candid.
What matters to the both of you?
Erin and Ted and their friends walk to their venue.
Just Go With It
At the end of the day, this day is about getting married and being surrounded by the people who support you and love you. Don’t sweat the small stuff. The best moments and photographs always come naturally when you are present and living for the moment, not for the pictures. Be a guest at your own wedding. If it doesn’t matter in 10 years, it doesn’t matter now.
Sarah takes a few deep breaths outside while getting ready.
Sophie spends time with her mom in the getting ready suite.
Alisa and Brian spend time together before family arrives for group photos.
