Brides maids help bride at the last minute
Welcome back and happy New Year! Wow what a great start to the new year for us at J’Elite. This year we had the opportunity to participate in the Forever Bridal expo and met so many people-brides, their families, friends and many wedding professionals. The most exciting aspect of the Bridal expo was meeting new brides who were so excited yet overwhelmed by planning their wedding. However, here are a few tips that might help your planning. Maybe you’re a master at planning and you have decided not to hire a professional wedding planner. At least consider having someone to help you create a timeline for your special day. As photographers we have seen so many weddings and figured we could help you with some tips on timing your special day through the eyes of a photographer. After all, you want your photographer to capture as much as possible based on contracted hours and the images you desire to tell your Wedding Story!
Here are a few things to consider:
Is your wedding falling on the weekend of some other major event- Duke and Carolina Game…or will your special day be in the vicinity of that event?
How much travel is involved between the wedding location and wedding reception? A 5 minute trip can easily turn into 15 minutes in traffic.
Where do you, the groom and bridal party plan to get dressed? This could really save you when discussing how much time you will need for your wedding reception and photography. Are you wearing a lace up gown? Whose the pro that will help ensure this gown is perfectly stringed to fit, this is no easy task.
Consider asking everyone to be in place 2-3 hours before the ceremony begins…. This makes for great photo memories even if your photographer is not contracted to start at that time, not to mention it eases the stress of knowing where everyone is and when they will arrive because it’s not “15 minutes til.”
Anyone that can take formal pictures before your wedding should. Keep in mind; guests tend to start arriving an hour earlier than the ceremony starts. It’s your wedding, but you are also the host. Consider having an area set aside for early arrivals, so that your photographer can get those formals of the “little people” before the instinctive discomfort begins…”I’m hungry, I’m sleepy, and I’m itchy”. Children tend to cooperate better with a photographer when they are comfortable with him or her and in a good mood.
Lastly, talk with your photographer and wedding planner about how to best maximize your time. This will be important. Most wedding vendors will ask you about time of day and the hours desired. This is the basis for everything. If you can say to your photographer, based on this wedding day setup, how many hours do you think I need, you have begun to minimize your stress. You can then discuss how to plan your day and time. Perhaps 4 hours works for you or you want a full day of coverage. A timeline can give you both realistic expectations so that you and your groom are not under time and over budget or over time and above budget. Your time should equal your monies spent….which gives you added value to expect a desired outcome! :~)
UPDATE!
I asked a few of my wedding/event planners if they wanted to add a statement to this post. Samantha from Bliss by Sam stated” as the wedding planner, we serve as the overall event manager aka “time keeper”. Since we know exactly where each person and wedding professional are supposed to be at any time point, we ensure that weddings remain on schedule. Weddings are long days not only for the wedding party but for the guests, so it’s important that things are easily transitioned. Also, if the couples wants to adjust the timeline during the event, the coordinator can ensure all the key players are notified of this. As J’Elite knows, Bliss is serious about a timeline!”
Another great wedding planner to contact is Terry Spicer of Spiced Elegance, who’s personal hands-on approach to each event and flair for detail really stands out. With 25 years in the wedding/event planning business Terry has a flair for honoring the needs of her clients.
