5 ways to remove stress from your wedding and have the best photographs!
We get it, planning a wedding can be stressful! We’ve been there and understand how overwhelming it can be. We want you to have the best day on your wedding. A day that doesn’t just look amazing — but one you actually ENJOY!
With our experience photographing weddings (and having our own), we’ve picked up a few things along the way and want to share them with you to help remove as much stress as possible.
Let’s get to it!
Tip #1 - Location, Location…
There are so many options when it comes to choosing the right venue that will represent you and your significant other and be worthy of the celebration you’re planning. One of our biggest tips when it comes to location is proximity — the ideal being the ceremony and reception in one location.
We understand that is not always the case and recommend keeping in mind travel distances/time. When thinking this through will you need to hire a transportation service to get guests to and from your reception venue?
The same goes for getting ready. Are the guys 30 minutes (or more) away from the girls. It is important to plan accordingly.
Tip #2 - Presence — (not presents, being there in the moment)
When it comes to your wedding day, you’re picturing a beautiful celebration with your closest friends and family where everyone is having a good time, right? Years from now, when you look through your wedding album and reminisce about how special your day was and how amazing everyone looked, what you don’t want to see are a bunch of phones in the isle of your guests getting the “perfect shot” for Instagram.
Unfortunately in a social media driven world this happens far to often where guests are more focused on getting images for their online world that they aren’t enjoying the moment they’re really in.
For us, this is a big one. We highly recommend having an unplugged ceremony and making sure it gets announced ahead of time before the ceremony begins. This is why you’ve hired the photographer of your dreams, to document every moment of this perfect celebration with each of your guests truly being present with you in those moments. After the wedding you’ll have a stunning photo gallery to share with everyone there!
Tip #3 - Lighting Matters
I know this one can come across as self-serving being a wedding photographer, but we truly want you to walk away with stunning photographs. Amazing light is a large contributor to amazing photos. You need to trust us on this one — we have your best interest in mind!
Natural light is wonderful and flattering. If you’re indoors, windows are your friend! Consider the time of day you’re planning your ceremony and portraits. We love planning couples photos around sunset (also known as golden hour), were you get that soft warm light.
Now we know weather is as unpredictable as who goes home on the Bachelor, and any professional photographer will carry the proper equipment to get the best photographs in any lighting conditions, but let’s keep nature on our side for this one!
Tip #4 - Be yourself
When your wedding day is over and you open up your wedding album I want you to be blown away by the photos inside! Not only because your photos are gorgeous but because it really tells your story the way it was.
This day is about celebrating you and your fiancé and it should look and feel like the two of you. So, you do you. What is going to aid in commemorating your love story? Is it the two of you grabbing coffee at your favorite shop or getting an ice cream cone at the place you went to on your first date?
Too many people are worried about where to have their photographs taken. This should be unique to you and not just what’s trending. So, we encourage you to explore your story and what will make your day memorable for you.
Tip #5 - Remember what’s important
I’m sure you’ve heard about this thing called Murphy’s Law… something about what can go wrong will. Don’t sweat the small stuff. If it rains, so what? You can still have amazing photographs even when it rains!
What is important is the people you’re with. Especially your future spouse. Remember to take time to enjoy the day, just the two of you, because it truly does go by quick. Schedule it in — go for a walk in a field at sunset or slow dance in a garden, just the two of you. These will be the moments where you can think about your future together and simply enjoy.
If you’re having fun and being present, your wedding will be amazing!
We know wedding planning can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be! As NH wedding photographers we are here to assist you along the way. At Heart & Mind Creative our commitment to you is that when you choose us, you get to slow down, be present, and simply enjoy. We’ll document it all so you can walk away with artistic, emotive, and honest photographs that tell the story of your connection the way it is.
If you’d like to talk more about your wedding day, our favorite venues and locations, get in touch and we hope that this free resource has been helpful!
