Tips for Saving Time and Your Sanity on Your Wedding Day
After being involved in weddings for over twenty (eek!) years now, I have some helpful tips and suggestions to save time and sanity on your wedding day! I’m sure if you asked a florist, wedding planner, DJ or other type of wedding vendor for their tips, they’d have some great ones as well coming from a different perspective. But, I do spend all day with most couples so I get to everything that happens from when the first curl is put in your hair until your grand exit at the end of the night.
Flat lay details
I love doing flat lay details (if we have time). It’s super helpful if you have everything together in once place before I arrive (if you want flat lay detail photos, it’s usually the first thing I do when I arrive). If you have matching ribbon or little details that go with your florals/invitations, that is even better!
Morgan provided the ribbon for the flat lay (which was great because I didn’t have a ribbon in this shade).
Have a reception change of clothes
If you or your spouse are wearing a long dress with a train, I highly recommend this! Especially if you plan on being out on the dance floor all night. Most bustles are not made strongly enough to last through a night of partying. They invariably fail and then you’ll be trying to fix it every other song.
Liz and John both changed into comfortable outfits!
Pocket boutonnière
I absolutely love that this is becoming a new trend! Not only do you not have to go around searching for someone who knows how to pin a boutonnière, you don’t have to worry about it drooping or falling off later in the day
Take time for the two of you
One thing I never hear my clients regret is taking some time for themselves to ground themselves and be present with each other at some point during the day. Usually this would be sometime during cocktail hour, or if you do a first look, it could be after the photos and before the ceremony.
Skip the individual wedding party intros
If your wedding party has their heart set on doing a big intro, then just ignore this advice! If you’re on the fence, I would recommend either just doing an intro for the wedding couple, or I’ve seen it done where the wedding party is just introduced as “the wedding party” and they all come in as a group. The reason I would lean towards this is because it usually takes 10-15 minutes for the DJ or emcee to get everyone lined up, figure out the names (which unfortunately you usually can’t even hear very well when they’re doing the introductions) and different songs, etc. It just takes away more time from the party getting started and the longer your guests are sitting and waiting, the more restless they become.
Photo dash to couple
I love the photo dash idea! This is an awesome way to get photos with all of your guests without taking up too much time getting everyone organized. However, instead of having the couple “photo dash” to each table, I would recommend the couple staying on the dance floor and having each table dash to you. Especially in spaces where the lighting is tricky, this makes it much easier for consistent photos of each group.
We can do lots of fun poses when we have the whole dance floor!
Be realistic about big family pics
I definitely recommend couples make a list of all the different family combinations they want. I have a list of the immediate family pictures I take, so these would be for more extended family photos you want. It can get a little complicated if it’s a really big group and we’re waiting for just one or two people and then we spend lots of time waiting around (it’s fine by me if this is a super important photo for you, but I want you to make the most of your time on your wedding day!). Also, I have noticed that if we wait until later in the day/reception to do the photos, we might miss people because they’ve left or the couple is just “photo’d” out and just drop the photo altogether. So, just keep that in mind! If it is a very important photo to you, I recommend we try for it earlier in the day.
Edible favors/skip favors
Unfortunately I see a lot of instances where favors are left and guests forget to take them. I would recommend edible favors left at each place setting (more likely to be used, immediately!), or a donation to an organization that means something to you.
Encourage your guests to “Irish goodbye”
I mean, who wants to be interrupted right in the middle of the chorus of your favorite song?
Pinterest is great for inspiration, but not always practical
I absolutely love a Pinterest board - I want to see your vision, and it often gives me ideas and inspiration that I wouldn’t have thought of myself. However, keep in mind that some poses and shots won’t necessarily work. For instance, something with glinting light shining in the background - maybe it will be rainy or cloudy on your wedding day. Obviously a photo in a field with a mountain backdrop won’t be happening if those don’t exist at your venue. You get the idea! Even some poses won’t work as well (ie, a height difference can be good for some poses and bad for others, same if you are a similar height as your partner).
We definitely wanted to prioritize some photos with Ryan and Megan’s adorable puppy! Glad to have some inspo from the Pinterest board… Of course not all dogs are this cooperative! We tried getting some with Megan kissing the dog under the veil - the pup wasn’t interested in doing that!
Eat
Please take time to eat!
I love how much Tara and Connor enjoyed the food at their wedding - especially their end of the night hot dog cart!
Point person for family photos
This is super important to keep your photos on track! The point person should be someone who knows who the VIPs are but is not in your immediate family or wedding party. If we need help rounding everyone up, this person can go in search of the missing person while we get other photos done. It just makes everything run more seamlessly (I especially recommend this if we do the family photos during cocktail hour - it’s very easy for people to get pulled in many different directions once the party starts).
Re-think traditions
Not into doing a cake cutting? Does it feel weird to be walked down the aisle? Re-think any traditions that feel out of date or uncomfortable for you. You should make the wedding your own - it’s your day! No need to do anything just because someone said “that’s the way it’s always done.”
Natalie and Nick still opted for a cake cutting (of sorts) - more of a cupcake tasting - and they chose to do it in private room at their venue instead of in front of everyone.
Planning your exit
If you’re planning a grand exit with sparklers (or bubbles, etc) - try to have someone help coordinate this! It can get chaotic towards the end of the night.
I have some advice from my couples too!
Start planning early! We had a two-year long engagement, which was the perfect amount of time for us to plan without feeling rushed or overly stressed. We also got to work with the vendors that we really wanted to because we booked them early!
Take time for yourselves! Build in time to your day to spend together – whether that’s a first look, private cake cutting, or a moment away to take sunset photos. The day goes by so fast, and it’s so important to share as many moments together as you can!
First look & formal photos before the ceremony! One of the best things we did timeline-wise for the wedding was doing a first look and formal photos before the ceremony. It allowed us to get out all our pre-ceremony nerves and enjoy extra time with our family and friends, while getting formal photos done at the same time! Because we did the photos ahead of time, we also got to spend cocktail hour visiting with all of our other guests!
-Natalie & Nick
Do not let anyone change your vision! Stick to what you and your partner want and do not waver from that. If you try to consider everyone’s opinions, schedules, locations, etc., you will drive yourself mad. Do not overthink the trivial things like cocktail napkins or having activities during cocktail hour. Your guests will be perfectly happy with mingling, good food and good drinks. Stay true to who you both are and remember the day is for you two, and no one else!
-Lauren & Derek
Start early and enjoy the quiet moments you have together, and schedule time to work through your plans with a bottle of wine. Also, try not to get wrapped up in everything you're doing "wrong" according to social media. Do things because you like them, not because someone online said so. We planned a beautiful wedding without the help of social media, and you can too!
-Andrew & Emma
Our best advice is to pick vendors whose personalities you really get along well with, and that you trust. Then don't worry about it anymore and move on to the next to-do list item! Choosing great vendors means they will take care of the wedding and all of the details on the day so you can truly sit back and enjoy. Wedding planning can be so stressful but it's important to practice how to be present and calm, and enjoy the special time.
-Michael & Emma
Looking for some more tips? Check out these blog posts!