Shhhh, don’t tell them but sometimes, there are a few things that I wish my clients knew to make my life a little less stressful. I came up with 28 points of reoccurring things that we tend to forget about while planning a wedding day.  Have a few more? Let me know if the comments below.

1 Your wedding shouldn’t be modeled by Pinterest

I believe that Pinterest destroyed our lives. It’s so amazing.  I use it as my bedtime story at night. I can spend hours on it. What we need to realize, however, is that Pinterest isn’t real life. The easy-to-do, small-budget projects on there… are actually pretty impossible. Maybe I’m just not talented enough. DIY weddings actually have a wedding planner behind it. Be realistic when trying to plan a photo or a wedding modeled by Pinterest. Unless EVERYTHING is snack down the same (including the photographer shooting it), it might look a little cliché.

2 Your Dress will get Dirty

The downfall of wearing something white. Unfortunately, everything clings to it. If you have to walk anywhere on your wedding day, chances are, your dress will get dirty. And so did everyone else’s… on their wedding day. Once you understand that fact, it will be easy to stop worrying about so much and start enjoying your day! Below was taken AFTER the wedding so, don’t freak out buuutttt I wanted a dirty dress photo hahaha.

3 No large window in your house? Why not Think about outside

When getting ready in the morning, large windows are a  MUST “pretty please” if you want beautiful photos. Makeup artists will also love you because it shows them exactly what they are applying on your face and how it will look in the sunlight. Don’t have large windows in your house? Ask a cousin or a parent if you can go get ready there on your wedding day. If you are alone in the world… May I interest you in getting ready outside? Far-fetched, I know but … Talk about perfect photos!

4 Rooms with coloured walls will affect your photos

You should know that as photographers, we will never use our flashes forward to light up your face. We will ALWAYS bounce off the wall to soften the light. Always.  So, if the room we are shooting in is bright green or sunflower yellow, the light bounced back on you will be as such. Boo, right? This is why photographers LOVEEEE white rooms. White will make the light bounce back as white which means you will see the real colour. Black rooms will bounce back NO LIGHT (it absorbs the light) and will make your photographer cry. Think about it when booking for your wedding

5 Speak your heart

Your wedding day is a special moment and it should be remembered as once in a lifetime. When writing your vows or your speech to the bride and groom, think of it as the one time when you can be completely honest. Speak your heart. Tell them what they mean to you, how they changed your life and you would feel if you had never known them. They want to hear it. We want to see it. Unless you hate them. In that case, stay seated.

6 Every groom hates photos, not only yours

“My fiancé hates getting his photo taken” Don’t worry. So does everyone else’s. Except they don’t. If you have an amazing photographer, they will be able to make your groom forget about his irrational fear of photographs and he will have fun as well. Until that moment though, I suggest that you sit with your hubby-to-be and explain to him how important this is to you and that a sour puss will show in the photos. After all, it’s one day, right? He can do it. I believe in him.

7 Choose the right silhouette for your dress

I know you really want that mermaid dress but they might not look good on everyone. Like every other piece of clothing, each silhouette is made to fit different types of bodies. When choosing outfits, open your mind and trust the professionals to choose something that will fit you like a dream. Because your friends and family might not have the heart to tell you that it doesn’t really fit you … quite right.

8 I can’t tell you if your hair or makeup doesn’t look good.

No matter how “chummy-chummy” we are. My job as a photographer is to make you feel comfortable in front of my camera and make you feel fabulous. I will not jeopardize that by telling you that your hair isn’t looking it’s best. I will assume that you wanted it to look that way and I’m going to go with it and make the best of it. I always recommend that my brides get their hair and makeup was done by a professional (not a friend) so that they can recommend what goes with your skin tone and how your type of hair can stay up all day long.

9 Long speeches will bring the party down.

Not much to say here. Ask your guests to keep their speeches to you under 3 minutes MAX to keep everyone in the mood and upbeat.

10 Glitter and shine doesn’t make you glow. It makes you look sweaty in photos

Any type of shine in photos will make you look sweaty. So keep it mat and if needed, keep some powder in your purse for the day.

11 20 Minutes for photos isn’t enough

Typically, the beautiful photos that you see on my website are 1 out of 20 taken during the portrait session. I don’t pose clients and rely on their emotions and outbursts to create beautiful natural photographs. If you give me only 20-30 minutes to get everything done, chances are, you will feel rushed ( as will i ) and you won’t have time to relax and connect with your new spouse to be able to get amazing portraits in different locations. We need at least 1h for that. This is apart from the bridal party photos and the family formals. don’t have 1h? Consider a first look and get your photos done BEFORE the ceremony.

12 We are human. We need food too.

Dear venues, I’m not quite sure what us photographers have done to you but I am here to tell you that we are human as well. We are one of the only vendors that need to start early with the bride and groom and need to leave late when the party is almost over. We have no breaks and we don’t have time for lunch. Our short days run at 8 hours, our long days run at 18 hours. FEED US and leave our food on the table for the whole night, pleaseeeeee. Bride and grooms, please think about us when you are making your seating for your evening reception. You need to specifically request us a meal because, for some reason, most venues will not feed us OR feed us a VENDOR MEAL which includes all your courses, on one single plate, spoonful size. 🙁 Sad face has been inserted.

13 You will get all your best photos.. not ALL your photos

I have had a few clients ask me why they do not get all their photos once I am done with them. Fortunately, beyoncé has answered this question for us. You will receive the photos that I deem “the best” and that will make you feel like the beautiful bride that you were. Photos that might decline my portfolio’s value are deleted and never seen… by anyone. Not that they ever existed…  🙂

14 We can’t foresee the future

If you have a special dance with your father or a guest is singing you a song as a surprise, we need to know about it. We cannot foresee the special moments of your day and although we would LOVE to… we need to have time to prepare so that we don’t miss anything. Of course, we do know that things sometimes happen out of the blue so we do anticipate… the unforeseeable.

15 Schedule more time than needed

Stress is the number one thing you should avoid on your wedding day. To do so, you need to make sure that you book way more time than is needed on your timeline. Things will run late. Unexpected things will occur. Be sure to book ample time for everything. If you anticipate 1 hour for makeup, book 1h30. If you think 10 minutes is enough to travel to the ceremony, book 20 minutes. and so on. If everything is on time, this will give you extra time to relax and take-in the day. Everyone wins.

16 Engagement Sessions are a MUST (with your wedding photographer) !

Never been in front of the camera with a professional? Consider an engagement session. An E-session will give you the practice you need to be able to nail all your wedding photographs in a shorter amount of time. You will also get to wear whatever you want, go wherever you want and get to know your wonderful photographer, ahead of time.

17 Control your guests and their cameras

I’m sorry to say it but this era of documenting is getting a little out of control. EVERYONE has a camera these days and everyone has this need to take a photo or video of anything. Let’s be honest. What are you going to do of that 20-minute video of the bride walking down the aisle? As a guest, nothing much. As a parent… yes ok maybe. Photos are posted on the spot and focus is taken away from the actual wedding celebration. In photographs, all the guests have hidden behind their cameras and no one is enjoying themselves. Consider asking guests to LEAVE THEIR CAMERA AT HOME and shutting off their phones. We want our friends back.

18 DIY is harder than you think

Ever tried a DIY project and have gotten results that aren’t quite up to par? That’s because DIY is a lot harder than you think. Unless you have the right amount of accessories, DIY could look pretty cheap. Consider having a planner for your wedding day to achieve that flawless ” I didn’t myself look” yup. that’s cheating. But your friends will be so impressed.

19 Great receptions have all of the “must-do’s” done at the beginning

Every reception has special moments that need to get done. The first dance, speeches, the parent dances, the cake cutting, and the bouquet. These are all moments that are important but that will take away from your guests letting loose and having a BLAST. Think about having all these done as soon as you get in the reception so that most of the evening is left having a great deal of fun.

20 “Do it all”vendors; are not “do it all” vendors

Being a vendor is stressful. We have a lot to think about. Just the specialization in our field alone can be tiring. There’s no way someone can DO IT ALL perfectly. Think about that when you are hiring a “WE DO IT ALL for one price” company. Unless they have one specific person who specializes in every industry, chances are you are hiring an amateur photographer or a dj that was hired on the spot with no portfolio. Make sure you meet with every vendor before your wedding day to make sure they are, indeed, a good fit for you. You might be disappointed by the results of at least one of those vendors otherwise. 

21 Happy  = Amazing Pictures

It’s your wedding. SMILE! Have a BLAST. It’s so important. Having a happy bride and groom will do wonders for your wedding photos so keep that smile on your face. There’s nothing more “bleh” than photographing people that look like they want to go home and sleep. so, Over-smile, over-laugh, and over-express your feelings.

22 It Might Rain, Snow, fog, be too hot, be too cold, be too windy on your wedding day

Sounds good? Bright aside is,  it WILL still be a great day. So stop worrying about the weather, plan for every circumstance and let’s have a great time regardless!!

23 A huge wedding party is often more problematic, then fun

Drinking, complaining, dress malfunction, lateness, drinking. Having a huge wedding party might seem like a great idea but can sometimes be a little stressful to handle. I’ve seen parties that have refused to go outdoors because it was too hot or bridesmaids that fainted at the ALTER because they drank too much.  Remember that this is not their day, it’s yours. So your wedding party might not always take it as seriously. I recommend sitting down with them and telling them what you expect from them to avoid any misunderstanding and stress! 🙂 When they cooperate though, They sure are fun… I’ll admit it.

24 WALK SLOW!

Ahhh the ceremony. While walking down the aisle, WALK SLOWLY. We need time to be able to take the photo, readjust and take the photo again in case the light wasn’t enough. Tell your wedding party to wait for the other one to be at least half way down the aisle before walking out so that we can capture everyone. If you all come out running, one stuck behind the other …. I might miss that amazing photo. oh oh.

25 Hold that KISS

I now pronounce you HUSBAND AND WIFE. Joyous moment! Take a second to make that kiss nice and meaningful for you… and for me. I want that picture and unless you hold it, for just a few seconds… I might miss it!!! Same goes for the rings. Take your timeeeee. And don’t be shy to sneak in a few afterwards. Adorable.

26 Book your photographer way in advance!

If you are shopping around for your vendors, make sure you book them early. I’m getting so many 2014 weddings requests right now and I’m a little scared for them

27 I will die if I miss a perfect photo opportunity

My job is to photograph your wedding day. I take that job EXTREMELY seriously. If I miss a moment because you are going too fast, your reception is too dark, you have a special funny dance, you are not smiling often or you forgot to tell me about the doves… I might die from the guilt. When planning your wedding, be sure to involve your photographer in the conversation and tell him/her about everything that’s going to happen. It could be one simple email but we sure will love you forever. I want to make sure I get EVERYTHING about your wedding day. I know… so selfish.

28 Asking me for a discount makes me sad

And I will say no. I understand that weddings are expensive. And I respect that you TRY to save however you can. However,
I am a business. This is my main source of income. My prices have been crafted so that I don’t go bankrupt and lose my house. Extreme? Not really. If I don’t pay my bills, the bank will take it back. I have expensive cameras and lights to make sure I’m ready in everything situation. If someone steals my equipment or your rings in my presence… I’m done. So, I need to pay insurance too. Then there’s immunities and computers and the car and allll the taxes. Oh, the taxes. Just this week, two of my photographer friends announced that they were closing. Please. I do not charge what I charge because “I feel like it”. We charge it to survive.

29 You don’t need me there for 12 Hours!

A great timeline can make sure that all the important moments you want to be photographed are done by 9 pm if that’s what you want! Having me there for 12h might result in a lot of sitting around for me waiting for things to happen. That’s not fun. Make an amazing timeline and condense everything in a shorter amount of time. Sometimes, that can result in saving money too! Yay!

30 This is your wedding

So have it your way (Harvey’s).  Forget about how mom wants the flowers to be or how aunt Lucy gave you that awful necklace to wear. Your wedding day should be done the way you want it to be. It’s your one day to feel like a princess marrying her prince ( is that too cliché ? ) If you sit down with your family and calmly explain to them that’s not what you want… They will understand. If they don’t, then they do not your best interest at heart… and shouldn’t be involved either way.

In conclusion, these points are completely subjective and might not reflect other photographers or vendors opinions. At the end of the day, it is indeed your wedding day and it should be planned how YOU WANT. Your wedding will not be recked if you miss one of these points :))) I’m just writing this post for fun.[:]