Your big day is almost here! You are probably counting down the days and hours until you both say “I Do” but along with this excitement can come a lot of anxiety. As your photographer, we are going to be there for you to make sure your day runs smoothly and capture beautiful images of your day so we compiled a list of important wedding day reminders to help your day run smoothly. This list is based on ten years of experience. If it’s on the list, it’s happened more than 5 times.

• VERY IMPORTANT – EVERYONE you have listed on the official family portraits needs to know when and where to be. DO NOT ASSUME your parents will call these people and tell them. YOU need to inform each person so they all know. Family pictures can be fast and painless if everyone is ready to go.
• VERY IMPORTANT: Mother of the bride and bridesmaids need to be fully dressed and ready prior to the bride. Make sure you schedule hair and makeup accordingly. If mom isn’t ready and it is time to get the bride dressed this will hold up the entire timeline.
• VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you have told the father of the bride where he needs to be and when. HE NEEDS TO BE DRESSED AND READY TO GO!
• Make sure you have touch up lipstick and powder for the remainder of the day, you will want to work this out with your makeup artist before your wedding date! This is critical for your Romance Session at Sunset, you will want to retouch your face before the pictures!
• If you have any gifts for your bridal party please have them where you will be getting dressed. We want to be there when you give them to your bridal party and get those awesome expressions!
• You may want to write a love letter to each other. You can do that before you get there or during your prep time. This is a great way to slow the day down and really remember WHY you are there. We love getting that moment caught on camera and it really helps you to enjoy the day.
• Make sure to have a decorative hanger for wedding & bridal dresses. It doesn’t have to be a personalized hanger – just a hanger that will look nice and not distract from the dress when we photograph it.
• Have all the details you’d like photographed set aside together: Jewelry, shoes, invitations, boutonnieres, garter belt, or keepsakes that you want to be photographed. We usually do these as soon as we arrive while the bride is still doing hair and makeup.

• If you are opting to have an unplugged ceremony to avoid a lot of folks running around snapping pictures and not focusing on the wedding, HERE is the verbiage we suggest. Remember to tell either your officiant or your DJ to read this PRIOR to the start of the ceremony.
•  If you have a send-off (sparklers, glow sticks, etc) make sure you have ordered enough, you have proper lighting materials and enough, and YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THIS (who will also stay somewhat sober) 🙂 Check out fun ideas HERE
• Don’t forget snacks and hydration for you and your bridal party – and in some cases your families
• If it is going to be over 85 degrees have a few portable fans. This is nice to put under your dress during a break
• Remember comfy shoes or flip flops & keep heels handy for fancy images
• If you have tanned make sure your MUA matches your makeup to your shoulders and neck. Often times brides will get their makeup trial run done in the winter and then have their wedding at the end of summer when they are nice and tan so your foundation shade will be different than it had been before.
• Make sure the guys know their suites – How to tie the tie or have someone there that knows, cut the back of the jacket tails, and if they have a pocket square know how that should be folded (Check out this tutorial.) – Also, make sure they check their suit bags to be sure they have the right pieces.
• Have your bouquets and boutonnieres delivered to the location where you are doing your bridal party pictures at the correct time. 
• HAVE FUN!! We will help everything run smoothly. Smile a LOT and don’t care about little things that aren’t perfect. This is a marriage and that is why we are all there. We are here to support you and I KNOW we will have a blast.

Remember this is YOUR day, everyone attending your wedding is there to support you and celebrate your love.

Download our pocket guide of last minutes tips for you wedding day HERE