GUIDANCE FOR YOUR WEDDING
With over 7 years of wedding experience, it’s fair to say we have seen it all - All the highs, and the lows that a wedding day can bring. We have decided to put together some wedding guidance in order to help couples plan their wedding day. These pearls of wisdom are things that will help you and your partner have the wedding you have always dreamed of.
This is by no means a ‘how to plan your wedding 101’ checklist or a recipe for success!
This pure unfiltered guidance from us to you. We hope to point you as a couple in the right direction and consider a few things that may have not crossed your mind when planning!
A FEW TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED
Here are a few handy suggestions that may seem obvious, but are worth mention as you begin your wedding planning journey.
Its your wedding - Don’t forget it!
This may seem obvious, but it’s something that can be easily left behind in the dust when wedding planning becomes a whirlwind.
Don’t forget that at the end of the day, it is you & your partners wedding day! And whilst every family member, cousin, auntie, uncle old friend from high-school might have their opinion on why you NEED to have the traditional or trendy thing seen at every wedding, or cut the gigantic cake, or have a 10 minute choreographed first dance, doesn’t mean you need to do it especially if you don’t want it to happen!
Don’t be the point of contact for everything!
Basically - Have someone else besides yourself that will be the point of contact for any issues that MAY arise on the wedding day!
This will be your emergency contact if a decision needs to be made, so it will need to be someone you trust! For example your MC, close friend or family member!
Instead of every vendor coming to you and your partner with their various issues on the wedding day, they can go to your point of contact and you can enjoy a stress-free day!
Better yet, if budget allows look towards a wedding coordinator! We can suggest a few who are epic.
Your vendors are so important.
This is so true - the vendors you pick to help create your magic day are SO important. They can make or break your wedding day, so its so important that you book vendors that are highly recommended not only through avenues like word of mouth & google reviews, but also by other vendors.
Everyone has heard horror stories of wedding vendors leaving their couples high and dry before a wedding day - This is incredible disheartening as a wedding vendor, but something we all need to be aware of. But how do you as a couple ensure you are picking someone who will actually show up and do the best job? Its simple, great vendors will know other great vendors, and they definitely won’t recommend anyone that isn’t 100% committed and going to deliver the very best service for your wedding day!
So, who do we recommend? In our 100+weddings of experience, we have come across a few vendors that are the bees knees. This is a small list of some of the best vendors who couples have absolutely loved, and have been a treat to work with.
FLORISTS
Beneath the Bloom
Studio Alyssum
The Real Florist
Emmylou Florals
The Flower Girl
Bloss Floristy
PHOTOGRAPHERS
BG Photography Co
Love by Color Captured
Jessica Sim Photo
Corinna & Dylan Photo
Zweck Photography
Andrea Sissions Photo
Ellen Mae Photography
MUSICIANS
Vino & Vinyl
Baker Boys Band
Matty & Jamie Duo
Luke Dewing Trio
The White Tree
THE WEDDING PREP
Prep Photos + Video
Capturing some photos & videos of the final stages of the bridal prep is a great moment for us to capture - All the nerves & excitement surrounded by those closest to you!
It also serves as a way for everyone to get used to the cameras that will be clicking away all day!
The first couple of minutes might feel a bit awkward, but once you are used to our presence (and our cameras!) you will naturally relax. Trust us!
Give yourself time to soak it all up
Allow plenty of time for all the preparations, so you can enjoy them at a comfortable pace and avoid stress. We recommend getting dressed at least 45 minutes before you plan to leave for the ceremony. Doing up all those buttons can take longer than you think, and little extra time buffers are your best friends on wedding days! Nothing says stress like running late!
Another tip, don’t forget to eat something! Wedding days take up a lot of energy, so fuel up!
Lighting
Consider the lighting in your prep location - From a creative perspective, natural light is gold. We recommend getting ready in a big open space with plenty of natural light, as long as it still fits your vibe!
Artificial lights, like the ones that hang from a ceiling or a lamp, can produce some unnatural colors through our cameras, so we might flick these off on the day!
De-clutter
De-clutter the prep space! Food boxes, water bottles and anything distracting in real life will also look distracting in your photos / videos.
Try keep the clutter to a minimum before we arrive for photos, you’ll thank us later.
First look
First looks involve you & your future partner seeing each other before the main wedding ceremony!
From our experience, this is a beautifully moving moment where we can capture some intimate moments and emotions! This doesn’t need to be a big staged event, keeping it scaled back and between you and your partner allows it to be a beautiful and meaningful moment!
This moment also has a bonus of settling your nerves! It also means we can shoot some more of your portraits before the ceremony, when you are at your freshest! This means we can do less photos later, and more party time. Win win!
THE CEREMONY
Where the magic happens
Confetti!
This is a big one - Confetti makes the ceremony exit SO FUN!
Make sure its bio-degradable - Plastic in the environment is no fun for anyone, and some venues will actually charge you extra to clean it up (no joke!).
You can grab some bio-degradable confetti bags (and cannons!) from The Whole Bride here: https://www.thewholebride.com/discount/HSMEDIA15?ref=166 (use code HSMEDIA15 for a cheeky discount)
Another note is to tell your celebrant to make sure everyone is standing as you walk back down the aisle - This way everyone is ready to shower you with confetti as you walk down, not standing up as you are walking back down!
Give yourselves time to be congratulated!
Once you have waltzed back down the aisle, turn around and start celebrating!
Allow plenty of time once you have walked back down the aisle to be congratulated! 10-15 minutes, depending how many guests you have.
Not only are these special moments for you and the guests, they are one of the best parts of the day to capture. All your guests will be waiting to give you a big hug & kiss and their congratulations. We could think of nothing worse than to drag you away during these moments!
Celebrants who are the bomb
We love celebrants, here are a few recommendations that will make your ceremony fun, emotional & memorable!
These guys will make you & your guests laugh till it hurts, and add their own touch to a wedding day!
Ceremonies by Aaron
Ceremonies by Haidee
Lisa Tippet Celebrant
Amber Williams Celebrant
Linda Savvy Celebrant
Post-ceremony
Make family photos easy with a list
Family photos - They can make or break a wedding day.
Whilst it is so nice to have photos with your nearest and dearest on your wedding day, it can also take forever if not properly organised! Make a list of all the family photos variations you would like to have (Mum + Dad + couple, Grandarents + parents + couple, aunt martha & uncle bob + couple) so your photographer can smash the family photos out in record time!
On the day, give this list to your point of contact (see above tip) who can yell out names of family members to come forward for their photos!
Another good tip is to have your celebrant announce at the end of your ceremony for immediate family to stick around for some family photos! This will stop Uncle Bob from wandering off to the bar and missing a photo (which he will surely bring up at the next family gathering, sorry Bob!)
Canape + Cocktail Hour
You’ve organised it, so go enjoy it!
You have probably been to a wedding or heard of weddings where the couple in question has been dragged off for photos for what seems like hours, completely missing out on a fun & laugh-filled canape / cocktail hour in the sun. Why would you want that to happen at your wedding?
After the ceremony i encourage you to make some time to enjoy the canape hour before taking some photos! Get in amongst it, grab a drink and some nibbles that you have spent ages organising and enjoy! Not only are you enjoying the wedding day, we are in the background capturing some great moments of family & friends engaging with each other! We find some great moments during this time!
If you are getting married mid-afternoon during daylight savings time (October to April), the sun will set much later in the day so there is plenty of time for photos! During the winter months there will be less time for photos, so that is something to keep in mind!
If heaps of photos aren’t your vibe, don’t feel forced to do them! Enjoy the day with your peeps
Bridal Party Photos
Times to have some fun with your best mates
30 - 45 mins during the day, 15-20 minutes during sunset
We usually recommend doing 2 portrait sets on your wedding day - one straight after family photos, and the second when sun is about to set!
Photos with the bridal party
If you have a bridal party, this is a great time to get lots of fun photos with your bridal party! We aim to have a lot of fun-during this session, getting everyone to laugh & smile and look their best. We recommend allocating 30-45 minutes, however if you would like to travel to specific locations thats so great, and we are always up for an adventure, but keep in mind the travel time to and from these locations!
Note: if you opt for a first look, it may make sense for this first portrait session to take place before the ceremony, in which you’ll be able to join your guests for cocktails and canapés after the ceremony!
Sunset Session
Golden hour is a video/photographers best friend. The sky is soft with hues of orange, red, blue and purple and its just glorious. We strongly recommend taking advantage of this time of day for the best photos possible!
This is a great time to take just the Couple out for photos, so you can leave your bridal party! If you have a dress with a long train on your dress, we suggest taking one of your bridal squad with you to help manage and fluff the dress.. and also hold the champagne.
Scheduling these photos to start around 15 minutes before the sun actually sets will give us plenty of time to get those golden rays!
To find the approximate time for sunset on your wedding day, a simple google of the date and location can produce pretty accurate results!
http://suncalc.net/
THE RECEPTION
Good times ahead
The MC
Consider who you choose as your MC!
If you are picking a family member / friend remember that being funny is one thing, but being organized & having the ability to keep the order of the reception flowing is another thing entirely. Something we see often is a family friend thrown in the deep end as the MC (Uncle Bob) with nothing but a run-sheet they didn’t look at & the jokes they googled 5 minutes ago to go by.
Elect someone the MC who is funny, but also organized & reliable! Your venue, photographer & videographer will rely on them to know when formalities will happen - Speeches, when the food will land etc.
The D-floor!
One of the most anticipated moments of the day - Dropping it low on the dance floor to your favourite club (or country) bangers
Heres are two recommendation for a GREAT dance floor.
Get a band or DJ that really knows how to party - Take a look at Baker Boys Band, Vino & Vinyl & Matty + Jamie Duo.
Get on the dance floor! The party will start pumping if you are your partner are in the middle of the dance floor with all your guests!
Stick with your partner
This may seem a little random, but try to stick together like glue during your reception!
Why? Because you’ll be able to experience all the fun moments together!
Chat with every guest together, have a laugh together, have a dance together and look back at those same memories together.
How to have a killer dance-floor
There is one sure-fire way to have a killer dance floor (aside from playing Sweet Caroline).. and that is to be on it!
If the couple are on the dance floor, everyone is on the dance floor!
Show off your moves!
Runsheets
How to put together a runsheet 101
Runsheets. Some would say the most important part of any wedding day! These can also be the most stressful thing for couples to put together, as they are usually thrown in the deep end with no guidance. We are here to change that!
Here are 3 example runsheets we have put together based on our previous experience with weddings with similar timings! Feel free to take these example runsheets, and make them your own! These are the bones of a fully-fledged run sheet, you will need to chat to your photographer & venue & celebrant (and me) to adjust these runsheets to suit your specific & unique wedding day! However this is a great starting point!