As professional wedding photographers Brenda and I have attended a LOT of weddings over the last 5 years. As a result we have got to see how different couples approach their big day, from venue selection through to those all-important details, and we have picked up some great tips along the way. In this short article we’d like to share some of these best tips with you:
- Be yourself – when it comes to potential wedding venues, dresses, cakes, musicians and photography there is a wider choice of suppliers than ever before. And, perhaps more importantly, you can really choose to make your wedding individual now as a result. Are you into a particular hobby, past-time or theme? Then why not incorporate this into the details or theme of your wedding day? You see, the best weddings that we shoot almost always reflect the personalities and idiosyncrasies of the bride and groom. And why not? After all, isn’t their wedding day a celebration of them as a couple but also as individuals? Don’t be afraid to ‘be yourself’ when it comes to your wedding day.
- Imperfection is perfection – don’t get me wrong, it’s good to put a lot of focus and attention into getting your wedding right. But you can take this philosophy too far as well. If you accept the fact that a few small things could go wrong, or not exactly to plan, on your wedding day, then you are more likely to ‘go with the flow’ and accept them. Your wedding day doesn’t have to be perfect, and by expecting it to be perfect not only are you setting yourself up for failure, but putting an immense amount of pressure on yourself for a day that really should be about feeling happy.
- Focus on enjoying yourselves- building on point 2, I would simply say that the single most important thing you think about on your big day is ‘enjoying yourself’. This may seem simplistic, but we have been to weddings where the couple forgets to do this, which is a real shame. Remember, have fun!
- Take 10 minutes out- this is a great tip that we picked up from a wedding we shot in Kent. The couple in question built in a period of 10 minutes into the ‘running order’ of their wedding day to just take a walk away from their wedding venue together, completely on their own. It gave them some quiet time, on their own, to just be together and reflect on the meaning and importance of their day. What a wonderful idea!
- Hire a good photographer- ok, we are biased, but I cannot overestimate the importance of hiring a good professional photographer. Your photographs are the one thing you really get to ‘keep’ after your wedding day, and they will provide you with those all-important memories. So many couples spend a fortune on the perfect venue, cake and dress, and then make compromises on their photographers. Please don’t make this mistake.
The most important thing to remember is that this is YOUR day, not your parents, not your extended families, and not even your friends. It can feel hard to resist the pressure that family can sometimes place on you, but it’s important to remember this key point. We wish you all the best for your wedding day, and more importantly, your marriage.
Matt and his wife Brenda own and run their own photographic business, Foden Photography, which is based in the South East of England. They shoot weddings across London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex, and venues such as Wotton House in Surrey.