5 Steps to make your wedding/elopement day stress free
Whether you are planning a traditional wedding day, adventurous elopement, or a small, intimate ceremony here are 5 easy ways to make your wedding day more stress free! As a wedding and elopement photographer/former bride I have seen the most common (controllable) pain points during wedding days and I am here to help you fix them! When it comes to planning a wedding, it is almost impossible to nail down every single stressor that you will encounter on your wedding day. However, there are definitely ways to prevent these issues from arising. Let's dive into it!
1 - Schedule time for relaxation
I know this may sound impossible, but whether you or one of your highly trusted wedding vendors are creating the itinerary, make sure that there is some down time included! With my wedding photography business, I always help my clients create the perfect itinerary for their day, and I always include some down time before the ceremony for the couple. A typical wedding itinerary for me will include as many photos before the ceremony as possible, but I always make sure to give the bride and groom 30 minutes to an hour before the ceremony to sit down, use the restroom, reapply makeup/hair gel, eat a snack, and collect their thoughts before the ceremony the starts. Another ideal place to schedule this in would be before the reception. I typically will steal the bride and groom away after the ceremony for some sunset photos, and I always ask if they want to have a quiet moment to themselves before getting back to the party. This allows for the bride and groom to have a true moment alone and soak up all of those glorious wedding day feels. If you are planning to elope, this would be ideal after you are already married to have your photographer and officiant give the two you a moment alone.
2 - Set boundaries
While planning my own wedding, I was completely blown away by all of the different opinions coming from my family and friends. There was a point in the planning process that I just had to tell everyone to stop giving me their input unless they noticed something that could be a major problem. Some ways to ease this situation would just be to tell your loved ones that this wedding is completely about you and your partner, and you will be making all of the decisions yourself. Maybe there are some details that you just don’t care about. (What color are the table linens going to be? What are the wedding favors going to look like? Where is the guest book going to sit?) IF this is the case, maybe you could delegate some of these decisions to a loved one that is aching to be involved.
3 - when in doubt, hire it out
The last thing you want to be doing the week of your wedding is worrying about picking up rentals, decorating the venue, or cleaning up after the reception. When it comes to picking vendors for your wedding day you may want to ask them about all inclusive packages. Does your venue offer cleanup and decorating services? Do your rental companies offer delivery? If money/budget constraints are present, then do you have a friend or family member that could help with these mundane tasks? Delegating these pain points will always help you to be more worry free on your big day!
4 - less is more
When it comes to the details of your wedding or elopement day, I encourage you to sit down with your partner and discuss which ones really matter to you. I mean literally make a list and decide what you are going to be looking for in your pictures and videos, and what you will notice as you are sitting around your reception table with all of the people that you love. Will it be the signage at the front door? The hanging floral installation above your head? Your great grandmothers ring on your hand? The favors your guests are carrying around? I encourage you to pick out the details that matter to you, and leave whatever doesn’t. I do not care if your mother is telling you that you have to have an elaborate centerpiece on every table, if a $10 garland a table runner looks sufficient to you then by all means do whatever feels right. You don’t have to spend thousands on decorations if you don’t want to - splurge on the pieces that matter and literally leave out the rest!
5 - do whatever feels right
Lastly, I cannot stress this enough but your wedding day should be exactly what you want. If it stresses you out thinking about dancing with your partner in front of 200+ people, or even getting married in front of 200+ people then don’t do it! Every part of your wedding day should feel natural, authentic, and effortlessly you. Do not let opinions of loved ones or societal norms get in the way of you are your dream wedding/microwedding/destination elopement/courthouse ceremony or whatever you want. If it feels right then it is right, and I hope that your wedding day is all you ever dreamed of and more!
