If you’re in the midst of planning your wedding day, then you already know that there’s a ton of preparation involved to ensure the day runs smoothly. Your wedding experience will begin in the morning, it marks the start of the best day ever and shouldn’t be overlooked when planning out your event. The last thing you want to feel is overwhelmed or rushed as you’re getting ready. This blog will help you to plan ahead and ensure that you can relax (hopefully) and enjoy a stress free wedding morning! After photographing so many wedding days, here are 7 tips I would give to couples for a stress free wedding morning:

Choose a suitable getting ready location

Location is key, this space needs to be suitable for photos but also practical. This means that it has enough space for you and your wedding party, your hair and makeup team as well as the photo and video team. If you’re getting ready at a hotel, ensure that you check with the hotel about the check in/out times so you’re not left scrambling to find another spot on the day you get married. There’s nothing worse than being asked to leave your hotel room in the midst of getting ready for your wedding day! And before you think that could never happen - Yes, I’ve seen this first hand! For more on choosing your getting ready space, I wrote a blog post on it here.

Make a plan in advance for food & drinks

I know you’re planning ahead for food and drinks for your guests, and making sure they will be taken care of. Planning food and drinks in advance for yourself to have throughout the day is just as important! It’s one less thing to worry about on the actual day itself. Wedding days tend to be very long and that can be a long time without sustenance. Depending on what time you start getting ready and what time you have to be out the door to begin photos will depict how long the getting ready portion of the day is. You can enjoy some light snacks/lunch and mimosa’s with your people so that you’re ready to go when the day gets busy. This may be your last opportunity to eat before your supper, and nobody wants to be a hangry spouse throughout photos etc!

Schedule MORE time than you think you need

It’s so important when creating your wedding day timeline that you include more time than you think you need, especially during the morning. I often see a relaxed wedding party up until hair and makeup is almost finished and then everyone is rushing to get last minute pictures, change into their dresses and head to the ceremony in a panic. Giving yourself more time to get ready is also important if you plan on doing a first look with your girls, parents or spouse. And, if you’re sharing vows with your partner prior to the ceremony then you’ll want to ensure that you’re ready earlier so that you can enjoy the moment. Having extra time also allows you to get into your dress and snap some photographs with your mom or bridesmaids helping you get ready. If you end up being ready earlier and have a moment to sit down or enjoy a mimosa with your girls, this is the best case scenario!

Have your details ready when your photographer arrives

Oftentimes when your photographer arrives, your hair and makeup is already underway and you might be in either of those chairs! To save yourself time and avoid having to interrupt the process for your hair or makeup artist, have all of your vow books, both sets of rings, jewelry, perfume, shoes, etc. ready to go before your photographer arrives. That way your photographer can begin working on your detail shots and you don’t have to waste any time tracking your items down.

Hire a day of coordinator

Alongside hiring a team of vendors that you trust, think about hiring a day of coordinator. They will be the person that everyone can go to with questions as well as be a point of contact for your other vendors. Without this person, everyone will turn to you and it can be overwhelming and take away from the joy of the day! If hiring a day of coordinator isn’t in the budget for you, consider appointing a close family member or friend to this role so that you don’t have to be bothered with the smaller details and can soak it all in and stay present.

Create a timeline specifically for the morning

Just like you have a timeline for the wedding day, create an itinerary specifically for the morning. Check with your hair and makeup team to ensure that they have enough time for everyone. It’s way, way more important to be ready earlier and have additional time than be rushed before the ceremony. Have a set time for when you plan to do your first looks, if any, as well as what time you’re going to be getting into your dress and how early you need to be ready before your transportation arrives. Nothing ever goes completely as planned on your wedding day but having a detailed timeline will help to ensure that everything runs smoothly and you make the most of your time with your photographer. In addition, everyone involved will know what to expect and can help keep things on track!

Make a playlist

Music can help to ease the stress of the day and creates a calming atmosphere for you and your wedding party. Think about the mood of the day and choose some tunes that will make you feel excited and happy. There will likely be lots of people and moving parts so music can provide some good background noise without having all of the voices to fill the silence. This is also special because then you will have songs that bring back fond memories of the last moments before you walked down the aisle. So, put that portable speaker on your packing list and crank up the tunes!

Remember, no matter what you do the morning of your wedding day will go by so fast. Don’t forget to take some time for yourself and plan a wedding morning that feels true to you. Starting your wedding day off calm and stress free will help you enjoy your wedding day so much more!

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer for your wedding celebration, reach out! I would love to chat about your special day.