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March 15, 2019

Tips for a Joyful, Meaningful, & Stress-free Wedding Day

Tucson Medella Vina Wedding Photo of Bride and Bridesmaids | Tucson Wedding Photographer | West End Photography

Weddings in itself can be very stressful, but there are a number of things you can do to minimize your stress level that will result in a joyful and meaningful wedding day, which translates into beautiful and heartfelt wedding images! We write this as a married couple and as your photographers, and we’re sharing our experiences so that your wedding day is everything you’d hope for it to be! Below is a roundup of our best tips for a joyful, meaningful, & stress-free wedding day:

1. Consider choosing a single location that offers hotel accommodations, as well as ceremony and reception capabilities. Selecting one site where all of the festivities can take place, which will help you save money, can also cut down on time and eliminate transportation logistics.

2. Pre-empt those frantic wedding-morning phone calls — while you’re trying to get your massage or hairstyle done in peace — by providing a detailed printout of whom vendors should call in case of an emergency or last-minute question.

3. Provide a healthy cushion of extra time in your timeline for activities like hair & makeup, putting on your dress, and transportation to avoid feeling rushed and overworked.

4. Gather all of your details and have them ready in one location for your creative team — they’ll be thrilled you did! Well thought-out details (like stationary, jewelry, and family heirlooms) tell the story of your day and is one of our favorite things to photograph! Make a list of the little things you want documented on your wedding day and keep them in a “detail box”. This may include your lipstick, perfume, jewelry, shoes, etc. (don’t forget the rings!). It makes things so much easier on your photographer, and gives us more time to take photos instead of having to hunt these items down.

Wedding Photo of Bridal Details by Tucson Wedding Photographer | Bryan and Anh of West End Photography

5. Allow yourself to be present and phone-free on your wedding day, and encourage your guests to do the same. Ask your officiant to kindly mention to your guests to be present in the joy and emotion of your day by keeping their phones tucked away during the procession & ceremony. This will ensure we get a beautiful clean shot of you walking down the aisle without any leaning guests and glowing cell phones. Some couples also find it helpful to place a framed note at the entrance of the ceremony location as a reminder.

6. Have alone time with your groom. This is a biggie! The day goes as fast as everyone says it will, so take a few moments that just belong to the two of you to take it all in. A great opportunity to do this is to sneak away to a secret spot and do a First Look. You would be surprised to learn that most brides and grooms don’t get to enjoy any alone time, so make sure you schedule a moment for just the two of you, even if it’s just 10 minutes.

Tucson Medella Vina Wedding Photo of Bride and Groom | Tucson Wedding Photographer | West End Photography

7. Assign a photo wrangler. We repeat, assign a photo wrangler. Do not waste 20 minutes of your cocktail hour trying to corral all 25 members of your family for a picture. Designate someone ahead of time, a family member or close friend who is familiar with everyone and — even more important — isn’t shy, to get people together. If the family formals are happening right after the ceremony, it’s helpful to have your officiant make that announcement before everyone heads off in different directions.

8. Embrace the unexpected because the real beauty of a wedding day is allowing it to unfold naturally. The flower girl may not make it down the aisle, one of your maids might break a heel, and the mother of the groom may cry herself into a puddle before family portraits. These become part of the story, and allowing yourself to embrace (and expect!) these imperfect moments will make for a much more enjoyable, stress-free day.

Medella Vina Wedding Photo of Classic White Bride and Bouquet | Tucson Wedding Photographer | West End Photography

9. Remember what’s important. You probably already know what we’re about to say! You can’t control everything. As the bride, you drive the mood. It won’t matter if the storm of the century is sweeping through — if you’re all smiles and thrilled to be marrying the love of your life, the guests will have fun too!

10. Consider hiring a wedding coordinator and designer to help you plan and organize. Not only do they “know” people (vendors, to be exact) and can pull strings, but they coordinate weddings for a living and know exactly what they’re doing. These two wedding designer/coordinator teams are wonderful. Check them out!

Mollee of Peace of Mind Events – http://www.pomeventstucson.com/

Jenn of Soiree Girls – http://www.soireegirls.com/

 

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