7 Wedding Planning Mistakes You Might Be Making

You can’t regularly work at weddings and not pick up tips on making a wedding day go smoothly. Wedding days are made of many moving pieces. With so many pieces these mistakes can be easy to make. So here are 7 wedding planning mistakes you might be making.

Tip #1. Skipping On The Wedding Planner

This is the TOP mistake couples make. Trust me. I’ve seen a wedding without a coordinator or planner. Some venues offer day-of planners that are great to help with planning and making your day go smoothly. I haven’t run into a planner that wasn’t on top of making the day smooth and stress-free for the couple.

But if you need help with ALL the things, a wedding planner is the way to go. Wedding planners know all things wedding and the details that you may not even know you need to think about. Your cousin, parent, or friends don’t need to be worried about centerpieces, finding the perfect invites, or the flowers that will perfectly fit your wedding vision. They should be there for you with a mimosa in hand (YAS!) and support when you’re nervous about the big day.

Tip #2. Poor Timeline

You know how sometimes you think something will only take maybe 30 minutes and then over an hour later you’re still not done? Yeah, that’s a wedding day in a nutshell. Rushing your photos isn’t the best idea. There are only so many photos a photographer can take in 30 minutes. It takes time to get authentic and romantic candid of you as a couple. That’s why I think first looks are ALWAYS a good idea. That way I can get the wedding party and couple’s photos out of the way and you can get to the ceremony to celebrate with everyone even sooner.

Another part of the day that couples may underestimate the time needed is when I’m taking detail photos. This would include things like rings, invitations, shoes, veils, jewelry, bouquet, and dress. Some couples decide to try to save time by getting rid of getting ready time. While the reception is one of the best parts of the day for the couple, there are only so many photos of sweaty and/or drunk guests because they start to look the same. I’d much rather have photos of you and your wedding party as you get ready because it adds to the full story of the day.

Tip #3. Getting Ready In A Tiny Hotel With Zero Windows

If you have a bunch of people crammed into a tiny room there are bound to be clothes, shoes, makeup, wedding attire, and shoes everywhere. FACT! Photographers can only do so much and we certainly aren’t magicians. Go all out for the wedding day and book a large suite with LOTS of windows. Natural light = PERFECTION. Beautiful light is essential for good details and makes your skin look beautiful. Most lighting in hotels is orange which isn’t good for the skin. Also, try to get a room that has neutral colors. I’ve seen some beautiful hotels with the worst bright red or lime green walls and tacky carpets. Bright colors reflect off the skin and can be seen in photos.

Tip #4. You Hate Your Flowers But Now It’s Too Late

There are some places where you can go the cheap route, but flowers aren’t one of them. Hire a professional, not your friend or random relative (unless they are a professional). It’s ok to go a little smaller on things like centerpieces to make sure you can work with an established florist. I can make a wedding look beautiful with just the bouquets if they’re well made. As with anything wedding involved, you get what you pay for. Look at your florist’s work and make sure you love it before committing to them. I’m not against less traditional “florals” with paper flowers. If you do want fake florals, I recommend those for things like ceremony decor and centerpieces because those have less focus than bouquets and boutonnieres.

Tip #5. You Never Had A Makeup Or Hair Trial

Your wedding day isn’t the day to have your makeup and hair done the first time. Makeup and hair are where I see the most delays happen on a wedding day. The perfect time to get a trial is for your engagement or bridal session. That way you get some use out of your trial. As someone who didn’t get makeup or hair done professionally on my wedding day, I recommend making it part of your budget (unless it really isn’t your thing). While I can do lots with my camera I can’t hide things like mismatched foundation or visible lash glue. If you insist on doing it yourself because you’re great with hair and makeup, at least try your look before the wedding day and take photos in natural light to make sure it looks great in photos.

Tip #6. You Skipped The Engagement Session With Your Photographer

I always encourage couples to have an engagement session with the wedding photographer. This is the perfect time to get to know your photographer before the big day and make sure you’re comfortable with each other. You can also get a glimpse of how your photographer approaches taking photos. It’s easier to loosen up on your wedding day when you’ve already met your photographer in a lower-stress environment. I can also get an idea of how you are in front of the camera so I can efficiently use our photo time on the big day. My goal is natural emotion and genuine moments in your photos and I know how to get that from couples better if we’ve already met.

Tip #7. You’re Throwing A Wedding To Impress Your Friends

At the end of the day, your wedding is about you and the person you want to commit to for the rest of your life. Make sure the details you include from your colors and wedding attire to your vow and other wedding traditions you include (or don’t include) are what YOU BOTH want. You want to look back on this day with happiness and all the warm fuzzies, not regret and what if’s. Do what makes you happy and don’t forget to have fun.