The Weightiest Piece Of Advice You'll Ever Get
There’s one piece of advice we always give to couples and friends who get engaged. On the surface it looks like a planning tip, but really, it’s a lot more than that. In fact, this little piece of advice can help keep you sane during the entire wedding planning process.
So stop for a second. And read it slowly:
Figure out what the most important part of the day is to you, and plan everything around that.
Now you might have heard that before. But this piece of advice masquerading as a scheduling tip, is the key to making your wedding day perfect. So did you read it slowly? Take a minute now and let it sink in a bit. Figure out what the most important part of the day is to you, and plan everything around that.
Personal anecdote time:
We were one of those embarrassingly mushy couples when we were dating. Actually, we still kind of are… So it made sense that every minute of our wedding day was about celebrating our relationship, and this amazing next step in our lives together.
And as photographers, we wanted every minute of that celebration to be captured spectacularly. So the first thing we booked was a crazy good wedding photographer.
In terms of our budget, this was our second biggest spend, because photography was something we were definitely not cutting corners on. When we worked out the schedule we set aside as much time as we possibly could for getting photos together, and worked the rest of the day around that. And all the other details of the day were planned around how they’d look in the photos. Which made most decisions complete no-brainers, and therefore a lot easier.
So when our wedding day finally arrived, we could relax, knowing our day was planned exactly how we wanted. And just enjoy every second of it. Everything was our kind of perfect, with no regrets. And now we have wedding photographs that we will treasure forever.
If you’re not sure what the most important part of your day is yet, that’s okay.
Here are three questions that can help you figure it out:
- What is the first thing you picture when you imagine your wedding day? (Is it you getting ready with your best friends and family? The first time you see your husband? Your first dance? Or maybe the food at the reception?)
- When looking through other people’s wedding photos, is there a part of the day you enjoy looking at more than the rest? (The creative photo session? The ceremony?)
- What are one or two things that are really significant to you two as a couple? (Family? The place you first said I love you? A particular time of year?)
Hopefully you’ll see a bit of a theme in your answers, which will help you see what part of the day means the most to you. If all your answers link back to family, then make that the focus of your day (e.g. don’t plan an elopement). If you realise that being able to relax and enjoy a stress free day is most important to you, then you know to keep things casual (think wood-fired pizzas and a bonfire instead of a six course set menu at the Ritz).
Take your time. Think about it together. Mull it over for a while. And don’t get too caught up in what you think people might be expecting. Your wedding day should tell your story, not theirs.
It might be a bit hard to figure out at first, and that’s okay. But we promise once you get it, the entire planning process will be a lot easier.
