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As a photographer, I am on a lot of social media pages for business purposes. A LOT. Some are for photographers. Others are for brides and vendors, etc. In planning for my next year of business, I have been wondering how to help my clients more. One of the questions that popped into my head was "what do brides wish they had done differently?" Here were the top 10 responses:
10. Rent the items you won’t use again.
There is a temptation to purchase things cheaper than renting them, but then brides say they end up stuck with the stuff rather being able to resell it.
9. Have a plan B at your venue in case of bad weather.
Always have a plan B. Never know what will happen at a venue or with weather. Have a backup for getting ready, tents for rain, and backup locations for taking pictures.
8. Hire a DJ.
One thing to remember: the 2 things guests remember most are the food and the music. If you want your guests to rave, feed them well and make sure the music/dj is fun.
7. Let people help/ not doing everything myself
This is a biggie! Lots of brides try to save money by doing much of everything themselves. On the day of the wedding, delegate. Don't put off your own needs and enjoyment by doing it all yourself. Delegate!
6. Have an unplugged ceremony (no cell phones out).
As a photographer, this makes our job so much easier! I know we live in a social media world. And everyone has a phone with a camera on it. However, do you want a picture that has several phones in it of others trying to get the same picture? If not, then ask your guests to leave their phones put away.
5. Have a timeline.
Planning is a part of a wedding. You may only have the venue for a certain length of time. If this is the case, it is good to have a plan. Think about the things that you want to have happen, especially if you also only have your photographer for a portion of the reception. What do you want pictures of? Then plan accordingly.
4. Hire a day of coordinator/event planner.
This kinda gets back to #7. This is your wedding day. To make sure that you enjoy it as much as you can, delegate. Hiring a planner or a day of coordinator will help you enjoy the day as people won't be asking you about the details that still need to get done.
3. Hire a videographer.
Even if you have a smaller budget, consider hiring a videographer to capture just the ceremony and some portrait time. This day flies by and you won't remember that funny thing he said in his vows so having the video will be a wonderful thing to watch.
2. Say "yes" to a second shooter.
This is one way that brides often ask to cut costs: "Do we have to have the second shooter?" I personally prefer to have one on a wedding day. I know not all photographer's do. I can't be facing every direction at once. With a second shooter, we are more likely to capture more moments, more details, more memories.
1. Hire photographer/ having them arrive earlier and stay longer.
Want more pictures of the entire day? Have the photographer arrive earlier and stay longer! Most photographers have package options, but are happy to add on hours to any package. Just ask :)