Wedding Day Mishaps
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of things not go according to plan at weddings. I’m not necessarily the person who is in hardcore mode and thinks that weddings have to be a rigidly planned event that must go according to plan at all costs, but I’m also not in the camp of “let’s wing it and see what happens”…there’s a balance there, right? I think that being in the moment is a blessing, and I want to keep you in that headspace on your wedding day. Your wedding is something you should experience, not worry about. Here’s where the balancing act gets tricky, though:
“Your wedding is something you should experience, not worry about.”
If you pay me thousands of dollars to take photos of you, we can probably agree that the core wedding shots most people think of when they think about wedding photos (like zipping up your dress, you walking down the aisle, or your first kiss) are all photos that should be delivered in your gallery. But, if you’re unexpectedly power-walking down the aisle because you’re super excited to get married, is it my place to interrupt your excitement and tell you to slow down so that I have the time to take more pictures? You are literally speed walking with excitement because you can’t wait to spend forever with your person--and that’s a beautiful thing. So no, I wouldn’t do that… (unless you asked me to) because I think your day should unfold naturally, with minimal interruption.
It’s a tricky spot to be in. Nonetheless, I want to tell you about strange things I’ve seen happen so that you’re aware of them. Not that you need to prevent them at all costs, but if you know about them ahead of time, you know what to be aware of, which is the first step of avoiding them (if you want to):
Speed Walking Down the Aisle (sorry, I already spoiled this)
First, it’s okay to do!--but if you want more of those moments captured, more reactions from your partner, and more reactions from your guests, the amount of time you take to walk down the aisle is important. Plus, it’s more time to enjoy this beautiful moment! You only get to do this once–why not soak it all in?Not Smiling
I know you’re happy when you’re walking down the aisle–but, as I’ve sometimes seen, it can all be so much. Sometimes the nerves are through the roof (I’m a guy, I can only imagine what the bride is going through in these moments). But sometimes that feeling of “omg this is actually happening right now” overtakes the rest of your emotions and it shows on your face. As your wedding photographer, I want you to have the photos you’ve always dreamed of. With that, comes a little, friendly reminder that everything is going to be alright… just remember, even in those stressful moments, to smile :)
Standing on the “Wrong Side”
Please, stand on either side you’d like. But sometimes, especially if the bridal party or wedding in general is small, people walk to the ‘wrong’ side during the ceremony. Now personally, this doesn’t bug me, because it is your wedding afterall! I’ve seen perfect enough that I almost prefer personal. Again, not saying it’s always wrong if the groom is on the left and the bride is on the right, just something to put on your radar if you’d want to avoid it happening on your big day.Standing Far Apart
Sometimes, you just don’t know where to stand. It could be because it hasn’t been practiced or, like I’ve mentioned before, the nerves are just so much and you’re so overwhelmed that this is something you’re just not thinking about. I’ve seen couples stand almost 10 feet apart at the altar for the entire ceremony. Maybe they were waiting for the officiant to remind them or invite them to hold hands; maybe it never crossed their mind. OR, maybe that’s exactly how they wanted it to be and they just never brought it up to me during planning. As your wedding photographer, I will always roll with the punches and will never tell you what you’re “supposed” to do or, in this case, where you should stand if it’s not something we’ve already talked about during planning.
The Dip (if you’re doing one)
Say it with me: “We will practice our dip before our wedding day”. I’m being light hearted when I say this, but please know: If you’re dipping in front of the camera, it’s because you want that gorgeous, iconic photo. Unfortunately, it’s something you have to practice, because even if it feels right, it may not look right (and trust me, this is the case for probably 90% of poses I photograph–it's not you).Not Planning With Your Officiant
This is last but definitely not least–in fact, this is probably the most frequent thing that “goes wrong” on your big day: wedding officiants standing in the background while the bride and groom share their first kiss after being pronounced husband and wife. Objectively, there’s nothing wrong with this, but when you see the photos of you and your partner sharing your first kiss and your officiant is right behind you (also in the photo), your mind might be changed–and I say this as someone whose first-kiss-wedding-photos include the officiant… in all of them. Oh, and I almost forgot: make sure your officiant remembers to tell your guests when they may be seated… because otherwise they will stay standing until someone says something.
“...doing things imperfectly on your wedding day doesn’t make it wrong–it makes it yours.”
So… all these things… and even now as I’m reading through everything I’ve just written, I’m asking myself… does something always not go according to plan? And the honest answer… yes. It’s probably not going to be perfect. You’ll run behind on your timeline, something will be out of place, or your partner will put your ring on your right hand instead of your left. But that said, doing things imperfectly on your wedding day doesn’t make it wrong–it makes it yours. Don’t worry… because when you do enough weddings, you see a lot; enough to make a list like this and certainly enough to plan through it all and work around it. What can you do? Just plan, communicate, go to your rehearsal and (hopefully) work with me. Remember, during the planning process, we can meet as often as you’d like–because, at the end of the day, I want your wedding to be exactly what you dreamed of, and your photos, too.