5 Sure Fire Ways to Reduce Stress Leading Up to Your Wedding
I wanted to put together this quick guide because you NEED to know that you should enjoy your wedding. Seriously, the hope is to remove all the stress away to leave room for memories and a damn good time.
I mean look at the photo above...If they look like they are having a blast, it's because the ARE!
I've spent a lot of time at weddings, and noticed that the most stress-free and dopest, funnest, weddings that I've photographed all have these six things in common.
Tip #1
It's unplugging time!
When you picture the wedding album that you grab from your coffee table years from now, all you care about is that it was the best day ever, right?! You want to look back and look at these photographs and think, "Damn, this was a hella good time!"
I mean, that's the hope, right? The one thing that can be dreadful is if you stumble upon a picture that has a few guest leaning in with their iPad (yes, unfortunately this is a real thing) to get "the perfect shot" of you walking down the aisle. You are planning a wedding you want to remember. You want to remember that dress. You want to remember the look on your face as you got those tingles seeing your betrothed waiting for you at the end of that aisle. You DON'T want to remember how your guests were trying to get that photo themselves on their iPhone.
Sadly, we live in a world where social media is sometimes viewed as more important than the real thing. At weddings this can be even more of a thing because everyone wants that perfect snapshot for their IG account. It's that "gotta be first" mentality.
It's even more of a bummer because you spent the time hiring the best photographer that you trust. Someone that is going to get all of those shots at a high quality that will let you and your guests use wherever and whenever they want!
There is a solution. Setting up a sign letting your guests know that the ceremony is going to be an unplugged ceremony lets everyone be in the moment with their phones (and iPads) away and out of sight. Seeing you looking the way you do in your dress in person is SO much better than a grainy iPhone photo. These moment can be felt in a different way, and it can create a much happier wedding for you AND your wedding album will be free of iPhones.
Tip #2
Light, light, baby
Now I know that I may be helping myself in this tip as a photographer, but hear me out. Just because this benefits me, trust that I want to benefit your interests.
Lighting.
It's the key to absolutely gorgeous photography.
Lighting.
It's your best friend.
Lighting.
It gives uniqueness to everything.
I'm not kidding. It seriously makes every photo that much better! Natural light is everyone's best friend when it comes to photography. Obviously, I can throw a flash and create something gorgeous like this below, but let's talk about natural lighting.
Think about it: Natural light is essentially what you deal with in your everyday life. That's the way you look best, it's flattering, and looks so good! So why not capitalize on that!? Using natural light for your bridal party, family formals, and your creative session is essential to create stunning wedding photography. That doesn't mean we need to be outside while you get ready. Windows are your best friend while indoors. Why? Because they lead you to your other best friend, natural light outside. See it all connects.
Okay, this is all well in good, but what if you are thinking what to do if the sun doesn't come out? I mean Cape Cod is in New England, and we all know that it will be 30 degrees and snowing in the morning and end up being 55 and sunny in the afternoon. That can also be INCREDIBLE. Soft light (cloudy) works just as well.
Don't forget, I am a photographer. I will always come prepared if things don't go as planned as well as using whatever lighting works best. Don't believe me? Check out these photos. You can be surprised how many of these were under cloudy conditions.
A big piece in loving the creative portraits is that it will feel natural, and using natural light is key. You might be thinking, "But Jamey, what if I want a sick ceremony on the beach with the most beautiful sunset followed by a candlelit dinner?" To which I would respond, "YES! That sounds like an incredible night!" Let's plan on getting some of those natural light photographs before the ceremony AS WELL AS those dope sunset photos.
Which leads me to my next tip...
Tip #3
Send me your location
Remember you are planning a wedding. It is tough! If someone tells you it’s easy, they are straight up lying to you. It is going to be stressful, but it doesn't have to be bad. One of the best piece of advice is to coordinate all of your locations close to each other the best you can.
The absolute ideal dream is to host your ceremony and reception at the same venue. You can take a look at our list of favorite Cape Cod Wedding Venues here. This makes for so much convenience and ease, not just for you, but also for your guests.
Obviously, life isn't perfect and of course if you are holding the ceremony at a church of your choice this is nearly impossible. I get it. I held my wedding ceremony at a church 3-4 miles from the reception. Keeping everything close to each other as best you can really cuts down on guest potentially getting lost and showing up late. Most importantly, the long travel times can cut into your day of fun!
Finding a location that means something to you and your fiancé is so important as well. You may know exactly the spot and that's amazing! Having a venue or location that means something to you and your fiancé's story. When you choose me as your photographer, I listen, invest in you and your story, plan with you how to tell that story, shoot intentionally, and preserve your story as a legacy. All of this so you don't have to worry about it on your wedding day. This process gets to know YOU and YOUR story.
Tip #4
YOU are the main event
On YOUR wedding day, everyone is looking at YOU. Everyone is waiting for YOU. YOU are the main event! You are getting married!
If I had a nickel for every time that I've said, "The [fill in the blank] will wait for you. This is your wedding day, and nothing is going to happen without you." I'd have a heavy pocket of nickels.
Not everything on your wedding day is going to go as planned. I hate to be "that guy' but it's true. And that's OKAY! Again, it's your wedding day!!!
Things are supposed to go wrong, but if you remember that later it will not matter to you, then you'll be golden. Nothing can ruin your day, because you are the main even, and you are getting married!!
Tip #5
Imma do me, while you do you
Imma do me so you don't have to do me. Maybe that came out a little strange, but you get the gist. You are hiring a photographer because you knew you wanted memories that you can show your grandchildren. And I suppose you wanted amazing photographs.
I'm not kidding when I say: When I hand you your wedding album at the end of this entire experience, I want your jaw to drop to the freaking floor.
Not because the photographs are going to be gorgeous (because they will be), but because the story that the album tells is YOU.
Trusting the process is so important. Trust that the photographs I take are not only stunning, but that I am capturing you and your fiancé. That leaves you to be able to chillax and do what matters to you on your wedding day. Unless you live life posed and unnatural, these photos are going to capture your emotions.
It's about you, your story, and the memories of the day that tell that story.
So many people worry about where they want to take their photographs, rather than thinking of why you want to have photographs take at a certain location.
My process challenges you to dig deeper together to come up with a place that tells your story perfectly.
Wedding planning, and sometimes even the wedding day, can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. All of the tips that I’ve shared are based on the experience that I have gained from shooting weddings myself. The commitment that I give all of my couples starts from the first meeting. I listen, invest in you and your story, plan with you how to tell that story, shoot intentionally, and preserve your story as a legacy. All of this so you don't have to worry about it on your wedding day. This process gets to know YOU. It is going to be authentic because you deserve that. Your experience will be human. It will have emotion. And it’ll just be plain dope. You deserve to relive that feeling over and over again. And then some more after that.
If you’d like to talk to me more about your wedding day, or hear about some of my favorite local locations for engagement shoots, please give me a call or send over an email. I’d love to hear you!
I hope that you found my tips for having a stress free wedding day helpful!