How to plan your 2022 wedding
Being an experienced, creative wedding photographer that has captured so many weddings, it’s sure to say that we have pretty much seen everything. Not many people can say that they see 50+ full wedding days a year but as a Cardiff wedding photographer, we have definitely picked up a few useful tips and tricks!
This experience has already allowed us to create several useful blogs that cover various aspects of wedding days including entertainment, budgeting, 12 month planning, useful wedding apps etc. We definitely try to help our wedding clients as much as possible to ensure they have the best wedding day possible.
So after a hectic year filled with many amazing weddings all over the UK we thought it was time to create our updated guide on planning your 2022 wedding!
Booking your wedding photographer
If you haven’t already booked your wedding photographer then why not drop us a message and lets organise a chat over a cuppa!
Top 15 wedding planning tips for 2022
So lets get right into the top 15 wedding planning tips for your 2022 wedding!
Create a separate wedding email account
We actually learnt this top tip from a couple we met at one of the many wedding fayres we have showcased our work at. We all have email subscriptions to Virgin Atlantic, Costa Coffee and Tesco Clubcard to let us know all the latest holiday offers are available, when the Gingerbread Christmas Latte is out and when you get 20% off when you purchase 6 bottles of wine.
However, these emails do get in the way of all those important communication emails you will be getting from all of your wedding suppliers throughout your wedding planning journey. Also, most couples don’t have a joint email account so communication maybe missed between the pair of you and potentially cause unnecessary confusion.
So create a joint wedding email account, one where all your suppliers can communicate with you without their emails getting lost or forgotten about. The perfect email would be your first names plus the date of your wedding e.g., (Lauren&[email protected]).
Writing a personal note to your partner
Bridal and Groom preps are always a pleasure to be a part of but they always go in the blink of an eye. But one thing we would highly suggest to do before your prep is to write your wife or husband to be, a small note telling them how you can’t wait to spend their life with them and even some fond memories you have of them.
These notes allow for your partner to stop and remember that moment in the wedding day and even bring some memories back with brilliant emotion. These moments are also fantastic to capture as your partner reads your note.
We have had the pleasure of capturing several of these amazing moments during groom prep and we cannot wait to capture many more during 2022. Take a look at some of our most recent weddings by clicking here.
Buy practical gifts
It is really easy during your wedding preparations to become fixated on all things wedding and you end up buying your friends and family gifts orientated around your wedding day and can only be used once. For example, customised bridal gowns, groomsmen socks, slippers, champagne flutes etc. These are all lovely ideas but they cost a lot of money to only be used once! and if you have only budgeted a certain amount then practical gifts are what we believe to be the better choice.
So here is a list of ideas:
- Watches
- Necklaces
- Candles (Pretty Vibe Botanics)
- Flavoured Coffee’s
- Aftershave/perfume
- A picture of a fond memory
- Bottle of wine/spirits
These are all gifts that can be used on and after your wedding day, ensuring that your money has been well spent. This suggestion isn’t to say don’t spend on customised gowns etc., but consider how useful your gifts will be after the big day.
Dress nicely for your prep
All of our wedding packages come with full day coverage from the beginning of prep to the wedding party in the evening (Oliver loves dancing to Cotton Eye Joe). As we have already mentioned, capturing your wedding morning preparations allows us to get all those important details and memories.
We would advise you ordering some matching sets of pyjamas or even if your budget allows, some customised wedding party robes, pyjamas and slippers. This really will make a big difference to your wedding photos, instead of wearing an old t-shirt.
New Shoes!
We have to be honest, we don’t envy brides wearing those high heals all day what so ever! We are fortunate that we get to wear comfy shoes for the whole day. But this is a huge tip for all those brides reading this blog. Your sparkly, elegant shoes are new! Brand Spanking New! and that only means one thing… they are going to hurt!
Don’t leave it until your wedding day to put them on. Start breaking them in weeks before your big day to ensure the fabric has loosened and that they’re not going to rub your heals all day and cause those unwanted, painful blisters.
So whilst you’re cleaning the house, washing the dishes or any other boring day to day task inside the house, Get those shoes on, because unlike the song suggests, those shoes weren’t made for walking!
Bridal Emergency Kit
Being an experienced Cardiff Wedding Photographer, we have a huge bag of goodies that we take to every wedding to deal with any situation that is thrown at us. However, it is always a good idea to bring a bag of essentials on the day of your wedding for any scenarios that may unfold.
Here is a list of some of the key items to put in this bag:
- Crochet Hook (A godsend to tie the back of your dress up)
- Makeup (A backup lipstick and mascara is always a good idea for touchups throughout the day)
- Boob Tape (help make your dress fit perfect and feel comfortable)
- Roll-on deodorant (removes any unwanted white deodorant stains)
- Hairspray (to sort those pieces of hair that catch in the wind)
- Nipple Covers (For dresses strapless dresses)
- Medication (Antihistamines, Painkillers, Heartburn tablets, inhalers)
- Sweets (Get that sugar boost you may need before the ceremony)
- Emergency Sewing kit (for any accidents that may happen to your dress)
- Mints
- Clear Plasters (If you forgot to read our New Shoes Point)
- Heel Stoppers (If you have thin heels get some heel stoppers so you don’t get stuck in the grass)
Unplug your wedding (including uncle Bobs)
Mobile phones have become the centre of a lot of peoples lives, you are probably reading this blog off of your phone right now! they are amazing tools that have helped many businesses, including our own, grow to great successes. However, they have become a staple eyesore during wedding ceremonies and is now something we like to discuss with our wedding couples prior to the big day.
One of our key selling points is that we want everyone to feel a part of your wedding day and never think that “the photographer” has taken the couple away for hours on end. No, instead we actively invite guests to take pics alongside us as we get your beautiful couple shots (Just make sure you’re looking into our camera lenses).
However, we would advise you tell all your guests prior to the big day via facebook, instagram, your own personal wedding website and/or email that your ceremony is an unplugged one and that all phones should remain in their pockets, leaving the photos to us to capture. The last thing we want is an iPhone (other brands are available) getting in the way of your first kiss (WHICH ONLY HAPPENS ONCE!).
This also goes for all those uncle Bobs (A photography industry nickname for guests with a semi-professional camera) who are enthusiastic in photography and bring their whole setup to the ceremony. We will always ensure they feel included and have a good discussion about their hobby, as we love talking about all the geeky camera stuff too! But you have hired us based on our style and high quality photography. So please reassure them that we will be there to get all the shots for you and they can relax knowing you are in safe hands.
UNPLUG YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY!!!
Planning your confetti
An amazingly fun shot that has become a staple memory for us to capture on all of our couples wedding days.
However we must acknowledge the various rules in place around confetti that you may not know about. If you are having a church wedding you should expect the Vicar to say no to a confetti walkout this is a place where people are laid to rest so we must maintain our respect for them. Some churches however do allow natural flower confetti such as lavender of real petals as this is in keeping with the grounds.
Apart from churches, most venues now only allow for biodegradable confetti, so make sure when you go purchasing your confetti that you keep this in mind.
A brilliant option for confetti is to get a shaped cutter (maybe a heart or star cutter) along with some dried leaves and get clipping. This is a great activity for you and your partner to do in the evening after work and allows you to discuss all those other important topics regarding the big day.
Lunch for wedding suppliers
Something which is often overlooked when planning your wedding day is the need to actually feed your wedding suppliers. Typically we are speaking about photographers and videographers exclusively. Unlike other suppliers (makeup artists, hairstylists, room decorators etc.) photographers and videographers are there from the very start to the very end.
We will be there running around ensuring everything goes without a hitch on your big day and that you get the best photos and videos to look back on. All of this requires a lot of energy and we find ourselves walking 20 kilometres plus on a typical wedding day. We typically haven’t stopped working from early on in the morning and will probably take our first break in the afternoon at around 3pm. So we really appreciate it when our couples provide us with food.
Having a good meal and a drink (non-alcoholic) allows us to recharge and get ready to capture all those stunning sunset and evening shots.
Group Shot Lists
Group shots are something we have a love hate relationship with, as Cardiff Wedding Photographers photographing several weddings a year. Let’s tell you why we feel this way.
So let’s quickly clear this up, we really do love group shots and capturing all those important guests on your wedding day. But unfortunately, some group shot lists are just far too long and people don’t like waiting around to be called up for their photo. This always results in guests wandering off to the bar and reception room to chat amongst themselves. We completely get it, Oliver would be the first to get bored waiting around and would immediately try find food like some suited and booted Bear Grylls.
This delays everything far longer than it needs to and as a result, we often see couples getting fed up and upset waiting around for their guests to return. Lets also mention this creates a time pressure for us as typically group shots happen immediately after the ceremony and before your wedding breakfast. Meaning any delays in these group shots is eating into our couple shot time, the photos that you will cherish the most and probably the whole reason you booked us in the first place.
So we suggest no more than 10 group shots when booking us to be your wedding photographer..
10 group shots only!
Avoid tall flower arrangements
Although these are absolutely beautiful to look at and bring all of those details together in your wedding reception room. These tall centrepieces do create havoc for wedding photographers.
We want to be able to capture that amazing laughter during the speeches without a 10 foot plant arrangement blocking your faces. No matter how fast we move, we sometimes will miss these moments due to these beautiful flower arrangements. So plan your tables with this in mind, keep the tall arrangements off the main table and place them on the corners of the room instead.
We don’t like to but we have found ourselves having to re-arrange tables with the couples permission to ensure we get those amazing candid shots. So save the hassle and plan your room layout with this amazingly informative blog in mind.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
Weddings are very busy events, we can’t even tell you how many times we have heard “its gone in the blink of an eye”. You have a lot to fit into 12 hours… prep, ceremony, group shots, couple shots, reception, speeches, first dance, cutting the cake, disco and any other entertainment in between. We advise that you sit down with your partner and decide what is most important to you before booking any suppliers. Yes its great walking into a wedding fair and booking everything you see but you just wont have enough time to go around it all on the big day.
Allow yourself an additional half hour between each segment of your day as those congratulation hugs soon swallow up that original 45 minute space you had in your military operation wedding timeline. By having an additional 30 minutes on top of your original time you are ensuring everything is relaxed throughout the day and that nothing is rushed or missed.
Don’t put speeches during sunset
Typically wedding receptions begin at around 3-4pm and last roughly 2 hours before speeches start. Whilst we are photographing those iconic speeches we always see the sun set through the glass and think of the endless opportunities we could be having getting those couple shots in that beautiful orange glow.
These are most probably the images you found us for originally and have become another staple set of images we capture for our amazing clients. So ensure you don’t fall into this trap on your wedding day and ensure you allocate some time between your wedding reception and speeches for those priceless sunset shots.
Sparklers
One of the most perfect ways to end your wedding day is with a sparkler exit. We absolutely love sparkler exits as it brings everyone together one last time to celebrate you and your partner on your wedding day.
But we do have some rules we now put in place if you book us as your creative wedding photographer:
- Sparklers must be used before 7pm
- Everyone should be aware of the hazards
- Children should not be given sparklers unless protected (using an apple to put the sparkler in was a great idea at Felicity and Elgans Wedding).
We hate to be party poopers but there are very special reasons why we enforce these rules with our clients now. Guests tend to become more drunk as the night goes on and these make for great dancing shots however, our and your safety is our number 1 priority. Sparklers are dangerous and we have been burnt on several occasions by them because of drunk guests. So this is the reason for our rules and we hope you take these to your wedding as its very important to us that you are all safe.
Another top tip for couples, don’t hold the sparkler in front of your faces, we want to see you as you walk through the tunnel so hold them at waist height and remember to smile, look at each other and kiss.
Book us to capture your special day
We absolutely love capturing everyones special memories and have had the privilege of doing just that for the past 5 years. The laughter, the love, the dancing, the music, the places we see, we just absolutely love our job.
So if you are interested in booking a photographer who is passionate about capturing your wedding day in a creative and heart felt way, then get get in touch and let’s have a chat!
