Wedding planning comes with a lot of decisions. From choosing your venue and finding your vendors to figuring out your timeline, there are so many little details to think about that it’s easy for a few things to slip through the cracks.
As a wedding photographer who has captured hundreds of weddings, I’ve seen firsthand how certain details can make a big difference in how your wedding day feels and flows. And sometimes, it’s the things you don’t necessarily think about during the planning process that end up being the most important.
So, if you’re in the middle of planning your wedding, here are six wedding planning tips I think are worth keeping in mind. Plus a bonus tip specifically for your wedding photographer!
1. Hiring a Wedding Planner or Day-of Coordinator
If there’s one thing I’d recommend considering for your wedding day, it’s having someone dedicated to coordinating everything behind the scenes.
A wedding planner can be incredibly helpful throughout the entire planning process. They often have connections with vendors and venues, and they can take a lot of the stress off your shoulders. But even if hiring a full wedding planner isn’t in your budget, I’d still recommend looking into a day-of coordinator. Their job is to help keep everything running smoothly. From making sure your timeline stays on track to ensuring chairs are set up properly and handling any last-minute issues that come up.
For example, I’ve seen guests come up to the couple during photos to let them know the venue has run out of ice or napkins. These might seem like small things. But they’re exactly the kinds of problems you shouldn’t have to deal with on your wedding day. You’ve spent so much time planning and preparing for this day. You should be able to enjoy it!
Having someone who can handle those little emergencies means you, your family, and your wedding party can focus on celebrating instead of worrying about what needs to be done next.
2. Scheduling One-on-One Time With Your Partner
Your wedding day is all about celebrating your relationship, but with so much happening around you, it can be surprisingly easy to spend very little time actually connecting with the person you just married.
Between the ceremony, family photos, wedding party photos, greeting guests, and everything happening at the reception, there will be plenty of people wanting your attention. And while all of that is part of the fun, I think it’s really important to intentionally schedule a little time for just the two of you. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to do a first look before the ceremony. If you want to wait until you walk down the aisle to see each other, you absolutely can!
Instead, consider setting aside 10–15 minutes after the ceremony or before the reception to step away from the crowd and check in with each other. You could exchange private vows, share a champagne toast, go for a little walk, or simply sit together. Take in the fact that you just got married.
These moments can also be really lovely to capture in your photos and video. More importantly, they give you a chance to slow down and actually experience the day together. You’re celebrating with all your favourite people, so don’t forget to make a little space for the two of you, too.
3. Booking a Hair and Makeup Trial
If you’re planning to have your hair and makeup professionally done, I highly recommend scheduling a trial before your wedding day. And even if you’re planning to do your own hair and makeup or have a family member help, doing a test run is still a great idea!
The last thing you want is to be getting ready on the morning of your wedding, already feeling a little nervous or emotional, only to realize you don’t love how your hair or makeup turned out. A trial gives you the opportunity to figure out what you like. Then you can make adjustments, and feel confident about your look before the big day.
It’s also a good chance to test how well your hairstyle holds up. Some styles might look amazing when you first leave the salon but start falling out or losing their shape a few hours later. If you’re planning an intricate hairstyle, make sure you discuss how it will be secured and what you can do to help it last throughout the day. Your wedding day will likely involve lots of hugs, dancing, and moving around, so you want a look that can hold up through all of it!
It might feel like an extra expense or another thing to add to your to-do list, but a little preparation ahead of time can save you a lot of stress on the morning of your wedding.
4. Choosing the Right Length for Your First Dance Song
Have you thought about how long you want your first dance to be?
A lot of couples choose to shorten their first dance song rather than play the entire thing. This can be a great option if you don’t want to spend several minutes dancing in front of all your guests. But there’s a little bit of a sweet spot to keep in mind, especially when it comes to your wedding photos and video.
If you shorten your song too much, things can feel a little rushed. From a photography and videography perspective, we need enough time to capture different angles, reactions, and all those little moments that happen during your dance.
I’ve seen first dances that last around 45 seconds. And while that might feel like plenty of time when you’re planning it, it doesn’t leave much room to capture everything! You definitely don’t have to play the entire song if you don’t want to. Instead, consider choosing your favourite sections, such as the first verse, chorus, bridge, and another chorus.
Aim for around two minutes if you’re planning to shorten it. This gives you enough time to enjoy the moment without making it feel like it goes on forever.
Of course, if you want to dance to the entire song, go for it! The most important thing is choosing what feels right for you as a couple.
5. Planning Ahead for Wedding Vendor Payments
Wedding budgets involve more than just knowing how much everything costs. It’s also important to know when those payments are due.
Many wedding vendors require a deposit when you book, followed by the remaining balance closer to your wedding date. Depending on your vendors’ contracts, several final payments could end up being due around the same time.
Imagine getting to the week before your wedding and realizing that all your outstanding vendor balances are due at once. That can be a pretty stressful surprise, especially when you have so many other things to think about!
When booking your vendors, ask about their payment schedules and whether they offer different payment plan options. Some vendors may have flexibility in how payments are structured, while others will have set deadlines outlined in their contracts. Once you know what to expect, keep track of those dates alongside your overall wedding budget. This will help you plan ahead and avoid being caught off guard by a bunch of payments coming out at once.
A little financial planning early on can make the final weeks leading up to your wedding feel much more manageable.
6. Considering the Lighting at Your Ceremony
This one is especially important if you’re planning an outdoor ceremony, but it can also apply to indoor venues with large windows.
When choosing your ceremony time and setup, think about where the sun will be and how it will affect the space. If the sun is shining directly into one partner’s face, they could spend the entire ceremony squinting and struggling to keep their eyes open. Meanwhile, the other person might be comfortably standing in the shade! Not only can this be uncomfortable for you, but it can also affect the lighting in your wedding photos and video.
Ideally, you want to find a ceremony setup where the light works well for both of you and your guests. If you’re still choosing your venue, I’ve also put together a list of some of the best wedding venues in Calgary for photography that offer beautiful natural light and plenty of photo opportunities.
The tricky part is that the sun’s position changes depending on the time of day, the season, and your venue’s location. A ceremony spot that works beautifully in one month might have completely different lighting a few months later.
So, what can you do?
- Talk to your photographer. We can often help you figure out where the sun will be at your ceremony time and suggest ways to make the most of the light.
- Ask your venue for advice. They may have experience with how the light falls in different ceremony locations throughout the year.
- Consider your guests, too. You don’t want everyone sitting directly in the sun, struggling to see what’s happening.
- Think about indoor lighting. If your ceremony is indoors, pay attention to large windows. Or if direct sunlight might fall on one of you during the ceremony.
You don’t need to become an expert in lighting to plan a beautiful ceremony. Just remember that your ceremony time and setup can make a difference. Don’t be afraid to ask your vendors for help!
Bonus Tip
Think About Where Your Photographer Will Eat
This might not be the first thing you think about when planning your reception, but if you’re providing a meal for your photographer, consider where they’ll be seated.
If possible, having a spot for them in the reception room means they can stay close to the action and capture those spontaneous moments that make your wedding gallery feel so personal.
It’s a small detail, but one worth keeping in mind when planning your reception seating!
Wedding planning can feel overwhelming sometimes. There are budgets to manage, timelines to organize, opinions to navigate, and so many little decisions to make along the way. But at the end of the day, your wedding is about you and your person choosing to spend your lives together and celebrating that decision with the people you love.
You don’t need to plan every single detail perfectly for your wedding to be meaningful. The goal is to create a day that feels like you. One that gives you time to enjoy the people around you, and lets you focus on what really matters.
Hopefully, these wedding planning tips help you feel a little more prepared as you plan your day!
I chat about these tips in my Hitched and Happy podcast episode, 6 Things That Often Get Overlooked at a Wedding. Give it a watch for even more wedding planning advice!
Happy planning!
