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I'm a luxury family photographer serving families who desire a stress-free & joyful photoshoot by providing an experience that allows my clients to enjoy each special season & receive jaw-dropping, joy-filled photos they'll pass down for generations to come.

Hello, friend! I'm Caitlin.

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The Caitlin & Luke Blog has been retired for now! Feel free to browse the blog's archives to view lovely weddings, sweet families, and personal posts dating all the way back to 2011. Xoxo! 

Wedding Morning Tips

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August 18, 2016

Wedding Morning Tips

Today’s post is JUST for my sweet C&L brides! Ohh this is a topic I care about so so much: having the smoothest, least stressful, most FUN morning on wedding days. What bride doesn’t want a calm, fun environment on the morning of the day she marries the love of her life? I know I wanted that when it came to planning Luke and I’s wedding day! ???? And let me tell you… we’ve seen our fair share of wedding day mornings that run beautifully… they were full of happy tears and pretty pictures and were completely on time. But we’ve also seen a few wedding day mornings that were the exact opposite from that… and it totally breaks my heart when we do! Fortunately, they’ve been very few and far between… but today, I wanted to share some tips with you brides-to-be about how to have the BEST wedding morning possible! You already know Luke and I care deeply about ensuring our brides have an exceptional experience working with us, and helping our brides structure and plan for their wedding day mornings is a huge part of how we do this and start the day off on a positive note. So, here we go!

Tip 1. Allow more time than you think you need

It’s better to have time to kill than to be running around like a stressed + crazy person on the best day of your life! Hair and makeup appointments often run behind schedule, which can throw your whole timeline off before it even begins. I’d suggest starting your wedding morning early… even if it means asking your MOH to grab a Starbucks for you if you’re not a morning person! 😉 Just to give you an idea of timing, I started my hair and makeup appointments at 8:00am on our wedding day, and it was perfect for us and for our day. Remember to allow time for travel, eating a small meal, and the amount of time it takes to put on your dress, too!

Tip 2. Prepare your detail box in advance

We ask all our brides to prep a small “detail box” for us before the wedding day so that when we arrive, we are ready to start shooting those details immediately! Things to gather for this box include your shoes, all three rings (including your fiancé’s wedding band and YOUR engagement ring), jewelry, perfume, garter, and one full copy of your stationary suite. PS: (It is also helpful to have the Groom’s shoes, cuff links, watch, handkerchief, cologne and socks ready, too!)

Tip 3. Prep a wedding day tote and clutch

As the bride, and you will likely need a lot of stuff accessible on the wedding day! It’s helpful to pack a medium sized tote with all you’ll need for the getting ready portion of the day (such as extra makeup, hairspray, etc.) and then invest in a little bridal clutch to hold things such as bandaids, bobby pins, your lipstick and mints! Again, pack these in advance so that you don’t forget anything.

Tip 4. Eat!

Ladies, I mean it! You need food and plenty of water to give you energy throughout your wedding day! Things like power bars are good because they’re small but will keep you full. We don’t need a bride fainting before the ceremony! ????

Tip 5. Select a place to get ready with lots of natural light

Make sure there is natural light in the rooms where both you and the groom will be getting ready… window light is ideal! This makes a WORLD of difference in your images, and of course, it’s so much nicer to get ready in a beautiful space than a basement somewhere, if at all possible. Also, keep the area near the windows free of trash, tote bags, snacks and such, as this will be where the you put on your dress!

Tip 6. Ask your mom and bridesmaids to be dressed by a certain time

Make sure your mom and bridesmaids are dressed (or are in matching robes) before you step into your dress! This allows us to capture beautiful and cohesive photos of you stepping into your dress, and it even pulls in colors from your wedding into more of your getting ready photos!

Tip 7. Appoint “a person”

Whether it’s your mama, maid of honor or sister, appoint someone to deal with any issues that come up, gently keep you on schedule and even be in charge of your phone for the wedding morning. As the bride, you don’t need to be worrying about anything on this special day!

Tip 8. Relax and have fun!

I know this can be hard on such a busy day, but goodness… this is a once in a lifetime day! Soak up each sweet moment getting ready, play a fun and relaxing playlist on your phone, take lots of pictures and take a deep breath. You’re about to start the best day ever! ????

Was this post helpful for you brides?! If so, please comment and let me know, and even share the post with another bride to be who may want some tips for how to make HER wedding day morning amazing! Xoxo!

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Cue the confetti! I've officially received your inquiry, and I couldn't be more excited to start this journey with you.

I'm now a full-time mama and a part-time photographer, but all messages will be responded to as soon as I'm able. Thank you for your patience! My average email response time is currently 3-5 days.

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Cue the confetti! I've officially received your inquiry, and we couldn't be more excited to start this journey with you.

I'm now a full-time mama and a part-time photographer, but all messages will be responded to as soon as I'm able. Thank you for your patience! My average email response time is currently 3-5 days.

I cannot wait to chat soon!