Happy Monday y’all! We had the best weekend relaxing and spending some much needed time together. Earlier last week, we asked you guys over on Instagram for some good movie recommendations because we were planning a movie date on Saturday, and everyone told us that Hidden Figures was incredible! So… we made popcorn and sour gummy worms our lunch for that day and went to go see it… and you guys, it was amazing. Thank you so much for the recommendations! We hope you guys had the most amazing weekend with your loved ones, too!
Today, we are so excited to start a 3 part series that will take us through all of February, and it is JUST for our sweet brides! We’ve had a lot of incredible bridal consults over the past few weeks (engagement season, holla!), and at each one, we’ve been asked the SAME question. It’s super challenging to answer, but it is definitely important:
What is ONE thing you wish your brides new before their wedding day?”
Since it’s extremely hard to narrow down this answer down to just one thing (and, in reality, there are a lot of things we wish our brides knew about while planning their wedding!), we wanted to share them ALL with you brides! Truthfully, most of the things we wish our brides knew all small, but they are enormous game changes for a wedding day. One of our all time favorite photographers, Katelyn James, always talks about micro changes that have a macro impact, and that is totally the case for the things in this post.
So, here is the first installment of What We Wish Our Brides Knew! Are you ready?!
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1. Schedule professional makeup & a manicure
Well, this one sounds fun, doesn’t it? You would be amazed at what a difference it makes to have professional makeup and a beautiful manicure for your engagement shoot. When it comes to photos, the littlest of things make the biggest difference, from a ponytail holder on your wrist or you fiancé’s wallet in his pocket. While we’re shooting, Luke and I are always looking for tiny ways to make each image a little bit more perfect, and the smallest distractions definitely make an impact.
A simple manicure shows off your ring beautifully and ties your entire outfit together. Plus, it makes you feel that much more put together! (I don’t know about you, but I feel like I can conquer the world when my nails are done… ha!) Our favorite manicure colors include most shades of pink, crisp red, dark gray, and bright white. French manicures are also a safe option! Keep in mind that if it’s summertime and you’re wearing wedges or sandals, your toes should be painted the same color! A manicure is a quick investment of time that makes a world of a difference in your photos. At the very least, we wish more of our brides gave themselves a little manicure before their engagement shoot… it seriously makes that much of a difference!
We also wish more of our brides knew how important it is to have their makeup done before their engagement session! Normal makeup does not show up as well in photos as it does in day to day life… it’s just a fact. However, a professional makeup artist will know exactly how to apply your makeup so that it shows up well in photos. A professional’s touch in selecting a foundation to match your unique skin tone, filling in your brows a bit, and picking the perfect eye shadow combination does WONDERS for your photos. Plus, you can use this time to meet the makeup artist you want to use for your wedding. A little bit of contouring and highlighting go a long way in your photos, and we wish our brides knew this!
PS: This is a quick tip, but it too has a huge impact: Clean that new ring of yours! A clean, sparkly diamond photographs ten times better, and cleaning your bling sets you up for some gorgeous ring shots. We always recommend this inexpensive product for a quick cleaning!
2. Albums matter
Oh goodness, do we wish more of our brides knew the value of a professional wedding album. Luke and I talk about this all the time! It is so hard to fully explain the value of a quality, professionally designed and printed wedding album to our couples, particularly because there are so many ways to design and print your own books online these days. We want to gently say that no, purchasing the wedding album your wedding photographer is offering you is absolutely not the same as making your own album or ordering a book from somewhere online.
In fact, anything you create or order elsewhere will never compare to the albums wedding photographers offer. Yes, they are expensive. So is your wedding dress, right? Your wedding album is, and should be, an investment. Yet, this investment is unique because it lasts decades beyond your wedding day. This is the book your grandchildren will flip through with you when you’re 85 and are celebrating your 60th anniversary. So, it should be built to last throughout all the years of your marriage and beyond. Simply put, a wedding album from your photographer will last that long, while books purchased elsewhere are not designed to stand the test of time.
The materials, paper, ink, leather, and other materials your photographer has hand-selected for the wedding albums they are offering you are designed to last and to show off your images in the most gorgeous way possible. Also, as a business owner, your photographer has access to design, printing and material capabilities that you do not. There is a reason wedding albums are pricey, but those reasons are the very same reasons your album will still be in good shape decades from now, and we wish more brides knew that! (You can read more about our heart for wedding albums right here!)
3. Hire a wedding planner
Y’all… we 100% get it: Weddings are expensive. For that reason, it’s tempting to cut costs and save money wherever you can. In fact, we’re advocates of being wise in how you allocate your wedding budget… it’s only smart! However, one investment we never recommend skimping out on is a wedding planner and coordinator. They are truthfully worth every single penny.
The professionalism and experience of a wedding planner and coordinator is unbelievably valuable as you plan and live through your wedding. Hiring a wedding planner and coordinator means you aren’t the one calling vendors to confirm timing the week of your wedding. It allows your mama to cry happy tears with you all day long instead of worrying about who is handing out programs. Lastly, it also provides a buffer between you and your vendors in the case of an issue or question. The last thing you want during your reception is to be told things are running late and your timeline needs to be adjusted, right? You should be dancing the night away with your brand new husband and your best friends!
With a wedding planner, you don’t have to worry about any of these things. Simply put, the weddings we’ve shot with wedding planners present went ten times more smoothly than the weddings we’ve shot without them. We wish more of our brides knew they could save themselves so much time and stress by investing in a professional in this area! (Read more about why we believe in wedding planners and coordinators right here!)
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So, there you have it… the first three things we wish our brides knew! We have a few more of these things to share with you guys throughout all of February, and we’re so hopeful that these tips provide some perspective and insight as you plan your best day ever! Our desire is for your wedding day to be smooth, relaxed and simple, and we want to help you make sure you can describe your wedding day with those words when it is all said and done. We say all the time that our goal is for photography to be the BEST and EASIEST part of your wedding day, and if we can help the other aspects of your big day to fall into place, we’re all about that! The fact is, if your wedding day runs smoothly and beautifully, your photography will too.
What do you wish YOU had known while planning your wedding? We want to hear about it in the comments below! You never know if your perspective could help another bride reading, so don’t be afraid to share! Xo! ????
