Wedding Day - Top Tips
Looking for some fresh ideas for your wedding day? Do you like the idea of adding a surprise for your guests to enjoy and get involved in?
Here’s some ideas and things to consider if you are trying to get even more out of your big day.
The First Look
Having a 'First Look' is becoming more and more popular in the wedding industry, especially for winter weddings where daylight hours are so short.
What is a First Look?
It's something that happens before the ceremony. You can meet and spend a moment alone without having guests to chat to and champagne to drink but this does mean that the first time you see each other on your wedding day won’t be on the walk down the aisle – that can be a deal-breaker for some couples. However, the moment a couple first set eyes on each other is incredible and so romantic that you will want something as special as that captured! You will still be as ecstatic to see each other when the walk down the aisle does begin, because you’ll actually be getting married and that’s the whole point, right?
What are the advantages of doing this?
One of the main advantages of the First Look is that the bride’s make-up will look absolutely flawless in all of the photographs. This is especially great if your make-up artist isn’t staying for a touch-up after the ceremony. If one, or both of you, are feeling anxious or a bit nervous ahead of the ceremony, it can be a great way to calm those concerns, just seeing each other and having the reassurance from your partner can really help calm you and make the ceremony even more enjoyable.
Other benefits include...
Another advantage of the first look is that you don’t need to take as much time away from the drinks reception for photos as you will have already done couple photos, so you can have more time with your guests, (some people do group photos in the morning after a first look too so the whole reception is uninterrupted) and also it’s nice to have that moment as private between the two of you.
What about everyone else?
This part is largely up to you. The bridal party, the groomsmen and the families can all be involved in a First Look, leaving the rest of your wedding day with a little more time. Alternatively, you may decide that the First Look is only for you and all the other photographs should be taken at a different time.
I know a couple of my couples this year are planning First Looks and it is certainly something to think about if you aren't tied to tradition. If you are thinking of this, please let me know!
Confetti First Dance
Looking for a way to spice up your first dance? Who not start the evening off with a bang!
Confetti during your First Dance
I hear more and more couples in the lead up to their wedding say they either don't want to do a first dance, or that they are nervous about doing one. Being totally honest, I hate dancing in front of anyone myself - but there's something pretty special about having a little sway around the dancefloor that is a shame to miss out on. However, if you want to do this but are worried about feeling a little self-concious about it all, then I might just have a great idea for you to try.
Confetti can be a great distraction and more importantly can really add to the party atmosphere as well as looking incredible on photo and video. Getting guests to gather round with confetti during your first dance helps with a number of things; it gets them close and so you aren't dancing alone in the middle of a large dancefloor. It gets everyone involved so once the music starts they are more likely to join in with the dancing and also it means the guests are not all staring at you waiting for the music to stop.
Confetti Canons
If you like the idea but would like to keep it a little bit of a surprise, why not ask a couple of groomsmen or bridesmaids to grab a confetti canon and during the first dance have them launch them for a bit of added wow. I promise that it really does make for a heck of a photo.
Ask your venue
One thing to check before you plan for this is that you are actually allowed to use confetti indoors at your chosen venue - most are welcome to the idea and are already preparing to clean the dancefloor of the spilled drinks and footprints, but it's always worth asking before making this part of the final plan.
Make it stand out
Champagne Spray
Get the party started with this explosive suggestion - grab your partner a bottle and if you wanted to, some of your bridal party, and spray away!
This can be a really fun moment for you and to photograph - no two champagne pops are the same and the reactions can be fantastic to capture, I'd suggest having a couple of bottles just in case one doesn't go to plan though! You've all seen this being done by racing drivers following a trophy presentation, and it's a case of shaking it up and easing the cork off.
Once popped, place your thumb over the bottle opening and keep on shaking. The key to a great spray is to try and keep the hole in the bottle covered with your thumb immediately after opening and for as long as possible - the longer you leave the bottle open after popping the cork, the less spray you'll have.
Ideally you spray away from your loved ones and towards the camera - it can make for a spectacular moment of the day.
Where to buy?
There's no need to save your best champagne or go crazy buying the good stuff to throw around - stick to some budget prosecco or bubbly as you won't be drinking much of this at all. You can purchase from Amazon (suggestion here), and I've found a non-alcoholic option courtesy of Aldi which is only £2.79 per bottle (Zerozecco here).
Ask your venue
Your venue might have a preference on where to do this - obviously as you are firing a cork and making a bit of a mess, this will likely be done somewhere outside, and you might need permission to do this.
Secret Singers
In this next suggestions I wanted to share something that I think can make an amazing addition to your day - singing staff!
Usually know as singing waiters or secret singers, these are hired entertainers who dress and act as staff at your wedding before starting your party by suddenly bursting into song and encouraging your guests to get up and celebrate. I've been to several weddings with these and they make an unforgettable memory for your day.
How does this work?
There are several companies that offer this such as Silver Service Singers and Surprise Singers, they will discuss with you your day plans and usually at the end of your meal and speeches, one of the staff will cause a scene (typiclally falling in front of the top table), before standing to burst into song and in no time they have everyone up out of their seats, dancing and singing along. The key is that only the bride and groom are really aware of this and so your guests will be so surprised.
It gets everyone into the party mood and creates so much fun and laughter, usually ending in a conga or similar to ensure that the room us vacated for the venue to then tidy up and turn the room around for the evening.
Want to know more?
As I mentioned, I've shot a few of these now and they are a joy to photograph and join in with, if you'd like some more information just let me know!
Other Tips and Suggestions
Unplugged Ceremonies - There's nothing worse that looking down the aisle and seeing phones instead of faces, whilst it's understandable people want their own record of the day, I think the ceremony is one part of the day when everyone can sit back, relax and pay attention to what's going on - it's the whole reason they are there! You can ask your registrar or celebrant to mention it before the ceremony begins and they just provide a gentle reminder to put phones in their pockets and enjoy the moment.
Morning details - if you have spend months finding the perfect shoes and jewellery then you'll want that captured. What I'd suggest is that you put the important details aside for your photographer to capture - for girls this could include perfume, that something blue or your chosen earings. For the guys it could be your watch, cufflinks and aftershave. Whatever you have in mind, it's useful to try and include a spare copy of your wedding stationery to give a story to the photo.
Groups, Groups and more Groups - Following the ceremony, it's good to get any formal group photos done as soon as possible, making the most of everyone being together and ensure that once completed, the guests can head off and grab a drink and not be dragged outside for 'another' photo. In the details form you can complete the lists of people you'd like in each group, so that I can draft, print and bring with me those lists on the day. It's also useful to allocate a bridesmaid or groomsman to assist rounding up these guests on the day to help speed things up.
First Dances - I have recently seen a great video on Instagram, which mentioned the order of first dances; if you are planning on a father and daughter (or similar), then it's better to arrange that before the couple's first dance, so that way the party can really get started.
If there is anything you'd like to know or appreciate help on, so just get in touch and I can assist!