Tips for a Successful Wedding Day

Photo Credit:  Chic and Grace

It starts with a yes…

But then what’s next??? Planning your wedding can seem like a huge undertaking. Almost such a big task that it’s overwhelming to figure out where to start. What do you do first? How much do you want/need to spend? When and where will we have the wedding?
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For those of you who are newly engaged these questions might seem all too familiar and at this very moment you are struggling to figure them out.

​So let me try to help ease the anxiety by answering some of these first step questions.

Congratulations! You are getting married!
 
Now…what’s the next step you need to take to start the wedding planning process?
First off you need to decide who will attend your special day. This will give you a good idea on guest count which will better help you to know what location and venues are available to you based on the size of your guest list. Spend time going over this together and write out your list.

Once you have done this you can move onto the next step, setting your date. Depending on what time of year you got engaged and how long of an engagement you want to have will determine what time of year you decide on. Many of my brides are very specific on what season they want to be married in.

If you have a set location in mind and are flexible on the date then I would suggest to call the venue and see what open dates they have. On a budget note, if you want to keep the costs down on venue consider having your wedding on a weekday or even a Sunday. Many venues are substantially less expensive on these days. If most of your guests are traveling from out of town consider this as a great cost saving option as the day of the week won’t really matter to traveling guests.

Once you have decided on the number of guests, date and location you’re all set to start booking your other vendors! I would recommend that the next most essential ones are your photographer and then if your hiring a wedding planner (moi) or stylist/décor. Photographers who are well known can book up to a year or more in advance so I highly recommend you book as soon as you have your date and location confirmed.

On a side note - quick recommendation when looking for a photographer – how do you choose from a sea pf pictures?? Well what I always tell my couples is two things to looks for. First you need to meet with them face to face and see if there is a connection. This is so important because him/her will be capturing some very intimate moments of your wedding and its best when you feel and they feel a connection to you both.

Second, is their photography style and editing style. These two are different. Their photography style is more centered on poses, backdrops, candid shots and lighting. Their editing style will be mostly what you feel coming through the pictures, like are they light and airy or is there more color editing. I have included 2 example of well-known photographers in the Calgary area for you to compare. See the differences in the tones and lighting that come through. Both are amazing pictures, however they are quite different in the editing styles. The one on the left is more fresh and light where as the one on the right is more edited for colors  and depth. 
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Left: Parrish House Photos and Right: JM Photography 

And the second vendor who you will want to book is a wedding planner, like myself. We typically book one year in advance as well so it’s also a great idea to connect with us sooner than later. Plus the quicker you engage with me the faster I can help to start removing all the stress and wedding worry! 

I hope this gave you some insight into the first few steps after your engagement. Just remember that this is your wedding and however you can dream it we are all here to make these dreams come true! 
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