So it has finally arrived! The day you have imagined since you were yay high standing in front of the mirror with pillow cases on your head in your mommas heals! Your booboski finally proposed! You can’t even contain your excitement. First you do the famous post: “We’re getting married y’all!” Then you start daydreaming during work hours (lets be real) on Pinterest and all the gorgeous, breathtaking wedding blogs. Pretty soon, this excitement turns into stress. You become overwhelmed and start panicking! Pretty soon you are running around like a chicken with her head cut off ready to rip anyone who gets in your way a new one. Did I hit the nail on the head? Yup, I think so! I was a bride too. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. So do our previous brides which its why we’ve asked them for their input before we put this blog together. Here are the top 10 wedding planning tips from Landon Hendrick Photography Brides.

Top 10 Wedding Planning Tips from LHP Brides

1. Do not wait until the last minute

Planning a wedding takes time. TAKE YOUR TIME! These blogs that you are viewing for inspiration aren’t of weddings that were put together in a month. Start planning early. Give yourself the time you need to plan the wedding of your dreams! By doing this, you will find that you will actually enjoy planning your wedding!

2.Do a first look

90% of our brides opt to do a first look. Some of them decide to do it before ever chatting with us, others opt to do it after learning about it and some do it because of special lighting situations that come up for their wedding. Specifically fall/winter weddings. A first look allows you to soak up the love and the moment! You only get married once, you have every right to enjoy every second of it. With a first look your photographer will select a secluded place where you and your soon to be stud muffin can see each other for the first time and react how ever the heck you want without anyones judgement or expectations burning a hole through your shirt. If you’ve never heard of a first look or want to find out more about it please visit our blog post Should I Do a First Look . 

3. Prioritize your wedding budget

After you sit down and list all the different ideas you have for your wedding and all the vendors you must find, sit with your spouse to be and prioritize from beginning to end what is most important to you both. Have your budget reflect that. Decide up front what are must haves and what are extra details you would enjoy but may not be necessary. If pictures are a priority to you, then your budget should reflect that. It doesn’t make sense to spend more on your shoes than your wedding dress if your wedding dress is a priority just like it wouldn’t make sense to spend more on a DJ than photography if photography is a top priority. Realize early on that unless you have unlimited funds you have to understand that you won’t be able to have it all. So what can’t you live without and what can you live without.

4. Put your calendar to use!

Just like any other bill, all of your vendor contracts should have due dates with the amount due. Write them on your calendar make sure that they are paid on time. Many contracts become void if payment is not received on time. You signed the contract, so it is your responsibility to make sure they receive it in a timely manner.

Make sure you are coordinating with your calendar when you are making appointments with vendors. They respect your time and its always appreciated when a bride reciprocates this respect. Avoid double booking or scheduling appointments back to back. Your vendors want to give you their undivided attention and get to know you better as they help you plan the wedding of your dreams. If you are distracted and looking at the clock because you are thinking about where you need to be next, then you are not allowing that vendor to provide you with the best experience possible. As a result you are cheating yourself of a good experience.

5. Don’t stress

I know that it is easier said than done but if you have taken your time to plan your wedding, hired reputable vendors, there is NOOOOOOOO reason to stress. Will your day be perfect? Hopefully, but if something doesn’t go according to plans, don’t get stuck on that one thing to where it hinders you or your spouse from enjoying the day. No need to micro-manage your vendors. They’ve worked hundreds of weddings, you’ve planned ONE. No matter how big of a deal you think your wedding blooper is, trust me they’ve seen worse and are equipped and prepared for undesired moments should your wedding experience any. TRUST them!!!! You hired them for a reason! They are professionals and on that day they want nothing more than to make your dream wedding a reality. Embrace the unexpected, and each others’ opinions, and don’t let an unattainable ideal sour the big picture! 

6. Stay focused on what is truly important

At the end of the day, what matters most is that you and your spouse to be get married. The day, the prep, the planning, your friends and family, your vendors are all there working and celebrating you and your union. This new chapter in your life continues after your wedding. In my opinion it is the best part!

7. Get a day of Coordinator

On your day you should wake up, eat breakfast, get your hair done, your makeup, and toast and laugh with your girls. You should NOT be running around with rollers in your hair calling florist, or any other vendor for that matter. We highly, highly, highly, recommend getting a day of coordinator. They are the glue to the day. You should be able to sit back and relax and trust me that if something falls out of line they will not come to you bombarding you with problems. A coordinator will come to you with solutions for you to decide from. They know how to think on their feet because its not their first rodeo.

It is not your photographers job, or your florist, or your bakers job to come up with a solution if the makeup artist is running behind schedule.  Although they wont be strangers to how to deal with that situation its best if you have a coordinator responsible for those unfortunate situations. A day of coordinator knows how to handle situations like that so that your other vendors can stay on track and focus on their specialty. The best gift your husband can give you if he’s not sure what to get you for a wedding present is a day of coordinator. They are worth your sanity hence worth every penny.

8. You cannot please everyone

The sooner you realize this, the sooner your stress level will go from a 10 to a 3. You cannot please everyone so don’t even try! Your wedding day should be a reflection of you and your husband to be, your story and your love. Put on the menu what YOU like. Trust me, regardless what you put someone will complain. If YOU want to do a first look! GO AHEAD! It’s YOUR day. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Your guest are there to celebrate you and your union.

For example, we did not have an open bar at our wedding. We were 20 when we got married so we weren’t of drinking age and even if we were it wasn’t a reflection of US. We don’t drink. Why would we break the bank with an open bar? We instead used that money towards our honeymoon heeeeyyy! Don’t exceed your budget trying to impress or please others. Plan a wedding within your means that will be something you can enjoy and not have you start your new life as newlyweds with regrets in a financial hole!

9. Plan weekly dates with no wedding talk

Planning a wedding can consume your life! GURLLLLLL don’t make that man forget how amazing the woman he proposed to was! Take a day out of the week to reconnect and stay centered on the most important thing which is you two. NO WEDDING TALK! Your man will thank you for it. Don’t neglect him because you are so distracted by everything that there is still left to do. You’ll need him for the wedding, unless you are marrying yourself lol.

10. DELEGATE

As hard as it is to do, especially when we are talking about the most important day of your life, DELEGATE!!!! You have a maid of honor/best man use her/him. Some awesome responsibilities to give them ;

• gathering your getting ready details for your photographer and videographer to capture
• have them make you a wedding day emergency kit
• have them help keep your wedding party under control and on task for important time sensitive moments
• give them a copy of the timeline so that they can keep the wedding party in the loop for when and where they need to be throughout the day

All in all the more people you have on the same page working towards the same goal, the better!