YOU’RE ABOUT TO TIE THE KNOT
THIS IS IT!
YOUR ADVENTURE AWAITS
Congratulations on your engagement! You’re about to start an exciting journey. While wedding planning can be a lot, just remember it’s about celebrating your love. I’ve seen the challenges firsthand as a photographer, but it doesn’t need to be stressful. I’ve put together this guide with my best tips to help make things easier. On your big day, I’ll be there to capture every special moment, so you can look back on it with joy for years to come. Let’s make this journey one to remember!
YOUR JOURNEY STARTS HERE
So where do we start?
THE VISION
FOR YOUR BIG DAY
The day you tie the knot is a momentous occasion and the perfect opportunity to plan something truly spectacular. From the décor to the entertainment, every detail should be just how you imagine it. But first...you have to imagine it!
Do you want your wedding to feel romantic and elegant? Or maybe adventurous and fun? What is your ideal wedding location? Do you want a grand entrance with fireworks to grab your guests' attention? Or are you more comfortable with an intimate, relaxed reception?
These (and more) are important questions to consider when talking about your shared vision. I've witnessed couples get derailed because, halfway to the wedding, they aren't clear about what they want and are looking at too many options.
Before moving forward, start a journal dedicated only to your dream wedding. Make a note of every little detail you can think of so you have a quick reference and won't forget any of your brilliant ideas. The journal will also help you stick to your vision so you can narrow your focus and feel less overwhelmed. For example, if you do want fireworks, there's no need to look at getting doves to release! You can narrow your search only to fireworks and ignore the rest.
BUILDING A SOLID
FOUNDATION
A wedding can't happen without some kind of plan. Even if all you do is pick a date and choose a venue, hoping the rest falls into place, that's still something! But since winging it won't help you create the wedding of your dreams, it's best to build a solid foundation by getting clear on what you want and what's within your budget.
SET A WEDDING BUDGET
Deciding on your vision and if you want help is half the battle. Next, you need to tackle the budget. This can be tricky and overwhelming, but it's totally doable.
Start by creating a spreadsheet of your expected costs to keep track of what you're spending. Then, decide how much money you're comfortable investing in your wedding. You can research general vendor and venue costs to give yourself an estimate to work with, then adjust as needed.
Even though you've hired a few vendors already (like me), you can hire a planner at any step of the journey to take over. Of course, there are DIY options if you're trying to save money, but I can tell you from experience that even a little help goes a long way.
A wedding planner will make sure everything is running smoothly and on schedule, handle last-minute emergencies, coordinate vendors and guests, secure permits or licenses if necessary, keep track of all contracts and payments, provide décor suggestions, and a lot more.
At this stage of the game, it's important to remember that having an extra pair of hands to assist with planning makes life easier. You don't have to do it all yourself! Also, remember that day-of planners and coordinators are also available. If hiring help for the entire planning process is out of your budget, many planners are available for one day only to lift the weight off your shoulders so you can focus on enjoying your special moment.
HIRING HELP
It's easy to get caught up in wanting everything you see on Pinterest, but your budget should be the deciding factor when it comes to upgrading or downgrading certain details. This is where research and communication become invaluable.
Sit down with your fiancé and make a list of what each of you deems most important. For example, if the flowers are important to you but you don’t care about music, allocate more funds to flowers and find lower-cost options for music (like a playlist). Making this list is also good practice for your future marriage: if your fiancé ranks music as important and they absolutely must have a band, well, you'll need to find a compromise!
Finally, don't forget the hidden costs that might come up during the planning process (gratuity, taxes, credit card processing fees). Talk about these items too so when those moments arise, nothing is a surprise.
A NOTE ON “MUST-HAVES”
MONEY SAVING TIPS
Make your guest list the a-list ONLY
It should go without saying that a smaller guest list is better for both your budget and your sanity! No matter how many guests you have, any amount you can trim will help you go from feeling overwhelmed to feeling everything is manageable. An intimate celebration usually requires less money and effort—plus it comes with a priceless bonus: more quality time with the smaller group of guests you invited!
Here's how to trim your list:
- Make a list of your immediate family and very close friends. These are your "A-list" names that will definitely get invited. Using just this list, estimate your food costs and write down the total.
- Make a second list of B-list people who you will only invite if it is within your budget. These people may include friends that your parents want to invite, distant family members, and friends you haven't spoken to in over a year.
- Now, compare how much you'll spend on food for your A-list to what you have budgeted for food and drinks. If there's wiggle room, meaning your A-list people do not use your entire food budget, you can look at your B-list and decide if you want to invite a few more people to your wedding.
- Be honest with yourself about the numbers: decide how many guests you can comfortably host and be firm about sticking to it.
Choose in-season flowers and food
"Seasonal" and "local" are two words that will help you save money on catering and flowers. When you buy in-season, you're buying food and flowers at their peak of supply, when prices are typically lower. Plus, buying local means flowers/food won't need to be shipped halfway around the world; not only will you save money, but also minimize your carbon footprint - it's a win-win situation!
Find a venue that will let you BYOB
For many couples, alcohol for their guests is a huge expense, so be mindful of cost-per-bottle when deciding on a venue. Look for places where you can purchase and serve your own alcohol so you can keep track of the price.
pick a location that looks great au naturel
Allow nature's beauty to work for you in outdoor areas with stunning views! Venues that already have inspiring natural features, like a beach, garden, or barn, can save you hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars—all you have to do is supply the finishing touches. Scour wedding websites and Instagram for inspiration on how other couples used minimal decorations in beautiful venues. You might be surprised at what kind of impact just a few simple items can make.
Have your ceremony and reception at one location
Having both your ceremony and reception at the same place can save you a ton of money—not to mention simplify the planning process. If one site is just too costly, consider holding your cocktail hour in a separate area from the main venue or researching nearby spaces for rent that are affordable. If you can have the entire wedding in one spot, you'll also save on transportation costs.
THE WEDDING TIMELINE
Your wedding day is a beautiful experience to be enjoyed and remembered, so I always recommend to my couples that they have some kind of timeline to refer to. If you're working with a planner, they should have this for you; otherwise, about a week before the wedding, you should create a detailed, hour-by-hour wedding day timeline to ensure your big day runs smoothly. This will help you stay organized, calm, and on time.
Share your wedding day timetable with your wedding party, day-of coordinator/planner, photographer (me!), caterer, florist, and other vendors once you have completed it so that everyone is on the same page.
While most weddings follow the same format, the order in which events occur may vary depending on your preferences. It's not a one-size-fits-all situation. If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to me regarding the specifics of your day and I can help you work it out!
Here are some suggestions for how much time to give for each event, as well as a general order of events.
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Feeling Awkward?
Let me give you confidence by saying first of all that your shoot is going to be awesome, and know that 99% of the time the first 10 minutes of any photoshoot can feel uncomfortable until you relax into it and feel confident in front of the camera! Trust in the fact that I do this everyday; I'll always prompt and direct you and never ask you to do something that feels wrong or awkward or leave you hanging with no idea what you should be doing next.
I promise it will be fun and by the end of the session you'll be totally relaxed and having fun. The objective isn’t just to take pretty pictures, but to capture this exciting stage in your life, exactly as it is now.
Connect on the day:
Relax, unwind, choose to do what you love on the day of your shoot. There’s nothing worse than arriving at a shoot absolutely frazzled and rushed and disconnected. If you’re able to take the morning off, do it. Give yourself lots of time to get to the location so you don’t feel stressed on arrival.
Have zero expectations:
Embrace what comes, the wind, the rain, the laughter, whatever unfolds. Every shoot is unique, and we have no set pattern. It’s all about YOU and capturing your life exactly how it is on the day of your shoot. I can’t give you any guarantees of what we will capture, let’s see what magic happens on the day.
Hair & Make-Up
If you want to schedule a hair and make-up trial before your wedding, now is the time! The engagement session is an excellent opportunity to put your beauty team to the test before the big day!
On the subject of makeup, unless you wear a full face on a regular basis, I believe that for your wedding or photo session, less is more. If you're used to wearing no makeup or just a light tinted moisturizer with mascara, don't go for big false lashes, deep contour, and overdrawn lips; you won't feel like yourself.
The same may be said of your hair. Just because other couples do it, doesn’t mean you have to wear a formal up-do or have "wedding hair”. Do whatever makes the most sense to you and will make you feel confident on your wedding day and in your photos!
O T H E R T I P S
BRING YOUR FUR BABY
Do you want to bring your pet with you? I adore all kinds of animals! Many dogs have accompanied us on sessions. It may help you limit your options, as some areas aren't as dog-friendly as others! It provides you with another element to use (besides each other) and allows you to take some cute family shots! We all know that pets are an important component of a relationship!
LIMIT YOUR LUGGAGE
While we're shooting, try not to carry too much extra stuff. We're normally in a car and can leave non-essential items in it, but in busy places, we may be walking or taking public transportation, making hauling extra bags a bit of a hassle. I carry my gear pack and can tuck some of your smaller goods (wallet, keys, phone, sunglasses, chapstick, etc) inside, as well as throw a small bag over my shoulder if necessary, but repeatedly putting down bags will disrupt the flow of the shoot.
CHAMPAGNE PARTY
Another piece of advice is to bring some 'liquid courage' to the session! Perhaps a bottle of bubbly for that dramatic spray shot (but keep it inexpensive because you'll lose some), or your favorite craft brews, etc. I want your engagement session to be a cause to have a date night, and the best dates include a sunset cocktail! If you bring a little more for me, I never say no!
Testimonial
“My experience with Super Gibo was truly outstanding. He was great to assured me that no matter the weather, the photos would be amazing—and they absolutely were! :) During our engagement shoot, he took charge and expertly guided us on how to pose, stand, and look our best. The results speak for themselves—I'll share a few photos below as proof of the wonderful time we had with Super Gibo. We’re definitely hiring him for future events and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a talented photographer!.“
Joshua+Cathy
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