You can find so much wedding advice everywhere- from your suppliers, from your family members, from your soon-to-be mother in laws, but the best source of advice actually will come from some of my past brides that had some epic weddings!
I asked a few of my past brides what their best tips for my future brides would be, and here are their answers: (Note, a few more entries are incoming so do come back here for updates!)
"I think just to not sweat the small stuff if you don’t get absolutely everything done (like decorations etc) in the lead up to the wedding, then don’t worry as you’ll never even notice on the day anyway!" Sammy, August 2022
"I think the most important thing for me was to keep calm. If the planning is getting to stressful take a step back and have some you time, you want the planning to be fun, exciting and enjoyable :) me and Ian made sure we had date nights! Make sure everything that needed to be done is done at-least a few days before the wedding (don’t leave it last min) and don’t stress if everything isn’t exactly how you wanted it, the day will be perfect no matter what!
I would defiantly say if children are attending make sure there is something there to keep them distracted! Garden Games were a big hit with all ages :) Really think about the guest list, our wedding was smallish and we wish we had spent more time talking with everyone individually. We totally recommend a little break away the day after the wedding! It’s a big build up to the day, a wild/busy wedding day it’s time to spend some quality time together. I don’t think there is anything we would change, it’s cheesy to say but we had an amazing day, we got married with the people there we cared the most about and that’s what was all we needed :)" Sophie, August 2022
"Not sure I would do anything differently, a very good tip I think is to remember it’s your own wedding and no body else’s. Just do/have what you want. Also it’s normal for you to fall out with at least one family member 😂 ♥️ " Laura, June 2022
"My favourite aspect of the day was just how relaxed it was. That wasn’t by accident and I’d spent a lot of time planning things in such a way to allow us to go with the flow on the day. We didn’t have a sit down formal meal, our guests could get food as and when they wanted to after our Best Man and Maid of Honour had made their speeches.
Our fabulous photographer and videographer were a perfect fit for this vibe. We didn’t really go along with our timings, but they ensured we got everything we wanted from the whole day. I’m very anxious and can be a socially awkward person, so being the centre of attention is not for me. However, I genuinely did not experience anxiety once throughout the day. I truly felt it didn’t need to be perfect or ‘to plan’ and that meant I could enjoy the day, like I’d never experienced before.
The one thing I would change about our day, or an aspect I wish I’d have been more conscious of on the day was to take a moment to take it all in. I don’t remember dancing with my new husband much, apart from the first dance. I don’t remember any of the specially chosen scents of the day. I also never ate any of the food from our lovely caterer and didn’t eat any of the cake. These are small things and don’t make an overall difference to our day, but there was so much going off, I simply didn’t take any time to notice any of these things" Grace, July 2022
"Book a second hotel room !!!! So you don’t get too warm while people are having their hair done and getting ready xx" Alice, May 2022
"So there’s nothing I would have done differently to be honest, for me the day was perfect. I think my advice for future brides would be… Relax, Enjoy & take in every moment, and to do this you need to trust the people that you’ve chosen to support your day and make the magic happen… photographers, florists, cake makers, hair stylists, venue stylists whatever their role, from what I’ve experienced the people in these jobs are specialists they love what they do and they want to to share your vision and elevate it to the next level, so give them the space to work their magic, don’t micromanage, step back and enjoy yourself… The camera captures everything so make sure you’re in the moment!" Abigail, September 2022
"Lol we had Polaroid cameras and forgot to bring batteries I also wish I’d listened to my florist when she said eucalyptus was more like a tree than easily arranged leaves! But that’s rather specific. I spent the morning of my wedding hopelessly bending 200 pounds worth of eucalyptus into some sort of circle" Lucy, August 2022
"Relax and trust your wedding planner. Don’t be a diva, just take their lead, they’re the professionals. I’m biased, but, have a photographer who is quick, sharp, friendly and organised. Someone who acts as a guest and that people like …. You basically haha. As a mum with a small toddler at my wedding, just let them be free and roam and play. Don’t get hung up on naps etc, just take your pram or a travel cot and go with the flow x" Debbie, June 2022
So there you have it! Lots of useful advice that you can use for your own wedding day. The main thing that has been mentioned lots is do not stress about the small details and do not forget to enjoy parts of the wedding journey, and especially the day itself! I cannot wait to spend more time at more weddings with my amazing brides to be, and always remember I am also here for planning advice and suggestions along the way.
Gabriela
Hey, if you've got this far- HELLO! I am a wedding photographer and videographer based in Yorkshire, UK. For my full pricing and packages, drop me a message here
https://www.gabrielasphotographyandfilm.com/contact