A wedding photographer will attend more weddings in a year than a ‘normal human’ might in a lifetime! I know that’s at least true of our team! All of this experience has given us the chance to observe the same handful of wedding mistakes brides and grooms make when planning their day. Thought they may seem small, we’ve seen them add un-needed stress when overlooked.  

Here are some common wedding mistakes you’ll want to avoid:

Mistake #1: Overlooking the time of sunset

It is important to know what time the sun will set on your wedding day. The light at this time of day is great for romantic photographs. Keep in mind that the time of sunset is different depending on the time of year. This may change the order of how you choose to plan your day if your venue is flexible with you. But don’t worry if you don’t have flexibility and the sun will already be gone before your ceremony! We are skilled with lighting and coming up with creative locations to shoot. Whether there will be natural light or not, we’ll work with you to create a timeline about a month prior to the wedding. 

Mistake #2: Underestimating the time it takes to get ready and/or travel to each venue

We can’t stress this enough: hire professional hair and make-up stylists for the day of the wedding. Not only will they create the perfect look for you, they also know the anatomy of a wedding day and will perform their services in a timely manner. This will give you plenty of time to take a breath before you step into your dress. And if there’s one day you want to be pampered, it’s your wedding day!

Believe us when we say: Your wedding day can feel like a completely different time zone. Be sure to consider the travel accommodations for your wedding party ahead of time. The last thing you want is to spend time worrying about who is riding with who or guests being delayed because of a local event. You want smooth travels for everyone!

Mistake #3: Assuming it’s easy to get dressed for a wedding

Fellas, this includes you too! Getting ready for a wedding is not just putting one leg in after the other. You want to be certain your attire fits well and you’re able to move around comfortably. A part of this is knowing how to put everything in your suit or outfit on! It may sound silly that but it’s true! You don’t want to put your dress on only to take it back off again because you missed a step. And you wouldn’t believe how many times I have photographed guys ‘YouTube-ing’ how to tie a bow tie! Little things like this could hold up your plans and create unneeded pressure if you can’t get a small detail figured out after struggling for 30 minutes!

Mistake #4: Letting Your Wedding Day Be the First Time in Front of a Camera Together

We encourage you to take engagement photographs with the same photographer who will be photographing your wedding. Here are two reasons why:

1. It’s a great opportunity to connect personally with your photographer and will give you an idea of what to expect on your wedding day. The more comfortable you are, the better your pictures will turn out!
2. Very few of our clients have been models ;). So getting some time to get used to being in front of the camera with your partner is not only fun, but also really helpful. And we’re there to coach you and cheer you on as well…that’s one of the fun parts of the job!

We hope you find this helpful as you consider your plans for your wedding day. The team a Meagan Lucy Photographers loves helping brides and grooms have amazing wedding celebrations! We love taking the stress out of the day and sharing our experience. Take a look at our Galleries page to see examples of our team’s work.

If you have any questions about Meagan Lucy Photographers, please feel free to contact us at any time!