You’re engaged! Yay! You’ve got the ring, you’ve set the date - now you and your fiancé settle down to plan the big day. There are LOTS of things to consider, and it can be pretty overwhelming. What are things you’ll regret if you don’t do? Things that aren’t maybe as necessary as some people say they are? I’ve been to my fair share of weddings, as both photographer and guest, so here are my top 10 tips for making your wedding * amazing *

HAIR - book at least one trial appointment (you might need two!) with your hair stylist. You want your hairstyle on your wedding to be three things: comfortable, good with your dress, and you want it to look good as it falls out. This last tip is maybe the most important - you are going to be moving, hugging, running, walking, dancing, drinking with this hairstyle. It’s going to loosen, fall out, relax and you want to feel good about it the whole day! Talk to your hair stylist about this, and then test it out - wear it grocery shopping, mow the lawn, have a dance party with your BFF in the living room, go out for drinks, do whatever it takes and make sure that it looks amaaaaaazing from beginning to end.

2. FAMILY PHOTOS - make a family photo shot list for your photographer, and run it by your family beforehand. Make sure everyone knows the set list, the time, and the location. The key part of this tip is to have someone else (NOT a family member) who will assist the photographer in getting everyone there at the right time and help keep the photos moving down the list. Think maybe one of your bridesmaids or a trusted friend! This person will wrangle up everyone, yell out what’s coming up next, and can help keep things moving smoothly! Family photos can be a bit stressful, especially with time constraints so this can keep everyone a bit happier.

3. A FUN ENTRANCE OR EXIT - lots of brides want a fun exit (like with sparklers!) but don’t always have their photographer around til midnight to get those cool shots. Consider having a super fun entrance instead to be sure to get those fun photos! PLUS, you don’t have to use sparklers! You can use confetti, silly string, flower petals, leaves, rice, lanterns, streamers, balloons, bubbles, paper airplanes - there are so many great ideas. It’s a great way to start the party at your reception and get some memorable shots!

4. SCHEDULE TIME - time is precious on your wedding day, and it’s hard to know how much time to allot certain items. Aside from working closely with your wedding photographer to build your timeline, think about what is important to you and your partner. What do you want to spend time on during your wedding day? Do you want lots of time with your family? Consider putting aside an hour for a lunch BBQ before/after your wedding ceremony! Do you want time with just you and your new spouse? Allot 45 minutes to grab a coffee, a sandwich, go for a walk at your park for portraits, stop for a wine tasting at a local winery - whatever is fun for you two! My other tip regarding time and schedules is to make sure you give buffer time for traveling!! Our highway can be a mess on the best of days, so if google maps says it will only take you twenty minutes to get from A to B, schedule in thirty minutes of travel time. You’d rather be ahead of schedule than stressing in your limo/motorhome/party van on your wedding day!

5. SNACKS - Don’t forget snacks on your wedding day!! Lots of brides are way to nervous or excited to eat in the morning, so by the time the ceremony or pictures are over, it’s two in the afternoon and they are starving. Not to mention, you have a bridal party who may have started drinking earlier in the day and is also in need of some substance. Stock your party vehicle with cookies, granola bars, nuts, a sandwich platter, fruit, donuts, bottles of water - whatever you like!

6. PHOTO LOCATIONS - what have you imagined your wedding images looking like? Are you wind-swept, looking out over the ocean? Are you romantic and whimsical in a sprawling field? Are you surrounded by tall trees and patches of light? There are so many amazing spots all over the Fraser Valley that can provide you with your dream wedding images! Work with your photographer to pick a location (or two!!) that you love. Spend a saturday or two looking at parks with your fiancé, look on google for images of weddings at parks you like, don’t be afraid to think outside the box! These wedding images are what you have to hold onto when the day is long over - so make them what you want them to be!

7. SHOES - Brides love wearing heels. Heels look AMAZING in pics, you feel beautiful in them, they add to a classy or elegant vibe - but if you are wearing them for hours, your feet are going to be so, so, so sore. Between events, pack along comfortable shoes! Think sandals, flip-flops, crocs, birkenstocks, your favourite booties - whatever is comfortable for you. You can wear them while walking around the park for pictures and then change them out for your heels when it’s time to be photographed. You can wear them during the standing reception after your ceremony! You’ll wear them while you walk around your reception hall greeting your guests and eating your dinner. You’ll want something comfortable to wear on the dance floor - there are so many different times where you’ll want comfy shoes!

8. DINNER - I have heard from SO MANY BRIDES (and honestly, including myself !!) that they don’t really get to enjoy their reception dinner. Sometimes they are too nervous or anxious to eat, sometimes they just aren’t hungry because of all the adrenaline or drinks in their system, sometimes they just keep getting pulled away to talk to people during dinner; whatever it is, lost of brides just simply don’t get to sit down and really enjoy the incredible food they’ve paid for! So here’s my advice: get your maid-of-honour or the best man or your BFF who is carrying the keys to your getaway car to go through the buffet line and pack a big tupperware container for you and your spouse to enjoy later! She’ll pack it up nice and full and put it in your vehicle (maybe have a little cooler in there for this) and you and your husband can eat it later on your honeymoon! Maybe you’ll want to eat it at 3 AM when you arrive at your hotel, maybe you’ll eat it for lunch the next day - it doesn’t really matter when you eat it, but you’ll have time later to enjoy the delicious food. Even if you DO get to enjoy the dinner at your reception (go you!) it’s fun to have a little extra to eat later on.

9. THE EMERGENCY KIT - you’ve probably heard of this one before, but I’ve seen it be used time and time again! Have a small bag full of emergency supplies. Think of things like chapstick, bobby pins, tide to go, deodorant, band-aids, lipstick for touch ups, mints (get rid of that iced coffee/alochol/granola bar breath before your reception begins), Advil or Tylenol, sunscreen, clear or double-sided tape, annnd the ever-important safety pin. This is stuff for your maid-of-honour to have on hand all day! You might not need any of it buuuuut if someone were to bump into you and spill a tiny bit of red wine on your dress, you’ll be thankful you bought and had some tide to go stain removal in your bag.

10. STAY HYDRATED - drink as much water as you do coffee or alochol. There is a plethora of fun drinks around on a wedding day, but both alochol and coffee are dehydrators! You can find yourself really light-headed (not the tipsy kind either) if you don’t drink a little bit of water during the wedding day. Have some gatoroade (electrolytes!!) or water bottles stocked everywhere throughout your day. Have some in the morning while you get ready, have some stocked in your limo, have some beside your seat at the reception. Have two wine coolers, than down some water. Have an iced coffee, then make sure your next drink is water. When you stay hydrated, you’ll feel better, happier, more energetic, and more present on your wedding day! You don’t want to get cramps, light-headed, dizzy, or sick on your wedding day and water is honestly the best way to make sure that happens (ESPECIALLY if you are getting married in the summer).

I hope this little list of some of my favourite tips helps you as you plan your wedding day! This is going to be such a fun and memorable day as you marry your best friend - the sky is the limit for things you get to do together and celebrate your love for each other.