A bride recently emailed me the following:

Dear Steven,

I’m so stressed! Planning a wedding is the most stressful thing ever! I am sure time won’t give me the chance to take all the pictures I want for my wedding album! Steven, please can you help me with anything?! I really need a solution to this! We have so many details in our wedding and we would love for you to document it all!”

And to that I responded:

Dear XYZ,

Trust me. I’ve heard this many times! But the good news is: you don’t have to be stressed at all! Please, for the next 5 minutes, I want you to calm down and listen to these valuable tips on how to enjoy your wedding and not miss any photos. Planning the biggest day of your life must be celebrated every.single.minute.

Share the detail!
For the past years as a wedding photographer, I’ve noticed that many of my brides are having an amazing time on their wedding day because they’ve planned everything beforehand. Share with your photographer details of your wedding day, for example: invitation, matching bridesmaids pajamas, wedding menu etc. You will be surprised how creative your photographer can be taking those photos!

Family Photos is a must!
Yes, I get it. Family photos are not the most fun things to do while your friends are having cocktails at the bar. The good news is, by organizing a detailed family photos checklist you will spend less than 20 minutes doing this. In fact, go get your bossy cousin! Oh, yeah, I am talking about that bossy sister, cousin, or best friend and assign one from each side of the family to help corral members for photos! Believe me, this will make the process fast. (…you will also make it to the bar even faster 😉 )

Create a schedule.
By creating a schedule you can ensure everyone is on the same page. Sometimes it is difficult (and can be annoying) to keep calling the bride and ask her if she’s ready. However, by creating a schedule (and sticking to it) everyone knows where and what is happening.

I am sure if you take these (maybe not so) little details into consideration, you will enjoy more of your wedding and not miss a single photo!