Preparing for your wedding day is so important, and at Grey Loft Studio, we can’t stress this enough! We’re sharing our top ten tips and tricks on how to best prepare for your wedding day, and make it run as smoothly as possible.
1. Apply for a Marriage Licence
One of the most obvious details in preparing for your wedding day is obtaining your marriage license. In most regions, you can get this at the local municipal office, or apply online. The formal document will be mailed to you, for you and your witnesses to sign on the official day of your marriage. This is one of the first things you should sort out when preparing for your wedding day.
2. Practice Makes Perfect
It is very noticeable when the time has been taken to rehearse the ceremony in preparation for the wedding day. Knowing where and how to stand as well as the music queues to listen for, contribute to a seamless ceremony that looks balanced and symmetrical in your videos and photographs. Your wedding party and officiant play the biggest roles in preparing for this part of your wedding day with you.
3. Vendors are Your Allies– Help Them Prepare for Your Wedding Day too!
Communication is key when working with your vendors. Often times, there will be readings during the ceremony and/or speeches during the reception. Let your photography team, DJ, coordinator and venue know your timeline so they can setup and adjust equipment accordingly. These details are especially important for the videographer, as microphones need to be coordinated and tested in advance to ensure optimal audio quality.
4. The Details- It’s all in The Box!
An important tip that we tell all of our couples is to have details ready in advance. The details are what make your big day unique, and we want to document that for you! Shoes, rings, invitations, and earrings, are things that should be set out and ready for when your photographer arrives the morning of your wedding. Set aside a box and start putting these details in it as they’re planned out. This is an easy way to keep everything organized in preparation for your wedding day.
5. Preparing for Wedding Day Photos with Your Family
Family photos tend to be the most stressful part of the wedding day for both photographers and couples. Making a list of the people that you want in your photos is the first step to alleviating this stress. From there, it’s best to narrow down to roughly ten group combinations, and then outline the order in which the pictures should be taken; starting with the largest group.
6. Having a Well-Suited Master of Ceremonies
The Master of Ceremonies (MC) is a valuable team member for both you and us! They are the go-to person who knows the day’s timeline, and the key people involved. They’re also going to have a significant impact on how your reception flows and feels. Are they upbeat and funny? Loud and dramatic? Quiet and soft spoken? Choose a well-suited person who will help you create your unique wedding atmosphere.
7. Don’t Start Without Informing Your Vendor team!
Your vendors will leverage the MC to make sure that all music plays on time and photo/video setups are ready. The last thing we want is to miss the beginning of an important moment because we were not ready.
The MC is the perfect person to help make sure the details of your timeline are flawlessly executed for you! We are always so appreciative of a good, attentive MC- You will be too!
8. Hiring a Coordinator to Help You Prepare for Your Wedding
Investing in hiring a wedding coordinator can make all the difference when preparing for your wedding day. They do the work so you can enjoy and focus on celebrating YOU! Wedding planners have so much experience- they do this every weekend and have great advice to share on how to best prepare for your day. It’s an added upfront expense, but the value added to your special day is priceless!
9. Prepare Your Speeches & Vows
Being prepared for your wedding day includes having your speeches and vows ready. Spending the time with pencil to paper will help you ensure that you say everything you want to, and look good doing it! Start early and come back to it- it doesn’t have to be written in one sitting!
Writing your speech together will help you feel prepared for your wedding day. This will create a smooth flow and delivery while you’re fighting back those jitters. This is the best time to thank everyone involved in your special day: Family, wedding party, friends, vendors, venue… and most importantly, each other.
10. Always Remember to Have Fun!
With so many details to remember, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. It is SO important to remember why you are having a wedding in the first place. Plan to take a couple minutes for just the two of you to reflect and be together. Have fun and enjoy your day!
