When planning your wedding you’ll be constantly bombarded left, right and centre on what you must do, must have, and must be! But what about the wedding day mistakes? As a couple, it’s important to do what is right for the two of you. As a Nottingham-based wedding photographer, I’ve attended lots of weddings, there are a few wedding mistakes that I see time and time again, and I know my coupes have regrets over them afterwards! I’m here to address them and to help you plan your wedding without making those wedding day mistakes!
1) Not Making a Speech
This is your chance to publicly thank your loved ones for all that they have done for you and to thank those who have helped plan your dream day. Don’t waste the opportunity. For me personally, there’s nothing sadder than when speeches are absent from a wedding. It’s rare in life that you’ll have the people that love you the most all gathered in one place. Plus, it makes for some incredible emotionally charged photos! If you’re a nervous or anxious speaker, check out my speech tips here.
2) Worrying About Getting Your Wedding Dress Dirty
Worrying about getting your wedding dress dirty is a big wedding day mistake because it will stop you from having as much fun as you can. If you are preoccupied with keeping your dress looking immaculate all day, you won’t get into full-on party mode. So don’t be afraid to get out in the rain for photos, eat loads of canapés and join in outdoor games with your guests. For most people it’s a dress you’ll wear for one day and every mark on it tells its own story. Finally, you can get the dirt out afterwards.
3) Spending Too Long on Group Photos
Nothing kills the mood more than group photos. It halts the party while you’re left waiting in one spot for your guests to arrive (and it can be a while if you haven’t planned this aspect of your day well). Spending too long on group photos wastes time that you could be spending interacting with your loved ones, it also means you’ll miss photos of spontaneous moments of emotion, fun and laughter that you can hear going on elsewhere.
Couples book me because they love my documentary approach, so spending as little time as possible on the group photos is something I revel in because it allows me to capture even more of the story-telling photos that my couples will love. Group photos are important because it’s not very often that your whole family gets together, so it’s great to have a photo of you with the people who love you. However, keep them to an absolute minimum. Get my tips on how to get them done in 20 minutes here
4) Being Stingy with Your Confetti
The epic and classic confetti shot is one of my favourites and it’s generally one of the most used and liked by my couples, so make sure you’re not stingy with your confetti! If you don’t give your guests enough to throw, the whole thing falls a bit flat and it’s probably not worth doing. Get my tips on how to make the most of your confetti shot.
5) Not Taking Time Alone with Your Partner
This is probably the biggest wedding day mistake. Your wedding day will fly by and it might feel like a bit of a blur. The day is about the two of you, so make sure you spend some time together and take some time out alone as newlyweds to reflect on how beautiful your day is!
Want more wedding day advice? Check out the rest of my tips and inspiration for your big day over on my blog or get in touch to chat about your wedding photography! You might also like to know what the top three wedding seating planning mistakes are too!