Wedding Planning Tips for a Smooth Wedding Day
Featuring Jacqueleen & Oscar’s Elegant Park 31 Wedding in Spring Branch, TX
While I understand every couple, story and wedding day is unique, I do have some go-to wedding planning tips for the laid-back lovers and intentional couples. In this post, I’m using example photos from a recent true love story – Jacqueleen & Oscar’s elegant & effortless Park 31 wedding in Spring Branch, TX.
A few of my favorite wedding planning tips
To ensure your wedding feels laid back and stress-free (and all you have to do is soak in all the love)
1. Hire a wedding planner – their job is literally to make sure everything goes off without a hitch!
This is definitely one of my number one wedding planning tips for stress-free day. When you have someone whose whole job is to ensure your day runs smoothly, you genuinely can let go and focus on enjoying every little moment. You don’t have to worry about running the show, because your wedding planner is on it. I think there are some misconceptions that you can get by with the “complimentary” day-of coordinator at your venue. But, they aren’t there to keep the day moving or orchestrate the event. The venue’s site manager is simply there to ensure nothing breaks or to help you find an extra outlet for plugging in one more curling iron.
For the Valdez wedding in Spring Branch, they chose the husband-and-wife team at JC Events. Jennifer helped plan all the elements of their effortlessly elegant day at Park 31. She brought Jacqueleen’s wedding vision to life with stunning florals, table settings and day-of guidance.
Local Wedding Planners I Love Working With:
2. Schedule your hair and makeup so you aren’t first and you’re not last – this little part of getting ready can throw the whole day off!
This is especially true if you have a large wedding party getting hair and makeup done. You’ll want to put yourself somewhere in the middle. I always tell my couples to anticipate for everyone’s hair and makeup to be done 3-4 hours before the ceremony. Don’t worry about your makeup not being “fresh.” A good makeup artist will make sure it lasts all day long!
Jacqueleen’s hair and makeup was done by Natasha at Nissi Beauty and looked stunning! Since she got ready in the middle of her bridesmaids, she had plenty of time for some of the sweetest first looks with her dad, mom and grandparents.
Local Hair & Makeup Artists I Love Working With:
3. Go over your timeline with your photographer before your wedding day – we’re your best advocate for making sure you don’t feel rushed for photos!
My go-to rule of thumb for curating a wedding timeline with my couples is to plan for more time than you actually need. This gives you plenty of space to just breathe with your partner and loved ones. I always meet with my couples 1-2 months in advance (when possible) to confirm their ceremony time and make sure we’ve curated a day that meets all their dreams and desires.
Some of my favorite “pause” moments to incorporate are first looks and sunset or golden hour portraits. There’s so many ways to weave together a timeline intentionally, but these never fail to provide the couple time to sink into every fleeting feeling. (They’re always some of their favorite photos, too!)
Jacqueleen incorporated a hair change before their grand entrance at Park 31, and it was a chill moment for her and Oscar before entering the party. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box to add in quiet moments to your wedding day!
4. Live in the moment – especially if you want natural and candid wedding photos!
I never want my couples’ weddings to feel like a production of endless photos. I wholeheartedly believe the best photos and memories happen when I give you room to be yourselves, to pause and feel the emotions of your day. As a Fredericksburg wedding and elopement photographer, I’m here to make space for the special moments and initiate what you might not know to ask for. I never want you to feel like I’m taking over your day to complete a shot list. That’s the secret to natural photography filled with emotion, because it’s not forced or posed. It’s celebrating your truth moment-by-moment. Frame-by-frame.
Here are some sweet, candid moments from Jacqueleen & Oscar’s wedding at Park 31.
5. Collect all your special details into a box for your photographer – especially if you want flat lay details photos!
Many beautiful little details go into curating your wedding, and if you love those swoon-worthy flat lay photos, putting all those little mementos in a box for you photographer is essential for a smooth day! Your time is sacred on your wedding day, and there’s nothing worse than trying to hunt down all the sweet details last-minute when I could be capturing you swept up in the moment.
If you want to have flat lay photos, get those details all boxed-up and ready to give your photographer as soon as they arrive. That way there’s no scrambling to find everything the morning of!
List of Wedding Details to Include Are:
- Your full wedding invitation suite
- BOTH rings
- Your day-of perfume or cologne
- Jewelry
- Wedding Shoes
- Extra flowers from your florist
- Any heirloom keepsakes, something blues or sentimental items that have a special part in your love or wedding day
6. Consider the moments that matter most to you – and don’t be afraid to prioritize and celebrate those moments above others.
What are the special moments you truly want to cherish on your big day? I know it can be overwhelming with social media and what everyone else is doing, but do what feels natural and true to YOU and your partner. You don’t have to do a “staged” first look with your bridesmaids if you don’t want to. Would you rather opt out of formal portraits and enjoy cocktail hour with your guests? I’m always down for a more candid approach!
I’ve had some clients opt out of flat lay detail photos because they didn’t value those, and so we used the time that they had with me elsewhere. No two weddings are the same, and your photographer should adapt to whatever you want to do.
For Jacqueleen & Oscar’s day, they really wanted to have fun and enjoy lots of time on the dance floor during their reception. So that was a big focus for them – and so I made sure to honor that in their gallery. They also really wanted to end the night with a private last dance, just for them.
From Fredericksburg, TX to Austin, TX and so many places in between, I have allll the wedding planning tips on how to make your wedding day feel relaxed, effortless and totally you.
I’m a wedding & elopement photographer for the laid back lovers and intentional ones – and I can’t wait to hear all about your special day. Let’s get candid here!
♡ With joy, Kari
