7 Things Every Couple Planning a Wedding

Should know…

 

Who am I?

My name is Julian Voigt and I am a Wedding Filmmaker based in the North of England but filming Weddings all over the UK & Abroad. I have been filming Weddings now for many years and in the process have seen and learned a few things about weddings.

In fact, when I meet with my couples and we are chatting about wedding videography, inevitably I end up giving wedding planning advice on whole host of subjects.  For the majority of couples, this is their first time planning a wedding and while most do a great job, whether they themselves are taking care of all the details or they are employing the services of a wedding planner, the advice I give couples, often they take and they then end up thanking me after the wedding as things generally worked out much better.

Hence I thought, I need to write a blog about this!

 

7 Tips or Insights that could help your day run smoother and with less stress

Tip No. 1 – Bridal Preparations.  Often a bride will plan on the morning to schedule enough time that allows her and her bridesmaids, mothers, flower girls etc, to all get their hair & makeup done in time for the ceremony. If you plan on say,  having more than 3 bridesmaids, plus others getting ready in the Bridal suite, you may need to schedule a lot more time than you actual think. I have seen many a bride getting stressed as time starts to run out and the ceremony looms closer and this unnecessary stress can get the wedding day off on the wrong start, you really don’t want the stress of rushing, especially on your wedding day, so schedule extra time, more than you think you need, because it will soon go and you want to enjoy this special part of your day.

Tip No.2- Bridal Preparations. If your wedding is taking place in the summer, or in a hot country, make sure to have plenty of fans, air conditioning, and good ventilation in the Bridal suite. The amount of times I have seen Bridesmaids, even Brides with make up and hair all done almost an hour to go before the ceremony and then starting to melt in the heat. Nothing can ruin the effect of all that hard work on hair and make up quite like the heat can, so make sure you plan to stay cool!

Tip No.3- Bridal Preparations. Again,  this advice will be especially helpful if you have a lot of Bridesmaids and ladies getting ready during Bridal Preparations and it this`; save the Bride to last. I know this might seem obvious to many, but believe me, I have seen many a time where that hasn’t happened and the Bride’s hair and make up are done way too early and by the time the ceremony has arrived she needs re-touching or doesn’t feel as fresh as when her Hair and Makeup were first done.

Tip No. 3-Bridal Preparations  Make sure your Photographer & Videographer don’t get in the way. As a videographer myself, I personally make sure during Bridal Preparations to capture everything but, out of the way! There is a lot going on in the morning during bride preps and a lot of coming and going, bridesmaids, make up and hair people, mums, brothers, sisters, grandparents, flower people, venue staff etc etc,  and the last thing you want is crowded spaces. I prefer to be like a fly on the wall capturing things without people really being aware of my presence.

Tip No. 5- Ceremony Advice. If you are planning on having more than 3 Bridesmaids and also have others to get ready in time, avoid an early ceremony time like 12pm or 1pm, rather opt for 2pm. This small change can make a huge difference if there is a big bridal party to get ready. I know it’s not always possible to choose the exact time of the ceremony, but let your feelings be known as soon as possible to those responsible for organising or conducting the ceremony.

Tip No. 6-Ceremony Advice. Bridal Procession. One thing I tell all my Brides, and their Bridesmaids, flower girls/boys etc is,- DON’T gallop down the aisle!  The processionals are a big part of the day and for the Videographer and Photographer, one they are keen to capture for you and let’s face it, you have put all the effort time and expense into the Bridesmaids dresses, hair, makeup etc, etc,  so, let the moment happen at the right pace. You won’t believe the amount of times I have seen Bridesmaids, even Brides (usually dad’s fault) race down the aisle. Often the reason this happens is because the Bridesmaids are nervous and hence they tend to march rather than proceed gracefully. Practice if need be, time it. Do whatever it takes,  but make sure this moment is a nice elegant beginning to the ceremony, it’s the bit everyone is looking forward to, so don’t rush through it, oh and your videographer and photographer will thank you for it too!

Tip No. 7-Speeches Advice. I mention this to every single couple without fail; decide when the speeches will best fit around your day. For example; if you have a lot of group shots and portraits planned after drinks & canapés,  then you may be better having the speeches planned for before the meal. The reason for this advice is that if the venue have to plan for the hot meal to be ready as soon as the guests are seated and the Bride & Groom welcomed into the room, then they may start to put pressure on you to cut short your group photography and videography session to get everyone seated for the meal, so that the food doesn’t spoil.

I have seen this happen so many times!  Your time getting photo’s and videos is really important and especially if your wedding is early spring, autumn or a winter wedding, as the light available outside will be limited.

Also, if you have very nervous speakers, then speeches before the meal can benefit them.  If the speeches are after the meal they won’t enjoy their food and may even spend time during the meal making last minute note changes to their speech, I have seen this so many times!

When I started this article I just picked the number 7 off the top of my head,  but as I was writing this,  I quickly realised that I could have shared, not just 7 tips but 77 tips on how to make your wedding day better and less stressful, but perhaps I’ll leave the other 70 to more Blogs, or if you

have booked me, or are thinking of booking me for your videographer then I will now doubt share all those tips with you when we chat!

 

Another must read  Blog article I wrote is entitled-  ‘moments’- this is a must read if you are thinking of hiring a videographer for your wedding, you can read that article here- https://julianvoigtweddingfilms.co.uk/advice/moments/