03/01/2024
Resharing this post of ours because it’s all still so true!
✨THREE WEDDING DO'S FROM RAINEE✨
I've been coordinating weddings for years, and there are three, what I call misconceptions, that I hear over and over. While I have to admit that there are definitely weddings and situations where having these "do's" don't apply, or maybe aren't necessary, in general I think it's helpful for future couples to explain my thoughts on these three topics.
✨ #1 - DO THE FIRST LOOK:
I know what you're thinking... "see eachother before the wedding and ruin the 'moment' and tradition!? Uhh yea, no, not for me."
Hear me out. I get it. We all have engrained the image in our minds of the doors opening and getting that "wow" reaction the first time the bride walks in and sees her soon-to-be husband at the altar.
Realistically speaking though, your wedding day is nuts. It's nerve-wracking, many times you're running late, and "the moment" you wanted of the groom's reaction when the bride walks down the aisle isn't captured on camera because the angle was tough to get due to the photographer being so far away and all of your guests standing up blocking him as the bride walks.
What's so incredible about First Looks is that you have a moment... a stolen, romantic moment in a busy day.... with your soon-to-be spouse... that can be captured on camera. You get to fully see each other's reactions, embrace, and get out some of those pre-ceremony jitters in a private setting before walking down the aisle. It's an emotional and incredibly special moment that you get to share together just the two of you.
As a bonus, many times it also allows your timeline to run smoother for the day because you can take photos prior to the ceremony. Your hair and makeup can be fresh, and you don't have to miss an hour of celebrating with your guests by doing it during cocktail hour.
✨ #2 - DO HAVE A VIDEOGRAPHER:
Many times it's one of the first things to go when looking to save money. Anytime I'm coordinating a wedding and the bride and groom say that they aren't doing video to save on some cash, I try to politely advise them otherwise.
Here's the thing... I know weddings are expensive, and videographers can be a large expense... BUT... That doesn't mean that you should cut out video entirely. EVERY wedding couple that I've steered against cutting out video has been so thankful to have it as a keepsake of their wedding day. The video just captures moments, expressions, atmospheres, and audio that photos simply cannot. This is not to say that photos are any less valuable than video. They are both incredibly important and serve their own unique purpose, but one cannot be substituted for the other.
What I advise couples if they can't afford a professional, is to look around for people with decent cameras that dabble in video work, but may not necessarily have their own business or a ton of wedding experience. This could be a friend, someone you work with, the camera guy at church, or someone young aspiring to do video. These people will take much less money (or even do it for free in some cases). The quality in most cases will not be as high as a professional of course, but you'll get those memories caught on camera to look back on which is a million times better than not having them.
So much has gone into your special day to plan it. As many can tell you, it goes by QUICK and much of it is a blur. Get the video... you're gonna want to remember every special moment from your day. You'll even notice things in the video that you didn't in the moment 😉
✨ #3 - DO HAVE A DAY-OF COORDINATOR:
I used to think having a coordinator was silly. I mean, you've already booked your vendors and coordinated what you want. Why do you need to pay yet another person just to oversee it?
... Y'ALL....
Have you ever been to a wedding without SOMEONE coordinating? It's. A. Mess. and creates so much stress on the bride and groom. Many times you end up forcing your photographer or DJ to step in to help because no one else has any direction.
Day-Of Coordinators are ESSENTIAL. They produce a wedding timeline that has been coordinated through all of your vendors to make for a smooth and cohesive plan; they are with you for the entire day making sure you have everything you need and that everyone is where they need to be, when they need to be there; they coordinate your wedding rehearsal so the ceremony runs smooth; they are emotional support so that you can stay 100% stress-free; they handle family members; they make sure the photographer is in place before having the DJ start your events like first dances or cake cutting; there are so many questions and unforeseen circumstances that pop up on the day of your wedding that you don't want to be worrying about, and this is where that coordinator being there is so important so that you can enjoy your day.
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Again, as with anything, there are always exceptions to the rule. Don't feel pressured into doing these things if they don't fit your wedding vision/capabilities, but at least now you can make an educated decision on what's best for you, or think of ways to get creative while still cutting costs 🙂
❤ Rainee ❤️
