— make time for who matters —

Your wedding day is just that: a single jam-packed day, full of events and people (lovingly) vying for your attention. In the whirlwind, it is easy for your whole day to go by without spending quality time with those you love most. Over the years, we’ve seen a variety of ways couples have set aside little intentional moments of time to make lasting memories with their loved ones. With a little bit of planning and forethought, you can create a schedule that will give you the room to breathe a little easier and make sure you set aside time for your people. When you intentionally spend time with them, it gives us the opportunity to capture more of the candid, heartfelt, real moments you’ll want to remember. We want to share some of these experiences to help you find your own ways of prioritizing personal interaction with your friends and family. 

1) Getting ready

When people hear “getting ready photos,” they usually think of the bride getting makeup done and into her dress, or the groom putting his suit on. While these photos typically do happen, our approach focuses less on the physical act of getting ready and more on documenting who you are spending time with before you get married. Think about how rare it is to have so many of your favorite people in one small place at the same time! How often is this unique blend of family and friends together? There’s magic and moments to witness there and oftentimes lead to some of the most memorable photos of the day.

2) THE REVEAL

A first look is an intimate, emotional, and joyful time for couples to spend with just each other. But what if you could also share a similar experience with other people you value deeply? Before your first look or wedding ceremony gets underway, consider inviting your father, mother, brother, sister, bridesmaids, or best friend to see you in your dress and spend a few intimate moments together. As parents ourselves, we would be so honored to have a moment set aside for us to spend with our daughter on her wedding day.

3) Toast with friends

With all the hustle and bustle, there are ways to make sure you can spend time with your closest friends on your wedding day, it just takes a little planning. A private toast before or after the ceremony is a perfect way to ensure time with your closest friends, show them they are valued, and celebrate your relationship with them.

3) last moments before walking down the aisle

If a parent is walking you down the aisle, ensure there is enough time to spend with them pre-ceremony. More often than not, a dad will be rushed into the waiting area just moments before walking his daughter down the aisle. Give a little breathing room here so that you can share a small conversation or say a quick prayer before it’s go time.

4) love bomb

After you’ve said the big “I do” and your ceremony concludes, you run down the aisle to a flurry of cheers, tears, and applause. Undoubtedly, this will be one of the most exciting and emotional times you’ll experience your wedding day. Unfortunately, that’s usually followed by you being rushed off somewhere to “hide away” from your guests while coordinators move into full-blown people moving mode. It is a beautiful time to have a few moments alone with your new spouse—share some tears, jump for joy, and sloppy kiss without fear of ruining your lipstick. After these few important minutes of reconnecting, we’d encourage you to make sure the bridal party and family are directed to the same “hide-away” area where you are and then you can invite them over when you’re ready. The explosion of love, hugs, tears, and smiles during this time with your most important people are always one of our absolute favorite things to document on a wedding day.

5) family portraits

Standing around while your family is herded into a variety of different combinations around you while you force a smile isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time, especially when cocktails and appetizers are on everyone’s minds. While family portraits typically aren’t the most creative time of the day, they are also some of the most historically important. Think about scheduling these portraits with enough time to enjoy this rare collection of your kin. What if you had the time to share a thank you and a toast to all of your family for their role in raising you? Share a special memento or gift with some dear family members, a congratulatory cigar with your uncles, extra hugs and kisses for Grandma. Allow time for moments before, in between, and after the posed photos and you will create  truly meaningful memories and photographs for you and your family.

6) THINGS YOU’D DO IF IT WASN’T YOUR WEDDING DAY

Your wedding is undoubtedly a special, life changing, remember-until-the-day-you-die kind of day, but it can also be thoroughly overwhelming. Remember that even though it is one of the most important days in your life, it is still just a day. And from that day forward, your days together will be filled with everyday things, so why not incorporate those things into your wedding day to help you feel like yourself and stay grounded in your this-is-us-ness. Ask yourselves if there is anything specific you would do if it were just a regular day. Now hopefully that won’t include laundry and a quick errand to Target, but what about a coffee together? A private walk? A quick drive by yourselves? Listening to part of your favorite record? Reading a favorite poem or passage in a book? Think of how you can set aside time on your day to do it so that you can preserve a sense of normalcy on a crazy and hectic day.

7) quiet time with your spouse

Ironically, there is very little time on the wedding day when just the two of you are together. Schedule in time before or after the ceremony for just the two of you that isn’t “portrait time”. Most people are not used to being around 100+ people all vying for their attention, so setting aside a bit of quiet time can be essential to feeling centered and ready to take on the rest of the day.

8) join your cocktail hour

Sometimes spending time with some of your favorite family and friends is as easy as intentionally seeking those people out and sharing a drink. If you are planning on seeing each other before the ceremony, there is a really good chance that you will be finished with your photos with plenty of time for you to enjoy some of your cocktail hour. If you are planning on scheduling your portraits after the ceremony and want to enjoy drinks with your guests, consider having a longer cocktail hour so you can still enjoy that time with your friends and family.

9) have a photo booth

Sometimes the easiest way to make time for everyone is for them to come to you. Guests love photo booths and they especially love when you join them in it. Photo booths are a great way to get more photos of your guests AND share a memory with them.

10) the dance floor

Personal interaction means different things to different people. For some, that is a quiet dinner and conversation with a small group of people. For others, it's a raging dance party sweating, screaming, and surrounded by their favorite people. If this sounds more like you, request your band or DJ to play a special song for you to dance to with your family, siblings, college friends, etc. Or consider a last song of the night that you know will bring everyone together on the dance floor before sending you off.