Happy Wednesday! Here’s today’s wedding planning tips for you!

Think about your wedding dress hanger

Nothing distracts from a photograph of your gorgeous wedding gown more than a cheap plastic hanger. I highly recommend that you invest in a good quality, pretty hanger. Check out places like BHLDN or Etsy for bridal hangers or even look at Ebay or antique shops to find some vintage options if that’s more your style!

If you really don’t want to do that, make sure that the hotel you’re getting ready at has nice wooden hangers in the closet. Those come through very well in a pinch.

Schedule speeches so they happen right after you enter and sit down

Sometimes people will space these out throughout the meal. This is less than ideal for several reasons. One, that means you’re making your, likely nervous, speech givers wait and sweat it out longer and that’s no fun for anyone! It also increases the chances that your speech givers will have had a smidge too much to drink (and perhaps be more inappropriate!) by the time their speech happens. Secondly, you have your guests’ attention much better right when you enter. Once food hits their table, speeches are the last thing on people’s minds. There is the constant clinking of forks and knives when speeches are happening during dinner, which is quite distracting and kind of ruins the mood.

Another reason I prefer to get all speeches done before people start eating is for photo purposes. Part of what I’m photographing during speeches is the reactions of your guests. I can’t get those shots for you if everyone is chewing a mouthful of food. And finally, there’s the logistical aspect. I have to take my break and eat too. Because I don’t photograph people eating food, the most logical time for me to shove food in my face is when you’re eating. That way I’m done with my break by the time you’re done with dinner and ready to start the party!

Have some fun with your reception lighting

Things like twinkly bistro lights or vibrant colored uplighting add a really fun element to your dance floor photos. Don’t be afraid to add one of those in!

see more wedding planning resources here