Making the decision to plan my own Big Day wasn’t an easy one. I may be a wedding blogger—but planning is a whole other realm. From vendor selection to style choices to timing, it’s easy as pie to fill your evenings with wedding-y things. I sooo wish I had known about Unveiled University, where the adorable details you’re about to feast your eyes on were created. Love & Light Photographs captured every bit, and they’re also letting us in on some back-pocket tips for creating a stress-free timeline!
From Love & Light Photographs… After the excitement of your engagement settles, you quickly realize that your new accessory doesn’t exactly come with a textbook on the subject! After reading countless magazine check lists, blog to-do lists, and fielding contradicting advice from family and friends, your head is left spinning and you are basically ready to elope.
This is why we have created a school specifically for throwing the biggest party of your life. You’ve got this! Unveiled University has curated the top local vendors to help you navigate everything from guest lists to decor, all while mingling with your classmates and teachers who have been freshman once before!
We know not everyone can grab a seat at our Asbury Park, NJ workshop this November, so here are 5 tips from one of our teachers Jessa of Love & Light Photographs to help your wedding day run as smoothly as possible…
1. Have extra time than you think you need allotted to each part of your day. I would say 15 minutes at least! That way, if variables come up such as a family member is late or your buttons take longer to fasten than anticipated, everyone can breath a sigh of relief that you are still on schedule!
2. In the morning, have your details ready to go so your photographer can get straight to work! Sometimes it takes your team a good 30 minutes to get your wedding dress out of it’s wrappings and on your custom hanger – not to mention the 8 bridesmaid dresses! If you have a vision, help us get there faster so we can spend more time with you!
3. For family portraits, communicate to your family prior to your wedding day the starting time and where they need to be! Also, always tell them 15 minutes earlier than they actually need to be present. This allows for the tardy to actually be on time. Sometimes organizing a shuttle ensures that they arrive right on schedule instead of arriving in multiple vehicles.
4. A first look saves a lot of stress for couples and the family as a whole. You usually cannot have a traditional walk down the aisle first look AND they also enjoy their cocktail hour unless you have allotted time in between ceremony and cocktail hour. Family portraits, wedding party and portraits of the happy couple all have to happen within that hour if you opt out of the first look. Choosing a first look creates two hours of time to get all those formalities out of the way so you can enter cocktail hour with your photos complete and totally stress-free!
5. Hire a wedding coordinator. Why? They will keep your hair & makeup team on schedule. They will make sure your groom has his boutonniere for the first look. They will get your extended family on the shuttle and point them towards your family portrait location. They will tell your venue coordinator that your cinematographer and photographer have to leave at at a certain time so that cake cutting happens on time. She will hand out tips to your vendors throughout the day. No one else can do all of these things, and it will make such a difference on your stress levels! You will be blissfully unaware and dancing the night away without a care in the world.
Happy Planning! xx
Get a glimpse of all the action in this fun film from Between Sleep and Awake!
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Photography: Jessa Schifilliti, Photographer | Cinematography: Between Sleep and Awake | Event Design: Gilded Lily Events | Calligraphy: Mary Kate Moon | Venue: Cowerks | Rentals: Dovetail Vintage Rentals | Workshop: Unveiled University