Brides have so much to stress about in the days leading up their wedding! I have been there, so I feel your stress! And it’s very common for brides to forget a few things. Let’s face it, it’s nearly impossible to remember EVERY LITTLE DETAIL! But in hopes of reducing some of your stress, I have put together FIVE important things to try and remember!

1. Bouquets need to be delivered to YOU, not the Ceremony Location.

This is SO easy to forget and it’s totally fine if it happens! However, if you can remember to have your bouquets delivered to where you are getting ready, you’ll be able to have detail shots with your florals! I LOVE shooting the rings on flowers but I have to have the bouquets close by in order to make that happen! Even if you’re not sharing a first look, we still need your bouquets for bridesmaids portraits! And the same goes for the bouts!

2. Don’t give the wedding bands to the best man! You’ll need them for detail pictures.

I know, I know, the planning books all say to give the best man the rings to hold onto before the ceremony but that actually isn’t ideal for your pictures! I can always shoot the ring shot during the reception but you’ll have much more variety and natural light if I shoot them with your bridal details in the morning! And for a bonus tip on this, get a pretty ring box! This gives me even more of a variety to work with to get those gorgeous details!

3. Try sitting down in your dress before the wedding so that you’re aware of how hard that may be if your dress is on the tight side!

This may sound dumb but it’s true! Some brides have not been able to sit down at dinner because it was too hard to BREATH in their dress when they sat down! So it’s a good idea to try your dress on beforehand and sit down to make sure it’s possible! This is especially important if you’re having a sit down dinner!

4. If you want natural portraits, your heels are going to sink in the grass! Get heel protectors!

Everyone LOVES those natural portraits in the field or under those gorgeous trees… but many brides forget that their precious heels are going to SINK on their walk out to the their portrait location. So, I recommend having a spare pair of flats or get some HEEL PROTECTORS to save the day!

5. Don’t forget your invitation suite!

Even if you didn’t invest a lot into your invitation suite, I still want to capture it as part of your details! The reason why is it enables me to get a wider variety of styled details. I use them as a “backdrop” to photograph the rings, the jewelry, the flowers…and it just adds dimension to the images. If you feel like you might forget to bring it on your big day, send me a copy in the mail and I will bring it!

BONUS TIP: You can’t see little imperfections in photos!

Brides, if you don’t remember any of these tips…. remember this one! Tiny imperfections do not show up in your portraits. If you have a little dirt on your dress, it’s ok, I promise! I totally understand wanting to be perfect going down the aisle! However, if something does happen and you have a little imperfection, don’t stress about it! It’s ALL good! You’re going to look amazing no matter what!!!!

And here’s another little extra tip! ENJOY your special day! Stop every now and then to take in a deep breath and enjoy what’s happening around you! You’ll remember so much more of it if you do!