10 Wedding Day Tips, Tricks & Pointers

Over the years, I’ve had the honor of walking alongside so many couples on one of the most meaningful days of their lives. Through those experiences, I’ve gathered 10 tips that I share with each of my wedding clients. These tips are drawn from my experience, observations, and expertise. They’re meant to offer helpful insight as you decide what to include in your wedding day—and what you may choose to leave out. These are not requirements, but thoughtful recommendations to help you make the most of your experience.

As Henri Cartier-Bresson, a master of photography, once said, “Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished, there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.”

I couldn’t agree more. Your wedding photos are what remain long after your day has passed. Let’s make sure they are as meaningful, timeless, and beautiful as possible.

My hope is that these insights not only help your day run smoothly, but also allow space for genuine connection, real emotion, and the kind of moments that turn into photographs you’ll treasure forever.

1. Hair and Makeup Make a Big IMPACT on Your Wedding Photography-

If there’s one thing—besides your photography —that I strongly encourage you not to skimp on, it’s your hair and makeup. Even if you don’t typically wear much makeup, your wedding day is the time to invest in it. Just like in film or theater, lighting plays a significant role in how features appear on camera. Professional makeup is designed to enhance your natural features so they photograph beautifully in a variety of lighting conditions.

Hiring a professional also helps you avoid common pitfalls. For example, products with heavy glitter or certain ingredients—like SPF, zinc, titanium dioxide, silica, or mica—can reflect light in a way that creates harsh highlights or a washed-out effect in photos. What may look dewy in person can easily appear overly shiny or blown out on camera, which isn’t the look most brides are going for.

One final tip: choose a hair and makeup artist who includes a trial session. This gives you the opportunity to see their work firsthand, communicate your preferences, and make any adjustments ahead of time. A trial run not only ensures you’ll love your final look, but it also removes unnecessary stress on your wedding day—leaving you free to relax and fully enjoy every moment.

2. Your Wedding Day is About You-

Your wedding doesn't have to be a cookie cutter wedding. I encourage you to make it uniquely yours by incorporating elements that you love and that speak of who your are as a couple. The goal here is to make your wedding tell the story of your love. So, include some fun, personalized details that are uniquely you.

You might want to buck the traditional girls on one side guys on the other and instead go for a mixture of guys and girls on the brides side and grooms side. Or even nix having people stand up with you at all. You could choose to have your portraits taken at the diner where you met or have a flower man or... have a goat signing (long story, but definitely unique)! Get creative and shout out to your friends and guests, "This is who we are."

3. Consider a Long Veil-

Why? You may ask. Well, because they are GORGEOUS! Plus, it gives you lots of options. You can kiss under it, hold it, dance with it OR let the wind take it. A long veil will give you variety and create different portrait options other than the standard hold the bouquet photos.

4. Light is EVERYTHING-

Light is a BIG part of your wedding day. I know it's probably not at the top of your priorities list, but it is super important to give some serious consideration to. Here's why.

If you will be having an outdoor ceremony, steer clear of high noon. Early morning or later in day will be best for softer light. Strong sunlight, which is prevalent mid-morning through early afternoon, will NOT be your friend and will cause excessive shadowing. Think racoon eyes. And if you spent all that time and money to look drop dead gorgeous, then let's not ruin it with hard light. The same goes for any outdoor photos. Aim for late afternoon (especially in the summer) at least by that time a decent amount of shade can usually be found and I'll be able to use that to get softer light photos for you. When planning your wedding timeline, just remember this little equation: Strong light = harsh shadows.

Light or lack there of also applies to your venue. Most importantly the spot where your ceremony will be held. I often do not use flash during the vows because it can be distracting and often almost impossible to set up discreetly in most churches. So, if you would prefer a more natural look to your photos check out the available light in your ceremony space and steer clear of super dark churches that have little to no natural light. Because: Lack of light = grainy photos.

5. Minimize Your Locations-

Having multiple locations for your photos may sound like a super cool idea, but in reality it's a time suck. Every change of location requires time and moving all those bodies to multiple places takes away from the actual photography coverage. Your best bet, unless you want to add on an hour or more to your timeline, is to choose your favorite spot closest to your venue.

6. Consider Doing a First Look-

I know first looks aren't for everyone, but here's the reason why I love them. 1) A first look will allow you to front load your timeline. In other words, you will be able to get your wedding party photos, family formals and photos of the two of you done before the ceremony takes place. This makes the time between the ceremony and reception less stressful and you can get to your reception sooner. 2) A first look is intimate; giving you time to hug, talk, kiss and just be together without the dictation of a ceremony. 3) There is no pressure for the groom to pull up a grand reaction in front of all the guests. With a first look there isn't an audience and it often helps both of you to just lean into your love.

7. Good Photos Take Time-

One of the areas of wedding photography coverage that often gets skimped on is the photos of just the two of you. Do yourself and your photographer a favor and schedule a minimum of 30 minutes for bride and groom portraits. If you want to up the game, give your photographer 45 minutes to an hour and you will walk away with some amazing photos. Good photos take time and honestly these are the photos you are going to want printed and hung in your house, so don't minimize the amount of time spent on them.

8. Incorporate Toss Items-

Fun shots radiate joy and bliss so think about the possibility of adding in some items to toss. Because let me tell you... you give people something to toss and it changes their faces; big smiles emerge and laughter erupts.

You could incorporate this with your bridesmaids in your getting ready space; gather everyone together and toss some confetti. Or take it outside with some rose petals, biodegradable confetti or lavender buds for your grand exit. ** Take Note... Most venues have rules about toss items so make sure to check with your venue before you jump on in.

9. Your Dress is Going to Get Dirty-

This can be a big concern when you have spent thousands on a dress, but unless you are getting married in a bubble, your dress will get dirty. So, don't skip out on those outdoor photos just to save your dress. Live the day to it's fullest, go out into that field, across that parking lot, through that alley and let's create magic.

10. Include a Sneak Away Session-

I highly recommend that before your photography coverage is done for the night you slip away for just 10 minutes. Leave the noise and activity of your reception behind and just be together. This is one of my favorite times of the wedding day when the rush is over, but a lifetime together is being realized. It's a wonderful way to sum up the story of your love.