The Ultimate Wedding Day Checklist | Edmonton Wedding Photographer

How to Keep all of the Tears on Your Wedding Day Happy Ones

Your wedding day is the best day of your life, you can’t wait to walk down the aisle, gazing at your soulmate as you’re bursting with love and excitement.

Imagine finding out just moments before you walk down the aisle, that your marriage license is sitting on the counter at home…  Yes, this really happened to one of my clients.

After 20 years of telling wedding stories with my camera, I’ve seen it all and have compiled a wedding day checklist of the most important things to remember, along with tips and tricks to be sure your wedding day flows just as smoothly as your walk down the aisle.

I want you to be sure that all of your memories are beautiful ones, so here are my top 10 tips for ensuring your wedding day goes off without a hitch! 

MARRIAGE LICENSE

This is the most important part of your wedding day, without it, you aren’t getting hitched!  There are a couple of ways to accomplish this:

1. Have an emergency wedding day kit created and sitting at the front door for you to grab when you walk out the door.  This link will take you to the ultimate packing list.
2. Assign someone that you trust with your life!  Create a connection with this person and your officiant, whether in person before the wedding, or via email.  It’s their job to know exactly where the license is and deliver it to your officiant.

VOWS

Shall we talk about the time I had to run from the ceremony site to the bridal prep area to get the bride’s vows?  It was an Olympic sprint, let me tell you.  To ensure that the vows you spent hours preparing are ready to go when you are, read on:

1. Give them to your Mom.  Really. She’s going to have it all under control.
2. That same person that has your marriage license?  They can give your vows to the officiant who will pass them to you exactly when you need them.  

RINGS

Imagine this – it’s time for the ring portion of your ceremony, but your ring bearer just dropped his pillow and the rings have landed with an audible ping onto the floor, rolled and disappeared under the feet of your guests….  Time to pause and hunt.  To avoid this:

1. If your ring bearer is carrying a pillow, consider using prop rings.
2. If your ring bearer is a dog – this is essential as they don’t always follow plan and may decide to wander off for a visit!
3. Have the best man in charge of the actual rings, he can make a discreet hand off.

CEREMONY UNITY SYMBOLS

The vows are made, it’s time for the Unity Sand Pouring, except the sand and the container was left inside the venue.  Yep this also happened, and yep, I showed off my sprinting skills yet again. Maybe you’re planting a tree together, and need the tree, shovel and watering can in place:

It’s a lovely and poignant moment that can be more special, knowing that the Mother of the Bride and the Mother of the Groom set up the sand ceremony (or tree or any symbol you may be using) for their child, it’s a beautiful connection.  Also, if your Mom is setting it up, you know it’ll get done, and done right.

FLOWERS

I’ve photographed a few weddings where there was a miscommunication on who was picking up the florals, or coordination of bouquets and boutonnieres.  This can be easily avoided by:

1. Asking the florist if they deliver!
2. Create a plan with a friend who isn’t focused on morning preparations to pick up and deliver the florals to all parties, quite often the boutonnieres end up with the bouquets, and someone is left to rush them over to the other preparation site.

AUNT MARTHA

It’s almost a rite of passage that a bride will wake up with a zit, or her monthlies…..  No need to panic, because you’re prepared.

1. In your emergency wedding day kit, have menstrual supplies, pain relievers, tissues and wipes.  Click the link here for the wedding day checklist for your kit supplies.
2. Your bridesmaids are likely on the same cycle as you, so you can commiserate together.

SHOES

You’re blinged out, those fabulous and expensive heels are the envy of every woman in attendance, but you’ll also think they’re an instrument of torture once you’ve worn them for a few hours. 

1. Practice wearing your shoes and walk in them, especially in similar terrain to your ceremony location.
2. Pack your flats for walking from photo location to photo location.

HYDRATE AND STAY ENERGIZED

It’s essential to stay hydrated on the wedding day to avoid bridal party members passing out and falling off the ceremony platform.  Yes, I’ve also witnessed this happening.

1. Pack ample water for the wedding party, but also for those that may be with you during photo time, such as family members and small children.
2. Electrolyte drinks are good to have on hand as well, especially if the heat is beating down.
3. Pack a handful of snacks, protein bars, almonds, etc., things that are easy to carry, won’t melt and are quick eats.
4. Alongside your water, you may want some celebratory bevvies as well!

CASH/PAYMENTS

It’s always fun to hit the local coffeshop (or pub) for a quick celebration, be sure to pack some cash in hand, as well as your debit card.  If you’re planning to tip vendors, have that already set up in envelopes, easy to hand out.

TRANSPORTATION

On the wedding day, there are a lot of logistics involved with getting everyone where they need to go on time.  Some of these include:

1. Wedding party to preparation venues, to ceremony, portrait locations and wedding venue.
2. Family transportation to same.  It’s not fun if Grandma didn’t get a ride from the ceremony to the photo location, by preplanning for the VIP peeps, you’ll be sure nobody gets left behind.
3. Guest transportation and shuttles to and from the venues, keep everyone safe while they’re celebrating.

Be sure to download my wedding day checklist, it’s my advice after twenty years of celebrating weddings with my couples, and seeing what can happen and where it can be avoided.