So many couples get caught up in the little details of their wedding that they forget to actually enjoy the journey. In fact I have many couples that share with me after their wedding day that the details alone would have been enough to ruin their day had they allowed themselves to "sweat" the small stuff. Others, I find receive their pictures from the wedding day and are totally amazed at how much they missed. Incidentally its not unheard of for the couple to not even get to eat at their wedding or they only get the one bite of cake eaten hastily during the cake cutting.
Now I have been shooting weddings for nearly two decades and I have seen hundreds of weddings. In all this span of time the one common denominator I find is the RUSH. There is the rush to get dressed, the rush to get down the isle, the rush to get everyone together, the rush of photos, the rush to get out of the sanctuary, the rush to get to the reception, the rush to serve dinner, the rush to get the party started and the rush to leave. If I could have one wish for my couples in this coming year, it would be for them to leisurely enjoy their wedding day and forget about the rush!
Its often an energy that is created by circumstance and to that we may not be able to control much of the chaos that ensues. If there is only 30 minutes after the ceremony to take photos in the sanctuary then that is an element we can not change. What we can change is our approach to the photos the couple would like to have after the ceremony by possibly doing more prior to the ceremony. On the other hand, why create more havoc while the bride is trying to get ready? Perhaps time would be better utilized at another location after the ceremony?
Another culprit of the rush is and dare I say it....wedding vendors. Understandably to a coordinator or a DJ this is just another one of their weddings booked for the year BUT to a bride and groom, this is their ONE wedding day, their one reception, their one shot at enjoying and capturing their wedding day. Hurry is not in my vocabulary when it comes to trying to cover someone's wedding unless it is being enacted upon us as we are trying to work. If we allow ourselves to be rushed, we miss opportunities but more then anything...it shows on the faces of the people you are trying to photograph. It creates a tension that propels the bride and groom and then the wedding party and family into a state of confusion that manifests itself as blank stares and
concerned faces.
So we all know a wedding day is hectic. That's almost a given. What we need now is a trend towards the lighter side. We need families, wedding vendors and event sites to perpetuate a calm demeanor and atmosphere to help eliminate the need to rush. I recommend thoroughly questioning your wedding vendors to see how prepared they are to help make your day run smoothly. And finally I would recommend that you remind yourself throughout the day to slow down, take a breath and enjoy the minutes that make up your wedding day, that make up your memories!
