How to Control the Stress of Wedding Planning & the Big Day

If your wedding day is supposed to be one of the most meaningful of your entire life, why is there so much stress getting to that day and through that day? Has it always been that way? Do consumer lifestyles and the demands of social media make wedding preparations more stressful than in olden times?

Wedding planning has most likely always been stressful for women. In the distant past, brides were often very young, and mothers did all the planning. Brides-to-be actually had very little to say about anything. (They mostly worried about the wedding night!) Today’s brides-to-be are inundated with advertising and promotion about how weddings are supposed to be. In truth, the wedding is supposed to be the springboard for a long and happy marriage and the joining of two families. That ideal can get lost in the shuffle so fast. Even the most independent women in control of their own lives can feel they're losing control during the wedding planning process.

Strange as it may sound, a bride-to-be who has a breathing practice, no matter how simple, can build a protective wall around her emotions so that she can navigate the tumultuous waters of wedding planning where everyone has a suggestion.  Breathing exercises can be done anywhere and no one has to know. Close your mouth (and your eyes if possible) and inhale through your nose for a count of four.  Hold for a count of seven. Exhale slowly for a count of eight. If you’re in a store surrounded by salespeople, or with your anxious mother-in-law-to-be, just quietly do your breathing exercise and you will relax. Bad and costly decisions are made when people are stressed.

If you develop a breathing exercise like the above, or some other meditative exercise and do it over and over as you plan the wedding, you will have it within you for the wedding day. You will be able to remain poised, calm, and enjoy yourself. Plus, you’ll look more beautiful in your wedding photos when you’re relaxed and your joy is spontaneous and genuine. 

How to Build a Bridge of Memories from Your Wedding Day Forward

Photography builds a bridge of memories from the joy of the wedding day to the weaving of families through the birth of a child. We love being asked to do family photography for clients whose wedding we photographed. Besides being a treat to see the happy couple again, it’s a joy to see the results of their union in either a baby or simply how love has expanded in the blended families. With a professional photographer, everyone gets to be in the photo and there are no weird selfie angles. Enjoy these photos from the wedding and the family get-together two years later. Autumn is a wonderful time of year for colorful family photos, so reach out to us if you would like to schedule a session.

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Kids Add Spontaneous Joy to Weddings

In the not too distant past, children were always part of weddings. Some couples today want kid-free weddings and receptions and that’s okay. If the wedding theme is sophisticated, and carefully curated, kids can mess it up. However, in most cases, children add a wonderful dimension to the event. Babies and kids are a clear sign that life is meant to go on and on.

Communication is key to having kids actually in a wedding or just attending. Talk with the parents to let them know that you want the kids to be present, but also give the parents your expectations of kid behavior. Parents differ wildly in the behavior they allow. Just talk to them before the event so they understand what you want on your wedding day, and you understand the needs of their kids. Don’t be too rigid though, kids are kids, and they bring a spontaneous joy to the occasion which comes through in the photography. 

Even very young children sense that weddings are special because they’re a blending of families. To a child, family is everything. If the bride and groom can relax and enjoy the children at the wedding, they’ll have photos they’ll love to share. The more kids, the merrier.