One quick photo from Dan + Kalina’s Brookings wedding yesterday before I get back on the road to Rapid City!

Congrats on your wedding and have a safe trip to Cancun for your honeymoon!!! :-)

I love it when a couple makes their wedding about them and what they like.

I’ve seen cakes switched out for cupcakes. I’ve seen an iPod replace a DJ. I’ve seen a dessert reception instead of a full meal reception. A couple seated in the middle of their reception instead of up on a stage. Unity sand instead of candles. Quilt squares instead of a guestbook. An absence of aisle decorations. A photobooth at the reception. No desire to shove cake up each others’ noses. The list goes on…

My point is, if you are planning your own wedding (or having someone plan it for you), make sure you make decisions based on what you like. Not what your aunt or cousin or sister or soon-to-be-mother-in-law thinks is best. It’s your wedding. Your day. You don’t have to have an 8-tier cake. You don’t have to have a limo. Unless that’s what you really want, then by all means, do what you want!! It’s your party!! :-)

If you’re looking for some visual inspiration, here are some blogs that are dedicated to all things weddings:

Snippet and Ink – Ruffled – Flights of Fancy – 100 Layer Cake – Wedding Chicks

What are your favorite wedding blogs? What are you doing to make your wedding more personal? What’s your tradition?

Let me start off by saying I am not a wedding planner. I think it would be a fun job, but I feel my strengths are greatest in the photography-related parts of weddings. That being said, this timeline is my personal estimation of how much time I like to schedule for photos on the day of the wedding. Keep in mind that every photographer is different with how they prefer to shoot. Some like to spend four hours taking photos of just the wedding party. I don’t. :-)

This is the basic timeline that I give all my brides who opt to do the first look – we start from here and if there is anything that we think will take more or less time, we make adjustments as necessary:

T-4 hours: getting ready + candids + details (dress, special jewelry, flowers, SHOES)

T-3 hours: couple’s first look and portraits

T-2 hours: wedding party portraits

T-1 hour 30 minutes: family portraits

T-1 hour: candids + details (time for you and all those involved with photos to grab a snack/touch up makeup/cool down before the wedding)

After the ceremony, I just tag along for the ride and let the rest of the day unfold!

Here are a few variables that tend to shift the schedule:

Location – How far is the getting ready location from the ceremony? How far is the ceremony from the reception? Is there an additional location where you’d like to take photos? Significant drive time will need to be included in the schedule to keep everyone on time.

Lighting – What time of day is the ceremony? With this schedule, a 3:00 ceremony would put the first look and portraits at noon… not ideal outdoor lighting conditions.

‘Fashionably late’ relatives – To keep your friends and family from showing up late, tell them they need to be there for photos earlier than planned. You’d rather have them there early instead of waiting on them to finish up the group photos.

Extended family members – More people means allowing more time for family photos either before or after the ceremony.

Small children – Naps are crucial! Especially if you want flower girls and ring bearers to be in the photos as well as be cooperative. :-)

Again, every wedding is unique and every wedding should have its own timeline – this is simply a suggestion meant to be adjusted to your specific needs. Also, make sure to check with YOUR photographer to see how they prefer to schedule photos. Every photographer does things his/her own way because they know what works for them.

I was recently asked what I thought about brides/grooms getting a spray tan for their wedding, so I thought I’d use this opportunity for another wedding tip to share! I think it’s definitely a healthier alternative than tanning beds. However, it probably isn’t wise get your very first spray tan the day before the wedding.

(click on the image to see Ross from Friends and his spray tan experience)

Okay, so hopefully you’ll know better than to count Mississippilesly. :-)

But seriously, I think that if you’re going to get a spray tan for your wedding, definitely do a trial run a month or two before the wedding. Find out how your skin reacts to it and how long the tan takes to fade. Hopefully you’ll be able to schedule the tan early in the week before your wedding. In case something does go wrong, or you feel you’re too dark/unnatural right after the spray tan, you’ll have a few days for it to wear off (on regular clothes instead of your wedding attire).

Your wedding photographer is the one person you hire for your wedding who will be spending the majority of the day with you.

Your wedding day. The day that you and your fiance become Mrs. and Mr. until death do you part. The day that you have been planning for months or even years! And you’re going to hire someone to document your entire love story come together with the unity of marriage. And they’ll be there. All. Day. Long.

Aside from whether or not you really LOVE the photos you’re going to get from this photographer (which you should – you’re hiring him/her!!) this person should be able to make you genuinely smile. They should make you feel completely comfortable in front of the camera. I believe that hiring a photographer should be more than just the photos they take. It should be a combination of their talent AND personality that you base your decision on.

By loving your photographer (their good looks (photos) and their charm (personality)) I’m sure you will feel super comfortable with them being around you all day long. And who doesn’t deserve to be comfortable on their wedding day?! :-)

p.s. I don’t care if this is the third time this image has been on the blog – I just love how in LOVE Dan + Kalina are!! And their wedding is only a little over a month away! Hip, hip hooray!!