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Wedding Tips

Over the years, I have photographed more than 300 weddings and compiled the following list of suggestions

Cut out any labels, tags and garment strings from your gown and the bridesmaids' attire. These little things are always hanging out and become visual clutter in photos.

On your wedding day, designate only two or three people to help you with your dress, makeup, and hair. This is a situation of too many chefs in the kitchen. Ask your bridesmaids to be ready in their shoes and dresses before helping you out.

The bride and the bridesmaids should consider wearing comfortable – not incompatible with stylish -- shoes. Wear the shoes indoors for a day before the wedding to break them in. Unless you are used to wearing high heels, keep in mind that high heels will become great source of discomfort after a short while. I have seen many receptions with barefoot bridesmaids who had achy feet.

Men's suits pants are often too long. This makes for some extra editing on the photos later, but can be taken care of by the tuxedo shop. Ask for a fitted look. Also ask to have the pockets opened up for better lines of arm and hand formation in the photos.

If the wedding is later in the day, pack a shaver for the groom in case of the 5 o'clock shadow.

Fresh flowers add a lot to a party and enliven the photos. Even rose petals on table tops are great. Silk flowers are nice, but lack the emotional effect of the real thing. If you are on a budget, consider using flower pots instead of expensive bouquets. One client used orchid pots on each table. I've noticed that hydrangeas are good only for less than one hour without water. Roses are nice, but stay away from dark red because they lack a range of tone and are difficult to photograph.

The more ambient light, the better. When in doubt, use more candles, even during the day. If you are providing the candles, use votives instead of tea light candles. If you have to use tea light candles, double the number you think you'll need because they last for only a couple of hours. If you have options on the electric lighting of your facility, ask for more. You can always turn some of them off or down.

Don't let your caterer stack the dishes next to the wedding cake.

A bagpipe, guitar or chamber music during the ceremony create a lovely atmosphere. Make sure you go over your music list with your DJ in advance.

Releasing butterflies is a wonderful idea, but they tend to arrive mostly dead, which is a sad sight. Instead, consider getting showered with soap bubbles, dried flowers, fresh flowers, sparklers, or fake snow. Bubbles work best because they are in the air long enough to be seen and photographed; fresh flower petals are also inexpensive and pretty.

Instead of the traditional tiered wedding cake, consider several cakes in different sizes that can be displayed on pastry stands at varying heights.

Walking down the white carpet outside is an impractical idea because all dirty shoe prints are visible and the large swath of white dominates the photos. Instead, line your path with lots of fresh flower petals.

Don't assume that all limo drivers know their way around town. Make sure the driver has correct directions to the event.