Wedding morning tips for a calm, uplifting wedding morning.
Your wedding morning can shape your whole day
It might sound a little dramatic, but knowing how to have a relaxed wedding morning and planning accordingly can have a huge impact on how you experience your entire wedding day. A calm, stress-free wedding morning gives you time to settle your nerves, enjoy time with your wedding party and feel grounded and ready for everything the day has in store.
Whether you’re planning a large celebration or an intimate wedding, if your wedding morning is disorganised, rushed or filled with tension, it can be difficult to shake off that feeling as the day unfolds Having photographed well over one hundred weddings, I’ve seen first-hand just how much the atmosphere of the morning shapes the rest of the day.
Allow yourself more time than you think you need
One of the most common mistakes you can make is not allowing enough time for getting ready on your wedding day. Your wedding suppliers – photographers, hair and make-up artists and your venue – will all be able to advise you on when to begin wedding prep, but you should always allow extra time for ironing out any little hiccups or for things taking longer than planned.
What often happens is a really chilled morning followed by a sudden rush as time flies the closer you get to the wedding ceremony.
If you want beautiful portraits of you and your wedding party before your ceremony begins, you should aim to be ready around 45 minutes before the ceremony. Work backwards from there to establish when you need to arrive at the venue, when hair and make-up should finish and when to get dressed.
Choose the people you genuinely want around you
Who you choose to surround yourself with on your wedding morning is one of the most consequential decisions you will make when it comes to your enjoyment of those first few hours. It is so important to protect your energy and mental wellbeing, so only invite friends and family members whose company makes you feel most like yourself.
Only you can decide who the right people are. It could be those who keep you calm or those who hype you up. It may simply mean excluding particular individuals – even if they are close family members. If that might cause tension, think of a way of doing it so no one feels offended. For example, give them a job to do away from where you are getting ready.
Let your suppliers do what you’ve hired them to do
The biggest myth about wedding photography is that there is a right or wrong way to capture your day. Wedding photography styles and approaches vary greatly and it is about finding what is right for you. You do not have to choose between documentary coverage that captures unscripted moments and editorial imagery featuring more carefully styled portraits. I shoot both on a wedding day – stepping in to curate when needed, and stepping back when natural moments are
Your wedding suppliers are experts in their craft, so trust them to do what you hired them to do. They do not need constant supervision and their presence should make you feel reassured and in safe hands. Choosing the right wedding suppliers should make you feel calmer, not more anxious.
Listen to their advice when it comes to timings and provide any information they ask for so they can do their work to the highest standard. The best wedding suppliers don’t add pressure; they remove it.
You won’t look back and remember whether you were perfectly on schedule or a couple of minutes late, but you will remember how you felt on your wedding morning.
Eat, drink and look after yourself
Please don’t forget to look after yourself in the lead up to, and on, the morning of your wedding. Have breakfast, stay hydrated and try to get an early night for the two or three nights beforehand. It’s natural that you may not sleep brilliantly the night before your wedding, but if you’ve had a few good nights beforehand, you’ll be absolutely fine.
If you know you might feel particularly anxious on the morning of your wedding, think about what will genuinely help you feel calmer. That could be keeping your wedding party small, curating a relaxing playlist or even getting ready together. I’ve noticed that couples who see or speak to each other before the ceremony often seem noticeably more relaxed.
In the excitement of the occasion it can be easy to overlook the basics, but those small things often make the biggest difference to how you experience your wedding morning.
Forget perfect. Focus on how the morning feels
There is no such thing as a perfect wedding morning, so let go of any idea of what one should look like. Ignore what other people did on their wedding morning and think instead about what feels right for you. The most memorable wedding mornings aren’t the ones that looked perfect. They’re the ones that felt right.
What I’ve learnt from photographing hundreds of wedding mornings
The most relaxed couples are the ones who create a wedding morning that feels right for them, whether or not it looks anything like anyone else’s.
I’ve also noticed that couples who have shared the responsibility of planning the wedding tend to feel much more relaxed by the time the day arrives. Couples who get ready together, or simply have a chat before the ceremony, often seem calmer too.
When it comes to the photography itself, the best images usually happen when couples have had a little tidy up before I arrive, have all their details ready to photograph and allow enough time for the final stages of getting ready.
Just as importantly, I don’t arrive and immediately start photographing you before you feel ready. We will already have discussed beforehand at what stage of wedding prep you’ll feel comfortable being photographed. If you are feeling anxious about being photographed this guide may help you.
One thing experience has taught me is how to read the room. If I sense you’re feeling anxious, I’ll quietly adapt how I work. Sometimes that means stepping back, sometimes it means giving a little more direction and reassurance. Whatever the approach, the aim is always the same – to help keep the atmosphere calm while documenting those first few hours honestly.
Final Thoughts
There is no right way to spend the morning of your wedding. Some couples thrive on a busy room full of people, others prefer a quiet start to the day. The important thing isn’t creating the perfect wedding morning, it’s creating one that feels right for you. If, years from now, you remember laughing with your favourite people and feeling present rather than rushed, you’ve probably got it exactly right.
If you want to read more about me you can visit my Essex wedding photographer page here.
WEDDING MORNING FAQS
What time should I start getting ready on my wedding day?
That very much depends on a range of factors – the time of your wedding ceremony, whether you are getting ready at the venue or travelling to it. How much time you and your wedding apart need for hair and make-up will also impact what time you need outsmart wedding prep. Talk to your suppliers – hair and make-up artists, the venue and any transport your hiring – and allow enough time for hiccups and complications.
How many people should be with me while I get ready?
There are no rules about the number of people who you get ready with on your wedding morning. Some people like the high energy of a busy room of people and others like a quieter wedding morning. The most important things is surrounding ourself only with people who will help make the morning relaxed and fun and who will not add to your stress levels.
Should my photographer arrive before hair and makeup is finished?
Yes, even if you wedding photographer will not photograph you until you are fully made-up, having your wedding photographer arrive before you are fully ready means they can photograph all the details and little moments that happen on the wedding morning.
What details should I have ready for my wedding photographer?
Your photographer might want you to have all or some of the following items ready to be photographed; your outfit and shoes, your perfume, the rings, the wedding invites and stationery, the flowers and favours, any gifts you have been given or that you are giving your wedding party.
What should I eat on the morning of my wedding?
Try to eat something light or similar to what you normally have for breakfast. Nerves can affect digestion and eating something too heavy or that your body is not used to digesting could cause discomfort. Make sure you also stay hydrated and drink plenty of water (especially if you are having a drink or two of alcohol). Think it terms of preparing for a long day of celebration rather than peaking too soon.
How can I make my wedding morning feel less stressful?
Create a wedding morning checklist beforehand of all the things you need to remember to pack, and the kettle timings of the morning. Put together a playlist to set the tone of the morning – whether that is chilled out or more of a party vibe.
Trust your wedding suppliers to do their job and allow more time than you think that you are going to need.
How much time should I allow for getting ready?
You should allow for things to take longer than they normally so – such as getting hair and make-up done, getting dressed etc. Your venue and suppliers will help you put together a timeline that allows for delays or little hiccups. Your wedding photographer will inform you of how much time to allow for morning portraits (be ready at least 45 minutes before the ceremony time).
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