Photo courtesy of Amanda Pair Photography

This next tip comes from a conversation that I had with a Mother of the Bride.  She was the planner for the wedding and decided that the wedding day timeline was just too long, especially for the grandparents (having to arrive 2-3 hours before the ceremony for pictures).  

Don’t get me wrong, timelines are essential on a wedding and they are always longer than people (the groom) realize at first.  Let’s say you are getting married at 6:00, you need to be hidden away at 5:00, so his family will do pictures at 4:30, your family at 4:00, the bridal party at 3:00, you and your groom at 2:00, so that puts you getting dressed around 1:00, if your hair and makeup is already done. Whew!!  

For little ones and our older family members, this is an especially hard day.  This mother decided that since the couple was doing a 1st look (to get all of the photos over with before the ceremony) that they would save the grandparent pictures until after the ceremony.  It would also increase the length that the grandparents would be able to come to the reception!  Every wedding should do this!

You know those really old and outdated guest books that half of the time are a second thought to you during wedding planning?  It doesn’t have to be that way! These days your photographer can make a cute coffee table book out of your engagement photos that can double as your guest book.  You just have to leave extra room on each page for your guests to be able to write something special to you.

Kelli Taylor of Kelli + Daniel Taylor Photography had a great idea to go along with this.  She counsels her bridesmaids on the wedding day to each pick a different page to sign.  That way when guests are looking through the book they already have examples of what they are supposed to do!  

Brilliant!  And the best part?  It won’t be put in a box somewhere for you to never look at (like mine)!!

Photo courtesy of Spindle Photography

Back on the Insider's Tips: Tip #37, I talked about the fun trend of the After Party.  But you don't have to do an After Party to offer your guests this wonderful new creation of the Late Night Snack!  

Just imagine at your reception, your guests have had dinner and now everybody is partying and having a good time.  It gets to be around 10 and out comes the LATE NIGHT SNACK!  It is not only perfect timing but delicious as well!  All guests are happy with their tummy's full!  You might dance a little more before you make your grand exit.  And as you drive away, your guests will be thanking you for the delicious snack before the party ended! (And the fact that they don't have to stop at Waffle House, or some other all night establishment, on the way home, therefore saving them from a terrible stomach ache the following morning!)

Photo courtesy of Kelli + Daniel Taylor Photography

You don't see if often, and of course, it wouldn't work in a church, but for an outside ceremony, it is PERFECT!  After you say "I do" and share your first kiss as husband and wife, your guests throw rose petals or lavender as you exit the ceremony!  

So many wonderful things about this. The first is that you don't have to worry about having enough guests to "fill the picture" at the end of the reception.  Everyone knows that your guest count will dwindle as the evening progresses.  I say that your older guests tend to leave right after you have your 1st dance and cut the cake.  

For your photographer and videographer, they (we) will be excited because the lighting will be excellent if you leave after the ceremony!  

Photo courtesy of Morgan Trinker Photography

And although I don't recommend this, but we have done it a couple of times in twelve years, it does allow you to stay and continue to party and have shorter hours for your photog and videog.  The times when we have done this is when the couple is not planning on a traditional going away from the reception, their reception could even be at a hotel and they just plan to ride upstairs.  They might have tons of friends and family from out of state that they don't get to see very often and really want to stay and play.  (or go to the hotel bar afterwards)  

We like to tell the story of the wedding day so having a formal going away at the reception helps with the natural flow of the video.  But our solution is to do a great "last dance" before your vendors leave.  It is a perfect way to end the day!