If you are a new member of the engaged club and are wanting to prioritize enjoying your wedding day, this one’s for you! I know you have probably heard about a million times, every that you know who has gotten married has told you to prioritize what matters to you and not let anyone dictate your wedding day. They are so right and as a married person who focused on a slow, laid-back day for my elopement, I’m happy to provide you with just a few of my favorite tips. First and foremost, I want you to take a deep breath, here I will provide you will tangible tips on how to create a wedding day with more room to breathe and time for you to immerse yourself in your experience instead of looking back and realizing you were miserable for your entire wedding day.

See this right here? These smiling faces? That’s what it’s all about, friend! As an Elopement and Micro-Wedding Photographer based in South Carolina, I strive to put my couples’ happiness above anything else on their wedding day. This is because you should get to enjoy a day that you’ve dreamed about and planned and put so much time and effort into. Beyond all the money and the material things, this is YOUR DAY with the person that you love most in the world and that memory will have far more weight than any timeline or amount of money you spent on a dress. Because of that, here are 5 ways that I recommend you slow down and enjoy your wedding day!

1. Set the Precedent for Your Day

I love the term ‘set the precedent’ – it’s used in tons of law and crime type of shows and that’s literally my bread and butter. The term is an idiom (english major over here haha) and it’s simple in theory. According to Merriam-Webster, it means: “to decide something that will be used as an example or rule to be followed in the future.” For example, this could be the ruling in the case is likely to set a precedent for how future cases are decided. But, in your case, this means setting the tone for your day at the very beginning, so whether you guys are people that enjoy a slow morning with yummy breakfast or you love the idea of yoga in your airbnb, it’s important you start your day off right with something that the two of you will cherish forever. This time is important for reflection too, this is your freaking wedding day after all! Rest, enjoy the moment, because soon nothing will be the same ever again, soak it all in!

On the day I married my husband Clay, I got up really early and had a ton of nervous energy so I went to our local grocery store and grabbed flowers and built my own bouquet before I had to head to the salon and get my hair and makeup done. After that, we had a slow afternoon and got ready together before heading to our elopement spot to meet out photographer. I look back and i’m so grateful for that morning and how authentic to us it was.

2. Prepare for Things to Go Wrong

I put this as number two on the list because to me, this is one of the most important aspects of a laid-back wedding day. If working in the wedding industry has taught me anything, it’s that things go wrong despite our best intentions for them to be perfect. Zippers break, weather changes, vows may not be written until the last second, the timeline can be behind and guess what, that’s okay! Nothing on your wedding day is a problem that is too big for us to handle as a team. Try to remember that the idea of a perfect wedding day simply doesn’t exist, things will go haywire, but it’s important to try and adapt as best you can in the moment. Doing this allows you to stay present and make the best of your day no matter what may come!

3. Turn Off Your Phones!

I know this may seem like a no brainer, but it’s important too! Make sure to be intentional with your time and unplug from social media and texts/calls to give your spouse your undivided attention. You will feel less stress if there’s no pressure and you will feel much more serene and grounded this way!

If you’re someone who needs to get in touch with vendors or guests, assign someone to man your phone or give them the number of the photographer, buddy, or maid of honor so that things can run smoothly without you having to do all the legwork.

4. Trust Your Photographer

This may be one of the most important things that you do on your wedding day outside of exchanging your vows. It is important for you not to focus on the photos and to focus on the moments you’re living in. Hiring a photographer that you are able to trust is a big part of you putting down the burden of worrying about if everything is picture ready when the time comes. As a seasoned photographer, I’ve also found the more trust you place in your photographer, the less insecure you feel because you are enjoying your moments and not worrying about how you look!

Your photog knows what the heck they are doing and they are there to ease your burden, so let them!

5. Write Letters to Each Other

Writing love letters or vows to each other the morning of or a few days before your wedding is something I recommend to every couple regardless of whatever their wedding plans may be. You don’t have to have to do a first look to do this! It is a sweet way to get all that nervous energy out by focusing on your love for your partner and it is so special to get to capture letter reading on camera as a forever memory against a visual narrative.

If you are more on the private side, this is okay too! This only needs to be photographed if you want it to be and regardless, it is a great way to focus on your love and drown out the white noise!

No matter where you are in your wedding planning process, I hope and pray that you consider implementing these tips and tricks to ensure that you get to enjoy your day and not just be a bystander. Your wedding day goes by so fast and it is so vital that you truly take in every moment and get to experience it to the fullest.

If you are looking for more wedding planning advice, visit some of my other blogs that focus on both the east coast and the pacific northwest’s gorgeous landscapes.