Five Make-or-Break Wedding Decisions
that will drastically impact on your wedding experience (not to mention your guest’s experience!).
Written and Photography by Curator Maura Black Stephens, owner of Maura Black Photography
As a Chicago wedding photographer with over ten years of experience and over 300 weddings under my belt, I think it’s fair to say that I’ve pretty much seen it all. I’ve witnessed the good, the amazing and the…ah…not so amazing?!
Now let’s be honest, here. While the core purpose of your big day is to celebrate you and the love-of-your-life joining forces, it also happens to be the biggest party you’ll likely ever throw in your lives. So, you know. No pressure 😉!
To help set you up for success, I’ve ransacked my trove of wedding memories and created a list of some of the biggest make-or-break decisions you’ll make while planning. Some are obvious, and some are more surprising, but what they all have in common is that ultimately, your decisions will have a big impact on your wedding experience.
So without further ado, here are five of the biggest decisions you’ll make that will impact your wedding experience:
The party bus and/or the multi portrait location game plan.
Deciding to rent a trolly, party bus or other mode of transportation for you and your wedding party depends on two elements: the day’s logistics (geography, timeline, desired wedding portrait locations etc.) and the experience you’re envisioning for you and your crew.
Now, I’ve been on some party buses and witnessed wedding parties pre-gaming harder than students the day after finals and the vibes were VIBING. Champagne flowing, great tunes, dancing in the aisle of the bus as it navigates the city streets and so forth.
But if you and your besties are a bit more subdued and/or barely anyone in your wedding party really know each other, being crammed on a trolly for a couple of hours could be a little awkward. Or – even worse – arduous, boring and an overall low point of the day!
If you do go this route, I’d recommend planning on selecting two – maybe three locations if they’re close by – at the maximum to reduce the amount of time you’re potentially sitting in city traffic on the happiest day of your lives!
Bottom line: If you have a tight-knit squad and the prospect of downing shots of Malort (*shudder*) while listening to some bangers sounds like an amazing way to spend a portion of your day, then go for it! If you’d rather streamline the day and reduce travel, then trekking around the city with your pals en tow might be better skipped. Work with your photographer who will help you craft the perfect game plan. That way you’ll receive the wedding photos of your dreams without compromising a great time!
How you vibe with your vendors
While one of the most exciting elements of your big day is the fact that you are surrounded by your very favorite people as you marry your most favorite, don’t dismiss how your relationship with your vendors will affect your overall wedding experience! While you won’t be spending a ton of time with certain vendor roles before, during or after the big day, you will be spending a lot of time communicating and working with your planner and most certainly, your photographer.
Loving your vendor’s work and scouring through reviews and testimonials is step one. But like it or not, a few of your vendors will be in your life (and your inbox!) way before, on and even after your big day.
And what’s more, photographs are all about emotion. If you were bored or stressed or uncomfortable while your portraits were being captured, that’s exactly what you’ll be reminded of every time you look at your photos, even if you objectively look beautiful! Finding a photographer that makes you feel great is everything. You deserve nothing less than feeling and looking amazing on your big day, all while having an absolute blast!
The guest list
Much like my ever growing back log of photos that need to be edited, don’t be afraid to cull, cull, cull that guest list! Not only will this make the biggest difference when it comes to trimming your budget, but if you spend the entirety of your cocktail hour shaking hands and kissing babies, you’ll feel like you’re running for office as opposed to celebrating something as significant as your wedding day.
As hard as it may be (and, as a recovering people pleaser, I empathize with this one), don’t let outside pressure to include randos dictate something as important as who will be with you on your happiest day. Your mom’s dentist’s uncle’s barber can sit this one out.
The Food
The flowers can be perfection. The bride’s dress, a show stopper. The live band may have the dance floor packed all night long. But if the food – and forgive my French here – sucks – then so, too, will the overall guest experience. Even if you and your love aren’t into food (and – if I may project here, I must ask “what?! How?! Why?!), please do the rest of us a favor and be choosy when it comes to selecting your caterer. And if the venue has an on-site caterer with no options of bringing in your own cuisine, I highly urge you to request a tasting. If that’s not offered but your heart is set on this venue, then research, research and research some more! If the reviews rave about the food, you’re probably safe. In my experience, most venues with on-site catering usually provide a menu that’s far above the average wedding food fare.
Bottom line: Bad food = a bad time for all and will result in hungry guests dipping out early to hit up Taco Bell!
Unique Guest Experiences
Wedding trends are getting more exciting and innovative when it comes to offering custom guest experiences. While the classic photo booth isn’t going anywhere any time soon, couples are getting super creative when it comes to “wowing” their guests with unique offerings. Live painters, cigar bars, tattoo stations, oyster shuckers. There’s truly something for everyone.
My biggest advice when it comes to this aspect of your wedding day is to avoid overwhelming your guests by providing them with too many options. If you have a cigar bar on the terrace, a photobooth in the foyer and mini golf on the lawn, the party is going to spread out big time and impact the overall vibe. Plus, the dance floor will suffer dreadfully!
Bottom line: DO get creative and select one or two fun experiences that both fit your wedding vibe and are something you would enjoy at a wedding.
DON’T break the DJ’s heart by scattering your guests all over your venue. Your dance floor – and guests - will thank you!
At the end of the day, you and your brand new spouse will go to sleep as newlyweds, and that truly is the only thing that really matters.
But, at the same time, life is short and you deserve to have the most incredible day! So why not plan the wedding experience of your dreams? This is, after all, the beginning of the rest of your lives.