Things to Consider when Planning a Wedding Yourself
If you’re anything like us, you and your partner are planning your entire wedding on your own. We (Ariel & Alyssa) both planned each of our own weddings by ourselves without enlisting the help of any planners, consultants, or decorators, so we know exactly just how much is involved with doing it all yourself! You’re contacting vendors, touring venues, tasting food & cakes, pricing out flowers, and DIY-ing your decorations. If this sounds like you, WE FEEL YOU! We’ve both been there and it is a TON of work! Whether you’re planning on having a backyard wedding like Ariel, or a cottage wedding like Alyssa, or anything in between, we’ve put together a list of a few things to consider when planning your own wedding!
Venue
Your venue is one of the most important parts of your day! It’s the backdrop of your wedding, the scene of the beginning of your marriage, the place you’re sharing with all of your guests, so you should not take your wedding venue decision lightly! One thing to think about when it comes to venues is the lighting. For your ceremony & reception venue(s), lighting plays an extremely important role in the look and feel of your photography. If you want your photos to be more on the bright and natural side, a dark venue like a restaurant or hotel with limited windows and natural lighting may not provide your photographers with the ability to capture that style of photos.
Another thing to consider when checking out venues is whether or not you’re able to have your ceremony & reception within the same location. When there isn’t any travel in between your ceremony and reception, it can add lots of extra time for the important things… like extra portrait time!! Choosing a venue that has everything you need for your entire day is always a good idea, and there are so many that offer just about anything you might have on your checklist!
Types of venues we love that are great for having ample amounts of natural lighting, and that you can have both your ceremony and reception at:
Colours
Your colour scheme will play a huge part in the general feel of your photography, so keep this in mind when picking your colours! If you’re looking for a more bold and dramatic vibe in your photos, look into deeper colours like navy blue or dark green, if you want more muted tones in your photos, check out colours like blush pink or dusty blue.
If you’re planning on more than one non-neutral colour, always consider the good old colour wheel! Analogous colours (colours that are next to each other on the wheel) can help to create a more harmonious palette with multiple colours, complementary colours (colours opposite each other on the wheel) will create some contrast and have your colours stand out beside each other, and monochromatic colours (the same colour in different shades) will create a cohesive vibe for your wedding. You can incorporate these colours into your décor, flowers, bridesmaids dresses, and even your bridal accessories!
Colour schemes we love:
Style
Another super important part of your wedding is the style. We believe that your wedding style should represent who you are as a couple and what you love. If you’re the outdoorsy types, infuse nature into your wedding, if you’re country folk, why not have a rustic theme, if you’re not big on all the formality of a “traditional” wedding, make your style simple & casual!
Whatever style you choose, make sure everything in your wedding reflects that style. If you're thinking about having a rustic style wedding, opt for a barn or other countryside venue, if you're thinking a more traditional wedding will fit your style, make sure all of your décor embodies this, if boho is your thing, go all out with fabrics and textures that give you all the earthy feels. This will help create a consistent feel for your wedding, which translates to a perfectly cohesive gallery of wedding photos! Your wedding style should be incorporated into your décor, bouquet(s), venue, stationary, rentals (furniture, place settings, etc.), and basically everything else visual involved in your wedding.
Wedding styles we love:
If you're thinking about planning your own wedding yourself, don't get discouraged! It's a lot of work but it's SO worth it to be in control of all the details that matter the most to you. Once you’ve chosen your venue, decided on your colour scheme, and figured out your wedding style, just about everything else you plan should relate back to those three things. Remember, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with planning, be sure to enlist as much help as you can from your wedding party, your parents, or maybe even your photographers! We’re here to help our clients as much as they need, so if you want photographers that have been through it all and can talk you through your planning, give you suggestions on great venues and vendors, and help you with your colour scheme & style, we’re your girls!! For more info on our packages & pricing, and to contact us about booking, click here!
