3 Ways to Make Your Wedding Meaningful | Bay Area Wedding Photographer

Since your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, you want it to be meaningful and memorable!

Here are three ways to add meaningfulness and special moments into your wedding day:

1.) Orchestrate time with just your closest loved ones before the ceremony

As a bride and now as a photographer, I can tell you this is as special as it gets. Right before Greg and I got married, we got our immediate family together and asked for their advice. They went around in a circle sharing their advice and well wishes for us. Afterwards, we came into a huddle and prayed. That was the most special memory from my wedding day.

You can consider doing a “blessings” circle, where you gather your closest loved ones and ask them to share their well wishes, or blessings, with you. Since your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, asking your loved ones to be apart of a moment like that is affirming that they are the most important people to you. It creates a setting in which people can verbally share their feelings; feelings that we often want to share by text message or letter because it’s so emotional.

2.) Have a surprise during the reception

This could be a flash mob, a same-day-slideshow (which is a slideshow of wedding photos from earlier in the day; I’m excited to offer that this year!) or something else. It breaks the typical routine of a wedding reception, provides entertainment, and likely the anticipation will be memorable for you.

3.) Prioritize quality time during the reception

The one regret that Greg and I have from our wedding is that we didn’t spend enough time with our loved ones. We wish we would have stayed longer and spent more quality time with our loved ones. When else will all the people we love be in one place? Never!

If you are able, consider doing a first look so you can join the cocktail hour and reception earlier (instead of doing photos after the ceremony). I promise – you’ll never regret spending more time with people on your wedding day.

And one more, because I can’t help it…

4.) If you want a smaller wedding, consider renting an Airbnb and invite everyone to stay for the weekend.

My sister did this just two weeks ago today, and it was the most magical, beautiful wedding I’ve ever been a part of. We got to know her new family, we got to enjoy the coast, and quality time took precedent over everything. We got to work together to make the wedding happen, and man. Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face. No drama, no stress (well, maybe a little bit!), and lots of time to celebrate. My sister also found the MOST BEAUTIFUL mansion on the coast in NorCal that overlooked the ocean.

So there you have it: 3 (well, 4)  ways to make your wedding more meaningful! Don’t be afraid to break away from the mold; to ditch ancient traditions and forge your own trail. Make your wedding what YOU want it to be; it should be a reflection of you and your love story. Not  anyone else’s!