I know I’m probably not supposed to pick favorites BUT this was a wedding I was looking forward to shooting for a long time. After their amazing engagement session last year with the fall colors, I knew this was a chance to create something really special. We had to fight rain clouds all day long but God blessed us with perfect weather exactly when it mattered most. I asked Nick and Jessica to share some of her thoughts from the day! Enjoy!
When the two of you were planning the wedding together, what was the most fun part?
Nick – “Building the birch arbor and sampling cupcakes were two favorite parts, but the whole process was fun for me!”
Jessica – “One of my favorite parts was making lists of what needed to be done next and checking them off. I also loved that Nick was always willing to help plan the details with me!”
How was experience before the ceremony, were you nervous? Excited?
Jess – “I had butterflies all morning and as 3:00 came closer I found myself closer and closer to tears. Happy tears of course, I was just so excited that I cried!”
Nick – “I was so excited that I was nervous! I had the most aggressive butterflies whirling around in my stomach and I just wanted to see Jess and be married to her. I couldn’t wait to start the ceremony!”
Were there any unforeseen problems that arose on the wedding day and if so, how did you work around them?
“Not necessarily on the wedding day but during the lead up we definitely had a few setbacks. Our biggest one, that we had zero control over, was the rain we were going to have that entire weekend. Our ceremony was outside so rain was not part of the plan! The night of rehearsal we practiced inside since everyone expected it to be pouring the next day. It was pouring on Saturday morning, but miraculously the rain let up, the sun came out during our ceremony, and before we could finish the receiving line it started raining again. We were so happy for that break in the rain. We had our dream outdoor ceremony that we’d been planning for all year! The rain even stopped again so we could take some awesome outdoor pictures!”
If you could go back and relive any one moment of the day, what would you go back to?
Jess – “I loved the entire day and want to relive the whole thing! If I had to choose one part, I’d like to relive our ceremony, particularly our vows to each other. It was the most meaningful aspect of the wedding after all! I’d also like to go back to the dance party. Our feet were sore the next day!”
Nick – “The day as a whole was one I’ll never forget. I loved every minute of it! The ceremony was something I’d like to relive again. That’s what made it all official and made us husband and wife. I’d also really like to have a second first dance! I felt as though it was only my new wife and I in that room. And the dancing portion was a blast! I can’t wait to see the photos from that.”
Now that you’re a pro, what advice do you have for other brides planning their weddings?
Jess – I say do what YOU want (as a couple). If neither of you want chocolate cupcakes, don’t have chocolate cupcakes. If you want to have your ceremony somewhere unconventional (but reasonable) go for it! Make it your own, it’s YOUR day. And have fun planning it together. Sneak in as many personal details as possible.
Another thing is to always have a backup plan – in case of rain or other problems that might come up.
Lastly, it’s so important to just be flexible. Don’t be stressed out over things because those little things probably aren’t going to make or break your wedding. We had worked hard on making these cute programs we’d bought, but went to print them a week before the wedding and every print shop told us they weren’t printable! I cried for a few seconds, then drove to Office Max so we could at least have colored paper, and unexpectedly found some that went perfectly with our theme! I had ordered flower girl dresses way in advance, and about 2-3 weeks before the wedding I got a notice that I’d be refunded and an apology for their unavailability. We scrambled to find similar dresses in time! Were they exactly what I’d been planning? No. Were they beautiful dresses? Yes. Were our flower girls totally adorable and steal the show? Absolutely!
My point is, things are going to go wrong or not as smoothly as you’ve envisioned. Keep going with the flow because at the end of the big day, you’ll be married to your soul mate and that’s the most important part! In fact, that’s the whole point of the wedding!!!
