The Most Important Thing to Spend Your Wedding Budget On
I’m going to say something that might seem shocking: I don’t think you should blow your wedding budget on stationery. I think the most important thing to invest in when you are crafting your commitment ceremony is photography.
Photo by Bellalu Photography
I’ve heard so many people post-wedding describe the experience as the most intensely exciting and exhausting day ever, and usually they don’t remember most of the details because it’s all a blur. And then, a few months later they get their photos back and are able to experience the event all over again in a less stressful, more reverent way.
At the end of the day, the photos are the way that your wedding can live forever. And connecting with your photographer’s style, and trusting that they can capture all of the little moments that add together into the bigger picture is so insanely important.
Photo by Rachel Wakefield | Invitations by Bowerbird Atelier
A really smart photographer friend once told me that a wedding photographer’s job is not only to document the day, but to photograph every single thing that the couple invested in or spent time on. Did you hand-stamp your reply cards? Order a really unique welcome sign? Hire a unique bartender? Photos of these moments on the day are so important because it’s a way to make your memories last.
A good photographer will also act as a guide throughout your day, to help you focus on the important moments. While you are concerned about the appetizers being cooked perfectly, or the bartenders pouring too much wine, your photographer may pull you away to document a quiet moment with your grandmother, or your nephew, which can help to shift your focus back to why you are doing this in the first place.
Still not convinced?
Think of it this way: You will never look this good again. Ever. You are going to spend months crafting your outfit, doing hair and makeup trials, and visualizing what you both will look like when you say ‘I Do’ in front of your community (who is also probably going to look pretty snazzy!). You’ve picked a great location, and hired some great people to make it all come to life. Doesn’t that deserve incredible documentation?
Photo by Diana Rothery
However you decide to document your day, put a little bit more importance on photography over everything else. It’s the little details and the gorgeously composed candid shots that will let you re-live your commitment ceremony over and over again.
