You are in love, you get engaged and immediately start planning the perfect wedding, one of the most important days of your lives. In this article I share some of the things that have gone wrong in my almost 3 years of experience in the wedding industry (photo & video), “mistakes” that happen over and over again, that for some reason no one (not even the planner) think about.

Of course there are ways to go around many obvious elements, like babies crying, a very sunny day, rain, people blocking our view, and others, in order for the final product to look perfect and keep only “the good” or the beautiful moments. But as a creative that has seen many brides complain about their final videos (mostly), I believe the ones I’ll mention here, will be worth thinking about and maybe avoid:

1. Choosing the wrong hair style. The bride should think of a hairdo that not only goes with her dress and theme, but also goes according to the weather and the angle she’s going to be standing at the altar. Let me explain: if you are having a beach wedding, consider that it will most likely be windy, as most beaches are. That means that if any part of your hair is loose, it will be flying around your face and/or falling on your lips or eyes, ruining your makeup or at least, looking not so good on the final video. You will be fighting with your hair during the ceremony and will not be happy with how the video looks. I have seen this happen over and over again and brides regret it, every time. Talk to your hair stylist to find the right hairdo that holds all your hair back, at least for the ceremony in this setting. See some examples here https://www.eyeforbeautyct.com/gallery. And regarding bridal hair style and the right angle, make sure you split your hair in a way that your face can be seen during the ceremony. It’s such a small detail but it’s happened many times, where no one (guests, photographers, videographers) are able to see the bride’s face or expressions. Please take this into account.
2. Starting to drink early. I am all up for having fun and enjoying your day the best way you can, but I advise to be mindful of your drinking. Remember that, as the Bride and Groom, you are the 2 main characters in the story. This is what I have seen happen: some of my brides or grooms can’t walk straight during their ceremony, some have very glassy eyes at their photoshoots, some start yelling or telling very private or embarrassing stories, some kiss or touch each other in a non-classy way (french kissing, butt grabbing), some start to sweat profusely and maybe even vomit early in the celebration. These are scenarios that you DO NOT WANT filmed of taken pictures of, but unfortunately, especially videographers, these are almost impossible to go around. So, avoid all these situations and I assure you, the 2 of you will love the final film and stills and treasure forever.
3. Not having a Plan B in case of rain. For some reason, some couples do not think about this, and everyone ends up soaked or the ceremony has to be interrupted. This can be planned one week before the date, according to the forecast. If there is potential for rain or too much sun, either ask guests to bring their own umbrella or provide umbrellas for everyone. You can also choose an optional indoor spot at the same sight in case you need to set up the ceremony there at the last minute (I prefer this second one).
4. Inviting children. There is always a debate on this one. I understand the desire to let your sister or best friend bring their child(ren) to your wedding. After all, they are family. But I have to make you aware of some things that can happen and I have witnessed myself every time there’s children at weddings. No matter how well behaved you know those kids are, they all react to the energy and environment of the day and end up crying, screaming, or even wanting to get out of there. I recently filmed a wedding where a 10 year old that was part of the bridal party, started to freak out and decided not to walk down the isle before the bride at the last minute. Her uncontrollable shaking and crying was a reaction you could tell her own mom was shocked at. The bridal party ended up being one girl short. In a different and very elegant wedding, during the B&G’s first dance, there was smoke filling the floor of a beautiful castle-like room, elegant chandeliers, the bride looked like an angel, dancing on a cloud with her groom, when all of the sudden, all the children attending, decided to get on the dance floor to play freely with the “cloud” and thus ruining the shots. Parents of the children were recording with their phones and reacted too late to remove them from the dance floor and the Bride ended up not too happy with their final video. Bottom line, if you decide to allow family and friends to bring their children, establish clear rules or plan b’s in case some unexpected behavior happens and ruins your or their day.

Part II coming next week. How about you? What “mistakes” would you advice to avoid? Share in the comments. See you soon…