From a Photographer’s Perspective
Let’s start with the truth: the wedding industry is expensive. There’s really no sugarcoating it.
Because of that, one of the most important things you can do early on is decide what matters most to you—and build your budget around those priorities.
For some couples, that might be photography. For others, it’s the venue, the food, or creating an unforgettable experience for their guests. There’s no right or wrong answer, but having clarity here will guide every decision moving forward.
One thing I often hear is the idea of having a backyard wedding to save money. While it can be beautiful and meaningful, it’s not always the most cost-effective option.
When you host a wedding at home, you’re essentially building everything from the ground up—rentals, tents, restrooms, staffing, and often a day-of coordinator, which in my opinion is a must for any DIY-style wedding.
From flowers to cake to logistics, those costs can add up quickly.
The key is to be intentional. Choose what matters most and allow yourself to be flexible with the rest.
Once you’ve established your priorities and budget, the next step is building a vendor team you trust.
These are the people who will bring your vision to life and guide you through the day, often in ways you don’t even realize until you’re in the moment.
I always recommend starting with your venue, planner, and photographer. These three vendors tend to shape the overall flow of your day and often help guide decisions for everything that follows.
Your photographer, especially, is someone you’ll spend a large portion of your day with. Beyond just loving their work, it’s important to feel comfortable with them—to trust their process, their guidance, and their ability to capture moments as they naturally unfold. After photographing weddings for many years, I’ve seen firsthand how much of a difference a strong, supportive vendor team can make.
The same goes for your planner or coordinator. Having someone there to manage the timeline, communicate with vendors, and handle any unexpected changes allows you to actually enjoy your wedding day and let someone else handle whatever arises.
As you continue building your team—florists, caterers, DJs or bands—look for people whose work you love, but also people who feel aligned with you. The energy your vendors bring plays a big role in how your day feels.
When your team is aligned, supportive, and experienced, everything flows more seamlessly. And that allows you to focus on what truly matters—being present, celebrating, and soaking in each moment as it happens.
A well-thought-out timeline is one of the most important parts of your wedding day—but it shouldn’t feel rigid or overwhelming.
Instead, think of your timeline as a guide. Something that creates structure while still allowing space to breathe and actually enjoy the day as it unfolds.
From a photography perspective, your timeline plays a huge role in how your day feels and how your photos turn out. Things like getting ready, first looks, family portraits, and golden hour portraits all benefit from having intentional time set aside.
But just as important as planning is building in buffer time.
Extra minutes for getting dressed.
Time to pause before walking down the aisle.
A moment to step away together and take it all in.
These are the spaces where the day slows down—and often where the most meaningful moments happen.
One of the biggest pieces of advice I give my couples is this: trust the team you’ve chosen.
You’ve taken the time to find people whose work you love and whose presence feels right—let them guide you, support you, and carry the weight of the day so you don’t have to.
Because I've said it before and I'll say it again–no matter how well you plan, weddings are beautifully unpredictable and that’s okay.
When you let go of the need for everything to be perfect, you create space for something even better.
And that’s when everything starts to feel like a touch of magic.