A few weeks ago, I was chatting with Emily, wedding planner and owner of Simply Yours Weddings, and she mentioned that many brides fail to consider the impact of Dayight Savings Time as they plan. Yes, the day gets darker faster and that's something you dont think about while planning your wedding day timeline. (I'll admit, I would have never thought of the impact either.) But, the time change plays a major role, especially when it comes to your wedding photos.
Here are some of the facts and dilemmas that Emily shared, which I thought might be helpful for you to note.
Photo taken on October 15, at 5:50 pm by Cali Ashton Photography
From Emily, a Nashville wedding planner's perspective...
- Daylight savings time in Middle Tennessee in the fall means the sun starts to go down around 4 or 4:30.
- I had a conversation with a gal who was in a wedding this last weekend who shared with me that the bride and groom did not get any pictures of just them together because she thought the sun was going to go down an hour later than when it did.
- I have also heard from another bride that she wished she would have thought about the ceremony time more thoroughly because she had to start getting ready for pictures so early in the day.
- As the sun goes down, it gets colder, if you have an outdoor ceremony and/or reception, think about your guests. Be sure to make accomodations for your guests accordingly if any part of your ceremony or reception is outside. There are wonderful and affordable resources in Nashville where you can find heaters for tents or for open outdoor areas.
- Myth - all times of day are fine for pictures. Truth - high noon can be super bright. "Golden hour," as some photographers refer to it, is the first and last light of the day and it can make for GORGEOUS pictures. For the evening golden hour, you need to know when the sun is going down. If you do not want see each other before the ceremony, but you're getting married as the sun is going down... then your window for pictures outside has depleted considerably.
- Be sure to communicate with your photographer - discuss how early your pictures need to start, how things will work towards the end, find inside opportunities (especially if you lose light), etc.
After hearing a planner's perspective, I reached out to another expert, Cali of Cali Ashton Photography, to see what they recommended brides consider as they plan their fall Nashville wedding. They not only shared the expert advice below, but they were also kind enough to share photos to give you an example of how the time of day will impact your wedding photos. As you will see, they included the month and time of day.
Photo taken on October 8, at 5:10 pm by Cali Ashton Photography
From Cali, a Nashville wedding photographer's perspective:
The 'Golden Hour' is a term you'll hear often when planning your wedding photography, not only because it is the best hour for photos but also because the sun is quite literally golden during that hour window! One of the most common mistakes is not taking Daylight Savings Time into consideration when planning your wedding. If you are planning your winter wedding during the summer and really like the light outside at 7:00pm, you'll have to plan on finishing your ceremony at 3:30pm in order to get the same light in December.
It is becoming fairly popular to have bridal/groomal photos done either before the ceremony or even a couple days before the wedding. Photographers love these sessions because it gives them the time to get the photos everyone wants without having to rush to get it done between the ceremony and reception. Some brides opt to do a trial run with their stylist and make-up artist before the wedding day anyway to make sure it looks perfect, these are great opportunities to put your dress on and meet up with your photographer to get some no-stress photos before the big day!
You want to avoid taking pictures mid-day when the sun is highest in the sky. This causes some unflattering shadows and squinting and if it is during the summer this is the hottest time of the day. No one looks natural sweating with sun in their eyes! You'll also want to avoid shooting outside after sunset. Camera flashes are not natural light, and while we can always make the best of most lighting situations, having to use flash to light up a bridal party at night is an unfavorable situation for any photographer.
A good suggestion for planning your wedding time is to look up the time of the sunset on your wedding day. You want to allow at least an hour for pictures of the bridal party, family, and bride and groom. We like to get these shots before the ceremony, it allows us a little more time to get photos of the bride and groom without feeling rushed. The light starts to get low half an hour before sunset so if you're planning your July wedding and want to get your pictures during the Golden Hour you will want to start shooting at 6:00pm to 6:30pm, an hour and a half to two hours before sunset. If you are getting your photos done before the ceremony you'll want to start the ceremony half an hour before sunset for an indoor wedding and an hour before sunset for an outside wedding, this will allow you to have your sunset wedding and also give you the best window for your photos before and during the ceremony!
Photo taken on October 30, at 4:35 pm by Cali Ashton Photography
Photo taken on June 4, at 6:07 pm by Cali Ashton Photography
Photo taken on July 28, at 8:00 pm by Cali Ashton Photography
Main Event Productions recently ran a series that offered great advice for planning your Nashville wedding. If anyone should know what to ask, it would be them. With 4 companies under one roof - including The Bake Shoppe, Legacy Farms, Events@1418 and A Catered Affair, they know the questions that every bride should ask as she hires wedding professionals. From cakes to catering, their blog provide such great information for brides that we decided to share them here!
Here's what they have covered so far. Follow the links to read more.
1. How to Select Your Wedding Venue
After the date, the guest list, and the budget are set, the first big vendor to choose is your location. Where will you get married? There are many factors to consider, read through the post to make sure you cover all of your bases! And check out our venue list for some options to consider. Click here for their advice for selecting your wedding venue.
Winter Wonderland wedding inspiration at Legacy Farms in their Main Event Hall. Photo: Ace Photography
2. How to Select a Wedding Coordinator
Whether you are looking to hire a day-of-coordinator or someone to walk you through the whole process, it is important to have someone to bounce your ideas off of and take care of the essentials during your wedding day. Remember, you will be in your wedding dress and saying your vows, unable to take care of any behind the scenes issues or set up! Check out our list of planners, but the blog list is to help you find someone compatible, who will assist in making your dreams come true, and will always stay within your budget. Click here for their advice on selecting a wedding coordinator.
Cakes by The Bake Shoppe at the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show.
4. What to Ask Your Caterer
Advice from Main Event Productions can help you stay within your budget, since your caterer will consist of a large portion of your wedding cost. It's important to understand exactly what they can provide your guests, what their costs includes, and so much more. Click here to learn more about wedding catering. We do love food and have a collection of caterers to choose from.
I recently attended an open house for Regalo Design and had an opporttunity to speak with a lovely engaged couple. They asked what I thought about Regalo Design and other wedding planners. Nashville has a bevy of great wedding planners, which makes choosing the right one a challenge. BUT, I encourage you to take the time to interview a few and find the one that feels right. Ask questions, read their blog, meet them in person and hire the company that meets your specific needs, "gets" your vision and with whom you connect personally.
Regalo Design is one wedding planning company that you should definitely add to your consider list. Sarah and Damon make a great team and offer a unique combination of services, from floral design to custom furntiture and wedding favors. Sarah is very creative and a great problem solver. Damon is a gal's dream handyman and a great complement to the design team. Their company is a one-stop planning solution for many of your wedding needs.
Let's look at some of the specific ways Regalo Design can help you!
Left: their studio; Right: Damon and Sarah
A husband and wife team, Regalo Design takes care of your planning, florals and decor for your wedding. "Sarah is one person who understands all three aspects," explained Damon, "When you have three seperate vendors for each thing it's hard to get them to fully understand your vision." When it comes to fabrics and draping, Regalo can handle the simple parts but will outsource to specialty lighting companies; aside from that and catering, there isn't much they don't do.
Planning Services
Regalo limits the number of weddings they do each year to make sure they properly focus on each bride. They have several tiers of planning packages from month-of to full-on planning and destination packages. "We are able to JUST be a planner if that's called for but our other services are included for sure." The "other services," Damon was referring to:
Unlimited emails and phone calls
Pre-wedding consultations
Assistance with all of your wedding showers or parties
Vendor referrals
Timeline of events
Coordinate and direct the rehearsal
Rehearsal dinner and wedding day activities
All this is included whether you get the most basic of packages or if you have added more of their services on.
Budgeting
As a planner, Regalo has established strong working relationships with vendors and wholesalers and will share those incentives and savings with you. For example, the cost of flowers - they buy flowers for your decorations from wholesalers and they offer you the same prices they get, so there are no hidden costs. As Damon told me, when it comes to utilizing a bride's budget, "we specifically divide budget up to what they want, don't overbuy and therefore don't exceed their budget."
Floral Design & Decor
"Anything floral related, we can fully manage," Damon says. Personally, their floral work far exceeds just management - Regalo designs and puts together all the flowers in their weddings from bouquets to centerpieces. Mixed in with their huge assortment of decor pieces, each wedding has its own look with Regalo's distinct flair and touch.
Sarah also sews, so it's not out of the ordinary for her to create custom linens for a bride. Regalo also has a huge inventory of decor items like vases, glass cylinders, votives, candles and other knick knacks that you would normally have to rent elsewhere. There is no extra cost to what you use.
Wooden boxes perfect for a rustic wedding.
Wedding Favors
Regalo Design offers wedding favors through their Wedding Favor Market. From great bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts to all sorts of fun favors your guests will love, the Wedding Favor Market has a ton of options. Because Regalo runs this online store, they know what's available, how soon you can get it and they will be able to tell you how well (or not) it will match your theme.
Peace of Mind
You are always in the loop when you work with Regalo. All couples have access to their own online planning database that Sarah and Damon update as you go through your planning process. The Regalo Planning Center has checklists, contracts, invoices and notes from meetings and phonecalls so if you ever have a moment where you're wondering if you might have forgotten to talk to Regalo about something, you can go in there to check, even if it's the middle of the night!
When your first consultation is complimentary, there's nothing to lose and so much to gain, so definitely give Regalo Design a call. They have tons more photos from weddings and events they've overseen on their website RegaloDesign.com - where you will also find more information on everything they do. You can also read testimonials from Regalo brides on her profile here view pictures or their real weddings in our Inspiration Gallery.
Two weeks ago, I hosted a wedding planning workshop with the super talented ladies of Kerried Away Couture and Love Bird Style. The event was extremely informative.
The evening started with a walk through of two real weddings by Jessica of Love Bird Style. Not only is Jessica a planner/designer but her own wedding, which took place at Historic Cedarwood, was featured on Style Me Pretty. She shared her wedding which was inspired by a quilt. She walked us through the color selection, theme and overall design. She then shared a second wedding and a mock inspiration board. Brides had a lot of questions about how to create their own inspiration board, which you can learn about via the video below.
Next up, Kerri and Lane of Kerried Away Couture. Kerried Away Couture offers custom bridesmaid dresses (locally and nationally). They discussed how custom bridesmaid dresses are designed, how to select appropriate styles and fabrics for your party and mothers.
Joy of Joy Chambers Photography was on hand to grab great photos and I manned the video camera to capture some great advice for you!
If you are a bride and were not able to attend the event, please take time to watch the videos below or reach out and contact Kerried Away or Love Bird Style for a consult for custom dresses or wedding design/planning.
Kerri (left); me (middle); Lane (right). Both ladies wore Kerried Away designs.
Video: Determining Your Wedding Style
Video: Creating Your Inspiration Board
Custom clutches by Kerried Away Couture
Custom bridesmaid skirt options by Kerried Away Couture
Video: Choosing Your Wedding Color Palette
Custom Kerried Away bridesmaid dresses for a fun, outdoor wedding
Video: Choosing Your Bridesmaids Dresses
Custom mother dress by Kerried Away Couture
Video: Choosing Colors for Your Mothers Dresses (Mother of Groom or Bride)
The Kerried Away Couture studio
Lane (left); Kerri (middle); Jessica (right)
It was great to meet Adrienne (left) a Nashville bride.
Not to get all "hey look at me" but today's question from a bride really hits home and I'm sure it will with all of you too. One thing you learn when you are planning your wedding is that a lot of the stress is stemmed from your guests and family. It was in my case at least. Suddenly people are inviting other people you don't even know, or taking complete liberties with what is supposed to be your special day and it's a harsh lesson in not being able to please everybody. If any of you are experiencing this now, we hope that the responses from our industry professionals will help you along too.
Nashville Bride's Question:
My fiance and I want an small, intimate wedding. We weren't planning on giving everyone a plus one. Yet already, people are stating that they are bringing this person or that person. People we don't even know. [My groom] and I really want our wedding to just be shared with the people we are close with. Plus the invitations aren't even out and people are assuming that they have a plus one. What should we do?
Expert Advice from Sarah Willard, Wedding Planner (Music City Events)
This is unfortunately a common thread with many of today's brides. The best way to approach this, with grace, is to explain the situation to people as they mention bringing this or that person and to instruct your parents to do the same. "Josh and I really desire a very private wedding and have decided to keep the guest list small." If your choice is based partly on budget or venue space ("Our budget is tight" or "The church/venue only holds a small amount of guests"), you can add that in, but otherwise don't try to explain it away or act like its a big deal. Just use a very casual, normal tone. More often than not people will respond in the same tones you use. Having said that, etiquette dictates that you invite both spouses in a marriage and the significant other if a guest is engaged. Best of luck! These can be tricky things to navigate.
Expert Advice from Amy Thomas, Wedding Planner (Swizzle Events)
This can be a delicate situation. In days gone by, you would simply address the invitation to those who were invited and your guest would understand that a "plus one" was not included. (The official rule says only those named on the envelope are invited, i.e. Mr. & Mrs. Jones or The Thomas Family). Unfortunately, most people today do not employ the social graces that are expected for a formal event. Whether they just don't know or don't care is a topic for another day, but it still leaves you in a pickle.
Since you haven't sent your invitations yet, you will need to face this head-on with your intended guests when they mention bringing a guest. It's really important that you let them know you are so excited to have an intimate wedding and really want them to share in your day because they have played an important role in your life. Then, directly say that you are looking forward to having them at your wedding but you simply have not planned for any guests to bring a "plus one". You could tell them that you have made a very intentional guest list and you hope they will join in your celebration. If necessary, you could also tell them that you are working with a specific budget and simply can't afford a growing guest list. Most people will understand if you approach it in a calm, sweet way. Most importantly, be aware of your tone of voice and body language. The old adage "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar" is very true in this situation. You could also ask your maid of honor, mom, sister, best friend to begin spreading the word that this will be an intimate wedding and that you really hope people will honor your wishes and not bring uninvited guests. Good luck and be brave! Most likely you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Good luck with your planning, hopefully this advice gives you much needed stress relief knowing that you're not alone and that there are solutions to the problem! If you have any questions you'd like answered, please consider hiring a Nashville wedding planner to handle your wedding from AZ or contact us and we'll help you as best we can!
At Ashley’s Bride Guide, we’re always on the lookout for innovative and exciting wedding ideas.
Send us your wedding tips, creative ideas, or your own wedding
photos to share. We’d love to hear from you »
.jpg)
