The key to a great relationship and marriage is communication, hands down. Without the ability to express your thoughts and opinions to each other you are basically running blind assuming what your significant other wants or feels.
The same applies to your wedding day and the relationships that you build with your vendors. When meeting your florist for example, it is helpful to show them your inspiration photos or Pinterest board but even aside from that you need to be able to communicate what it is that you like in those images. Is it the type of flower, the shape of the bouquet, the colors or textures used etc. Otherwise your Pinterest board is a large collection of question marks because your wedding is about your unique likes and dislikes as a couple, we as wedding professionals want to bring your personality into the details of your day.
If you have a favorite shot that you want to make sure that your photographer captures, say a group photo or a shot of your first kiss with the ceremony guests in the back ground; it is imperative that you discuss this with them initially. This will ensure that your photographer is comfortable shooting in that particular lighting you are looking for, you have a second shooter if needed for that unique angle etc. You don't necessarily need a strict shots list but it does help to give your photographer and wedding planner an idea of anyone you definitely want to get individual photos with.
So how do you make sure that your expectations are met? Planning a wedding is a big deal, and you likely have never planned something this big so it makes sense that you don't know where to start. We recommend starting from the guests perspective of what you want their experience to be and how they will interpret your personality. If it is important for you that your guests walk into your ceremony and feel an instant sense of romance, consider what type of arrangements or signage can be used to start telling your story from the entrance all the way through to your reception.
Then when it comes to the logistics of your wedding day, how do you want to feel while getting ready? Do you want to be surrounded by your wedding party and close family, do you want a few minutes for yourself to take everything in? We can plan on adding that buffer time into your wedding day timeline if we know ahead of time that you would like everyone to clear out and give you some room (and it is perfectly ok to need that!)
As a wedding planner we sometimes are the middle man and we want to advocate for our couples the best we can to make sure that your needs and wants will be met, but to be fair to the wedding team you have hired we make sure to go over any wedding day expectations that we are aware of.
Once your special day is here we want you to be able to enjoy it and let us worry about the details!
~ Happy Planning