Maine & NH Wedding Photographer // You Want a Fun, Chill Wedding Day That Won't Make You Sweat Through Your Spanx? Cool. Do This First.

You’ve got the dress. You’ve picked the dream team of vendors. You’re ready to party. But if you don’t prep a few key things ahead of time—like your family formal list, a solid photo timeline, and actually telling your planner and photographer what you really care about—your day can go from laid-back vibes to where the hell is Aunt Susan and why is the best man missing a shoe?!

Let’s talk about how to avoid the chaos and make room for more champagne and belly laughs.

1. Make a Family Formal List (Seriously. Just Do It. And I Will Walk You Through Every Step.)

I love your family. Truly. But wrangling people for family formals can feel like trying to herd caffeinated raccoons in formalwear.

Here’s how to make it easier for everyone (especially you):

- Make a list ahead of time. Like, an actual list with full names. “Uncle Joe” means nothing to me when there are four Joes floating around and one of them is actually a neighbor named Joe who just *looks* like family.

- Organize it by sides. I’ll actually give you a mock list to work with. “Bride’s side: Parents, siblings, grandparents.” “Groom’s side: Parents, siblings, cousins who might start a conga line.” You get the idea.

- Tell your people. Like, directly. Text them. Tell them to hang back after the ceremony. Assign a bossy cousin or a bridal party member to help find people if they wander.

And here's a hot tip: don’t overdo it. I know every photo sounds like a great idea when you're building the list, but on the actual day, you’ll want to enjoy cocktail hour—not spend an hour lining people up like you're running a high school picture day. Think of it this way, as long as everyone is present, each grouping will take 3 minutes.

2. Get Your Photo Timeline Dialed In (With Me + Your Planner)

Your timeline is not just some fancy color-coded document. It’s what keeps the day running like a well-oiled hype machine. You need one, and we need to build it together.

- Think about light. Want dreamy golden hour portraits? We’ve gotta plan for that. I will tell you during our pre-wedding consult when sunset is and the best time for those photos.

- Add buffer time. Hair and makeup almost always run late. Trust me. I will build in some cushion time so you’re not panicking before you even walk down the aisle.

- Keep it real. If you don’t want to feel rushed or like you’re on a wedding-themed episode of “Survivor,” trust your vendors and let us guide you through the flow.

When your timeline is on point, the day feels easy. We’re not sprinting from one thing to the next, and you actually get to live in the moments instead of feeling like you’re just checking boxes.

3. Be Straight About What You Actually Want

Here’s the deal: you don’t have to do anything just because it’s “tradition” or your cousin Becky did it at her wedding in 2017.

- Don’t want a garter toss? Cool. Toss that idea instead.

- Want a first look so you can spend more time together before the ceremony? Let’s make it happen.

- Wanna skip getting ready photos and focus more on portraits after the ceremony? Done.

I’m not here to shove a Pinterest-perfect checklist at you. I’m here to help you build a day that feels like you. The more honest you are about what matters most, the more fun you’ll have—and the more your photos will reflect who you actually are, not some weirdly staged version of it.

Bottom Line: Less Stress, More Joy

Listen. Your wedding day should be fun. It should feel like you, not like a corporate event with a dress code. When you take the time to prep a solid family formal list, coordinate your timeline with your photographer (hi, it’s me) and planner, and say out loud what you really care about—your whole day just flows better. And trust me, when it flows well, you have more time for the good stuff: the tequila shots, the teary hugs, the dance floor chaos.

Need help building your timeline or figuring out how many family photos are actually necessary? I got you. Let’s talk and build a plan that fits your kind of wedding day.