How to Make the Most of Your Time Together on Your Wedding Day!

One of the most common wedding day regrets that I hear couples share is that they simply wish they had gotten to spend more time together. Balancing the desire to spend time together on your wedding day while also ensuring that you are acknowledging and celebrating with the many others who travelled near and far to be there for you is a challenge to say the least! For those of you currently planning a wedding and wanting to combat this common regret, or who may be on the fence about whether or not to do a first look, I wanted to share my thoughts and provide some alternative ideas.

1. Do a first look!

As a coordinator, I most definitely have a biased opinion here as there are countless other logistical benefits to doing a first look. The photo schedule of your day will be more smooth and efficient, your guests' and bridal party members' time will be maximized, and best of all - you two will get more time together on your wedding day versus waiting to see until the start of your ceremony.

Photos by Olivia Marie Plath

If, however, you know that waiting to see each other until your ceremony is going to be a special moment in your day, I fully support that and there are still a variety of other great options for you sneak time together in throughout your day!

2. Consider a first touch!

A first touch is the perfect option for those who are foregoing a first look but still want to maximize time together on their wedding day. During your first touch, you could pray together, exchange letters or personal vows, special gifts, or even just talk to each other.

Photo by Memories by Morgy

3. Drive around together after your ceremony or go back to the bridal suite together!

If time allows, add an extra 5 or 10 minutes to your drive time if you are taking photos at a different location or have different ceremony and reception venues. Or if your venue has an onsite bridal suite that you have access to, that is even better! Schedule 5-10 minutes to sneak away and take everything in together in peace.

4. Opt for a sweetheart table instead of the traditional head table!

Photo by Sidney Bischer Photography

5. Host a whole "wedding weekend!"

This trend is increasing more and more and I absolutely love it! Wedding days fly by fast so be intentional to soak up the whole weekend as much as you can! Spend extra quality time with out of town guests, extended family members etc. in the days leading up to your wedding so that come wedding day, you don't feel as much pressure or worry so much about making sure you get to engage with every single person!