I see it all as a wedding photographer! From the early planning stages, to the nerves leading up to the wedding day, to the long list of things that could possibly go wrong, I have a lot of experience behind the scenes at weddings. I’ve come up with a list of five things to stop stressing about on your wedding day, so you can enjoy your day and let go of all the little things that are out of your control! 

The weather

No matter where your ceremony is, indoor or outdoor, tent or no tent, the weather on your wedding day is completely out of your control. Especially in Chicago, the weather is unpredictable at any time throughout the year. No matter what the weather situation is, you will get those dreamy photos you dream of! If you planned for a sunny day and you get rain, you can get unexpected romantic, moody shots in the rain. Maybe get a huge blizzard on your wedding day. Just think about those stunning photos you’ll get in the sparkly snow! A good thing to think about when choosing a venue is to go with a venue that you love its indoor space as much as you love the outdoor space so either way you will love where you get married!

Your timeline running behind

Repeat after me: your wedding will not start without you! Things are bound to run a little late on your wedding day, no matter how organized you are and how detailed your timeline is. Things just happen that you can’t plan for. Maybe your hair and makeup took longer than expected, or the best man’s speech went overtime. At the end of the day, who cares? Your guests will remember all the laughs, dances and memories from your wedding, not that you were running a bit behind. You still want to be cautious of the timeline you set, but don’t stress over it! The best way to prepare for running behind schedule is to include some downtime in the day, because if anything you’ll just get some extra time to relax if everything is on time! I personally always look over my couples’ schedules (or totally plan it for them) so that we have plenty of time between events. 

Your dress or tuxedo getting dirty

Honestly, your wedding day is the only day you’re going to wear your dress or tuxedo anyway, so don’t stress too much about it. Obviously you spent a lot of money on it and want to keep it looking good, but that’s what cleaners are for! Your wedding photos are what you are going to keep forever and show people for years and years, and you’ll get a much better variety of photos by letting go of the fear of getting dirty! So many couples don’t want to sit or do creative things because they’re scared that they will get dirty, but you don’t want all of your newlywed portraits to look too similar! Focus on having the best day and worry about getting it cleaned later! You won’t get those moments back! 

Your family and guest drama

We’re gonna hope that you don’t have any drama with your family or guests on your wedding day, but keep in mind that even the most dramatic guests tend to be on their best behavior at weddings. If anything does go down, just brush it off and keep on enjoying your night! You only get one and you can worry about any drama later.

The little details

You want everything to be absolutely perfect, but we’re human, so it won’t be. If you forget your earrings or cufflinks, it’s not the end of the world! A good idea is to ask your maid of honor or best man to remind you of these little things ahead of time, or like I mentioned in this post, pack a getting ready bag with all those little things (similar to a hospital bag) the week before your wedding. No matter what you forget or what little details don’t go as planned, keep the big picture in mind: you are starting your life together.