Things a bride must keep in mind on her big day – A wedding photographer’s perspective

Weddings, some of the most exciting and happiest moments in your life are part of this grand celebration. The memories you collect on this auspicious occasion will last a lifetime. Be it your attire, how you feel or even a faux pas you committed during the course of the festivities. Yes, none of us are free from missteps. We at Creative Chisel have listed a few things for the bride to keep in mind to make her big day flawless. This will go on long way in making your wedding a stress-free experience.

The wedding day starts a night before. Confused? A good night’s sleep is the best makeup that can liven you up for the big day. While a sound sleep before such occasions is near impossible, it sure helps two things: One, to avoid those dark circles under your eyes. And secondly to stay fresh throughout the day keeping in mind how elaborative Indian weddings can be.

It is very common for us to try the new clothes and accessories on the big day for the first time. It is also part of tradition to save the new outfit for the big day. It is always wise to try on the new outfit ahead of time along with some of the accessories so that you know it fits you to a T. And don’t forget to move around in your new outfit so you know you can sit down or stand up during the actual ceremony comfortably.

This being your big day, you might be tempted to handle all the aspects of the day yourself. Be it the catering, decorations, lodging for guests etc. Taking on all of this on your own is sure to leave you exhausted before the big day and it will show in your interactions. Identify people in your inner circle who can take care of these tasks so that you have a pleasant experience leading up to the wedding.

Whether you are used to it or not, you will be the center of attraction at your wedding. You might be adorned with shimmering jewels and accessories from head to toe. An elegant custom made dress and footwear. But the way you carry it off in your walk adds to the whole experience. Your confidence shows through in how you navigate through the ceremonies in your splendid outfit. Walk unhurried. The world will wait for you.

As the saying goes, too many cooks spoil the broth. This also applies to all the makeup tips you will receive for your big day from multiple people. Have a personal beautician attend to you prior to your ceremonies or in between events. This can be someone who you have usually gone to before or someone who specialises in weddings. Ideally someone familiar with what you like. Big tip : Get a room of your own, and let the aunties and cousins get ready somewhere else. Our experience shows that the bride is mostly stress-free when people give her the required time and space to get ready.

With so many variables going into the mix to make your wedding beautiful, there are bound to be few things that don’t go perfect. Let it be. It only matters that you have a good day despite anything that doesn’t go your way. Leave the worries for another day. And when you look back, what went wrong wouldn’t matter as much as what went right.

There are significant moments in a wedding that you want treasured for life. Make sure you are on the same page with your wedding photographers and video team. Let them work around the ceremonies unobtrusively so that the moment when the vows are made, the knot is tied, the ring is exchanged, moments that are precious and personal and yet are captured for posterity. Let them capture you in those moments of happiness, playfulness and pure emotion. Our personal tip is to mark a slot in your wedding day plan for a quick photoshoot. We always get pictures of the bride and the groom being surrounded by people around, but it would be nice to get some portraits and couple shots too. Even a 10 minute photoshoot will make you relive the day with some beautiful pictures.

Weddings can last from a day or two to a whole week. Never neglect your health. Eat and sleep as much as you would on a normal day. Find quick ways to deal with your hunger and most importantly stay hydrated. Do not hesitate to ask for that glass of water or juice. It is your wedding, you need to be as comfortable as you possibly can to have a good time. Be sure of having a conversation with the priest/purohit well in advance to know the schedule, timelines of the wedding so that you are ready for it.

Weddings are a real test of everyone’s time management skills. Every event and every activity has potential to fall behind schedule. Plan your activities, be it makeup, dressing up, change of outfits. The earlier you show up to each of these the more you are at peace.

Keep all of these in mind when you start planning your wedding. The objective is to make it the most pleasant experience for everyone, but most importantly for you. Here’s wishing you the very best on your big day. Cheers.