Over the years, I have learned that the photography of the wedding day plays such a major role in how high-end the wedding looks. From a photographer’s perspective, I am constantly making decisions while shooting to make sure all the details are photographed in the most elevated way possible. But I have learned that their are ways you can make your wedding more luxurious without spending a ton! You as the bride can make a few high-impact planning decisions to make sure the wedding photographs even nicer too!
As a new bride, when it comes to wedding planning you are faced with a million decisions… It’s all very exciting but it can also be somewhat overwhelming. You’re planning the day that you’ve been anticipating your whole life and yet you only get one shot at it! By the time you get the hang of it, the planning is over!
And here’s the thing: After the big day is over, you will leave your reception with a spouse & your pictures…. that’s it! All of that planning and preparation is over in a matter of hours! So, if you’re choosing to invest in high-quality photography, you should also consider ways to plan the day around what photographs well and how nicely it tells the story of your wedding day.
There are so many expenses when it comes to wedding planning. Many brides have to prioritize what they want to invest in. Over the years, I have found that there are certain things to avoid investing in and other parts of the day that a little extra investment will go a very long way! I call that high-impact planning.
I hope that this list will help you invest in the parts of your day that will be high-impact and will help you avoid spending money where it doesn’t matter as much.
Invest in Your Bridal Bouquet Over Other Florals
Make your bridal bouquet a big priority! When I’m photographing a wedding, if the bride has a gorgeous bouquet, I can make the entire day look like there were beautiful florals everywhere! I can use the bridal bouquet to spruce up bridal details, reception details, AND even bride and groom portraits as well! The bridal bouquet is a focal point for me when it comes to your photography and so I highly recommend getting your DREAM bouquet and investing less on the bridesmaid’s bouquets since they will not be photographed nearly as much!
Go with Greenery Over Blooms
Greenery is beautiful and photographs well AND it can be half the price of ordering blooms. I recommend actual flowers for your bridal bouquet and other bouquets but then decorating other aspects of the day with greenery to save money but still make a huge visual impact!
Have One Well-Done Installation
… Instead of a lot of small vignettes of decor. If you’re hoping for a heavily detailed reception but the cost is adding up, focus on one focal point instead of trying to decorate everywhere. For example, invest in a beautiful, large, hanging chandelier or unique lighting elements but do shorter, simpler floral centerpieces on half of your tables and candles on the other half.
This reception lighting decor from Kaitlion & Josh’s Wedding Day was done by Mystic Lites.
Double Purposes for Decor
Another way you can make your wedding more luxurious without spending a ton is by giving your decor double purposes. Maybe you choose to have an epic, well-styled entryway decor at your reception that also doubles as an amazing photo booth later on throughout the evening once party dancing has started! Or maybe you can find ways to repurpose your ceremony decor during the reception. Get creative and think of ways you can repurpose décor throughout the day.
Avoid Spending Money on Tiny Details
Customized favors, personalized M&M’s, etc…. it all adds up and at the end of the day, your hard work in the tiny details can often be overlooked.
I hope these few tips help you to begin seeing the ways you can make your wedding more luxurious without spending a ton. By using high-impact planning, you can have your dream wedding and plan the details of your day around the photos! Photos that will tell the story of your day over and over for years to come!
Don’t Leave Before Snagging Your Free Gift!
AND for more tips on how to make your wedding day, even more, photography friendly, be sure to download the Free BGP Wedding Day Timeline, below. This will walk you through creating the perfect timeline for your wedding in TEN minutes. A timeline based around your photos (anndd all your vendors will LOVE it!) You can grab it HERE:
