The Ultimate Guide to a Wedding Day You'll Actually Enjoy

Let’s face it, planning a wedding is equal parts exciting and utterly overwhelming. It’s like juggling flaming torches whilst wearing a ball gown, knowing everyone’s watching. But fear not – at Angelic Photo, we’ve seen it all, and we’re here to arm you with some rock-solid advice to keep things fun and (mostly) stress-free.

Weddings are meant to be joyful, not to turn you into a frazzled, weepy mess that hides from your inbox. Our advice? Simple. Delegate. You don’t need to handle every tiny detail, and no one will mind if the napkins are a slightly different shade than you planned. Friends and family also really appreciate thinking they had a hand in the wedding of the century (no matter how small that hand may be).

Try to find time to switch off, whether that’s taking a walk, having a pint, or just binge-watching something on Netflix (we won’t judge, but Rich usually recommends ‘What We Do In The Shadows’, ‘Parks & Rec’ & ‘Community’ for the comedy fans, or ‘Inside No. 9’, ‘Black Mirror’ & anything from the Flanaverse or AHS for something less funny….Georgie watches Strictly, so I’m just going to leave it there!) Also, remember – nobody has ever noticed that the cake table was six inches too far left, so don’t sweat the small stuff.

It may be a cliché, but choosing a place to get ready sets the tone for the whole day. Aim for somewhere that feels calm, has plenty of light for those dreamy getting-ready shots (a photographer’s top tip, by the way), and can comfortably fit all of your bridal party without anyone losing an eye to a rogue hair curler. Hair and makeup take up a fair chunk of space, don’t forget to allow movement room so your makeup artist doesn’t get nudged with the lipstick.

Bonus points if the venue has a decent mirror and plenty of plug sockets – you’d be amazed how many places don’t.

You’d be surprised at how many suppliers the average wedding needs (and how easy it is to forget them until two weeks before the day). Here’s a handy little list so you don’t miss a trick:

Photographer – (hopefully us, obviously)
Celebrant – whatever your style, vicar, registrar, independent celebrant – these are the people actually marrying you, so choose wisely.
Stationery – setting the tone for your wedding early on is a good idea, custom made stationery can really set your wedding apart, think about personalised themes/motifs as well.
Hair – take the opportunity to have a ‘test run’ before the big day, most hair stylists offer this.
Makeup – just like above, give them a go beforehand – make sure to allow them plenty of time for everyone on the day.
Transport – wedding cars, double decker buses, scooters – whatever floats your boat (ooh, wedding by boat, there’s an idea….)
Catering – if the venue aren’t providing the food then choose a decent experienced caterer – food leaves a lasting impression on your guests.
Cake – yes, it’s more than just a glorified dessert – get a showstopper and let it steal a bit of the limelight.
Decor – think florists, lighting, LOVE signs, and anything else that turns a room from “meh” to “wow”.
Music – DJ, band, string quartet? Whatever gets Aunt Sheila grooving.
Suits & Dresses – a tailor is your friend, and so is a well-made pair of shoes.
Videographer – If a picture’s worth a thousand words, a video might be worth ten thousand. Or at least a few good blackmail opportunities for future anniversaries.
Other entertainment – we’ve seen everything from birds of prey, crazy golf courses, doughnut walls, pimp-my-prosecco stations, ice cream, photobooths and much more.
Favours – we’ve seen all sorts from miniature plants to hangover kits – choose something that won’t end up gathering dust in the back of a cupboard.
Outdoors stuff – if you’re having a marquee or tipi wedding and you’re organising it yourself, don’t forget the infrastructure such as generators, toilets, flooring and so on.
Accommodation – again this may be something the venue can provide, but if not then check out where the nearest hotel(s) are, taxi companies, phone signal to get an Uber – some couples even make a bulk booking with a particular hotel and put on a coach to/from the venue.

We’ve seen enough weddings to know that time doesn’t move at normal speed on the big day. So here’s a cheat sheet:

Getting ready – leave more time than you think. No….more than that. This is the one part of the day that can really throw things off. We generally aim to arrive 2hrs before the ceremony time (depending on distances) which gives us plenty of time for the getting ready photos for both of you if required.
The ceremony – give your guests a 30min cushion. People always forget how long it takes to park. Most civil ceremonies are in the 20-30min range, religious ceremonies are generally longer but tend to hover around 45min-1hr.
Photos – we aim for a relaxed documentary style, which means we’ll capture the magic as it happens. But do set aside some time for those group shots your nan’s been talking about since 1998.
Food and speeches – some people do speeches before the meal, some after = if you’re doing them before then make sure they don’t go on too long and push the food service back – nobody wants a dry piece of chicken or soggy veg.
Evening reception – 6pm/7pm is a good time to invite evening guests for, that gives your day guests plenty of time to chill and catch up, then kick off with a cake-cutting and first dance around 7.30pm/8pm and everything’s golden.

A rough schedule based on a 1pm ceremony time with either everything happening at one venue, or the church being quite close to the reception venue. This is just a rough guide and varies with the number of bridesmaids, location of venues, civil or church ceremony and so on (don’t forget for a civil ceremony everything needs to be a little earlier as the registrars usually have to interview each of you for 15min before the ceremony).

4am – wake up because you’re nervous and excited, go back to sleep.
6am – wake up, nervous wee, back to bed but you’ll likely be unable to sleep.
8am/9am – makeup and hair arrive to get everything set up.
10.30am – photographer arrives.
12.30pm – bridesmaids and family leave for the venue (on the other side your partner will probably be at the venue/church by now, if we’re photographing the both of you then one of us will encourage them along!)
12.45pm – bride leaves.
1pm – wedding ceremony, talk a bit, sing a bit, have a smooch, generally be the centre of attention.
1.45pm – end of the wedding ceremony, everyone outside!
2pm – photo time, we’ll get any family group photos you might like along with a big photo of everyone if that’s what you want.
2.30pm – end of photo time (roughly), we usually say to allow 5min per group photo so we can round everyone up, then we’ll give you half an hour with your guests.
3pm – photo time for just the two of you, this is INCREDIBLY important and not only is this where we get those dreamy portraits of the two of you, but it’s also a great opportunity to just chill and chat between the pair of you, taking in the fact that you’ve just ACTUALLY GOTTEN MARRIED!
3.20pm – guests called in for the wedding breakfast.
3.30pm – you two get announced into the room as the new couple (or just walk in without fanfare, you do you).
3.45pm – food! Enough said.
5.30pm – speeches, someone talks about how lovely you both are, everyone cringes at the best man’s attempt at humour
6pm – have a bit of free time, chill and catch up with your guests before the evening guests arrive at…..
7pm – if you’re having evening guests of course.
7.30pm – cut the cake, followed by….
7.35pm – the first dance! Unprompoted or fully choreographed, we’ll be there to get the best photos.
7.40pm – party time, time to kick back and relax, don’t forget to buy a few pairs of flip-flops for your guests’ tired, achy feet and blankets if you’ve got plenty of outside space.
8.30pm – buffet for the evening guests.
12am – home time, drunkenly say goodbye to everyone and relax in the knowledge of a job well done!

Ah, the guest list. A Pandora’s box of potential family drama. Our advice? Be ruthless. If you haven’t spoken to them since school, they probably won’t mind missing out on your buffet. Stick to the people who make you laugh, cry (in a good way), and feel loved. And don’t fall into the trap of inviting your second cousin’s ex-boyfriend just because they’re still friends on Facebook.

You want to see faces, not phones, when you’re walking down the aisle. Gently remind your guests that they can keep their tech to themselves, at least until the reception. Put up a quirky sign, make an announcement, or if you’re feeling bold, threaten to replace all digital devices with disposable cameras (remember those?). Don’t forget to remind your guests not to post on social media before you two do (if that’s what you want) – putting a note on the order of service or invitation is a great way to do this, or even ask your celebrant to remind everyone before the service starts.

Weddings are big, messy, beautiful days. At the end of it, you’ll be married to the person you love, and no one will remember if the DJ played the wrong song or if Uncle Gary got too friendly with the prosecco (he definitely did). Keep your sense of humour, breathe, and let the day unfold as naturally as you can – one massive thing we’ve learned at weddings is the more strict and spreadsheetified the schedule is, the more will go wrong (in your eyes) and the more stressed you’ll be, so try to keep a level head. The day will end with the two of you being married, that’s the important bit. We’ll be there, capturing all the moments—big, small, and the ones that make you laugh till your sides hurt.

Got any questions? Need a great photographer? Or just want to rant about your guest list? We’re here for all of it, so get in touch for a chat.

Now, go forth and plan with joy (and just a hint of organised chaos).