FIRST DANCE and FATHER-DAUGHTER DANCE ALTERNATIVES

“I wish I had of known I could choose any first dances I wanted. I lost my dad and wished I had chosen to dance with my brother during that time.” I hear things along this line from brides.

Brides, choose whoever you want to dance with! Take center stage and have that moment and memory with your dad, mom, sister, brother, family friend, or someone else important to you. And this goes for grooms too. We have also seen couples giving the Mother of the Bride a dance with the groom or other family members as they can often feel a little left out of all the special dedicated moments on the wedding day.

Danielle lost her dad, and at the wedding, she had the sweetest dance with a close family friend, which gave her that father-daughter-like experience of a dedicated moment with someone who supported and loved her throughout her life.

Beautiful photos by Memoir Films Planning by Stoked Weddings

BETTER TO BE RUSHED EARLIER IN THEN THE DAY THAN LATER ON THE WEDDING DAY

Would you rather feel rushed finishing putting your shoes on or cutting grandma’s hug short to get to portraits before the sun goes down? Always choose to rush before the ceremony rather than after.

• Being mindful from when you start getting ready until the ceremony is hard on the wedding day. It’s not your job to keep time, but you should have trusted loved ones and friends around you to keep you on time. They do not love you by letting your timeline slip and delaying to set in. That only causes a bride and groom more stress and rush during the most important time of the day.

• Start getting ready as early as possible! You will regret not getting ready early, so you have time to enjoy your solo bridal shots on your wedding day. This is your day to look your absolute best for a lifetime. Cramming in five minutes of bridal portraits is not the way to celebrate the day.

• “I regret being late and not on time for my ceremony to start and then losing time during golden hour for photos; that would have been better time spent with my husband than taking longer on things that weren’t necessary for the morning.” I was chatting with a recent bride about her biggest regret, and this one hit home!

• “I regret not slowing down enough and making time for my photographer to capture me in a few places I really wanted before wedding party photos started.”

RAIN PLAN AND PEACE OF MIND

The weather in Texas is unpredictable, and rain can happen any month and a cold front can still hit at the end of April!

Having a beautiful ceremony inside will bring you peace on the wedding day, but what about the days before?

• One regret we see brides have year after year is waiting until the last minute to decide on moving their ceremony inside. Waiting to go with Plan B until the day of is often a recipe for hurt and disappointment.

• On the other hand, couples who choose in advance, looking at the forces, are often more peaceful and ready to take on the day however it looks and be joyful no matter what. There is an undeniable “I’m just focused on getting married to my love” attitude for couples who choose to make the rain plan call at least 24 hours in advance.

• See the Rain Plan for weddings at Sparrow Creek Ranch HERE.

FALSE EXIT - Sparkler Send Off Fake Exit for Reception

“I wish someone had of told me about a FALSE EXIT! I could have kept dancing a little longer and let my photographer and video team leave an hour earlier than I did!” 2021 Bride

• That’s right! You can certainly have a false exit if you wish! Here we are telling you now! If you want to stay on budget with fewer photo and video hours, then a false exit can be a great opinion.

• You can really have all guests give you a false sparkler exit and then return to the dance floor or even choose to do a smaller false exit with just family and then re-enter the part for the last hour or two!

FIRST LOOK

• First looks are easily one of the most debated wedding decisions for couples. I did not have a first look, and the joy of seeing my husband for the first time as I came down the aisle and the same for him was truly a favorite moment. But, what we gave up by having that moment was a chance to really have any conversation or private moments together on our wedding day.

• I often hear from my couples spanning the last decade they wish they had done the first look so they could have spent some quality time together on the wedding day and also didn’t feel rushed and the pressure of “focusing on portraits” right after the wedding. Couples who choose the first look have already spent that dedicated time together, sometimes exchanged price vows, and then could take photos looking they're very best without a rush. That left the photos after the wedding to be more playful and had much less pressure.

• “I wish we had decided on a first look so we didn’t feel so rushed to get through family portraits so there would be enough sunlight for our photos….” A first look is a wonderful new tradition!

FLORALS - WEDDING FLOWER TIPS

• “I wish I had told my friends and family to take home flowers,” so many get thrown away.

• After the wedding, you may wish you had preserved your flowers. This is a great idea and heirloom to pass on, but it does take planning.

• And lastly, “I wish I had asked about more options instead of assuming I couldn’t afford professional flowers”

  • **This right here** is a concern we have strongly started to discourage in our brides who are worried about floral costs. Yes, florals are a high-ticket item for a wedding, but our local florists will work with our couples to develop hybrid options of only a few floral arrangements mixed with loose greenery for DIY accents and other options.

  • Do not regret asking more questions and being honest with your vendors. They likely can create something just for you!