Real Wedding Planning Advice for 2025 Calgary Couples
I asked a handful of past Calgary and Alberta wedding couples for real advice that they might have for couples currently going through the wedding planning process. As someone who has gone through it and wished I had some realistic information to go off of, I want all my couples to feel supported in every aspect of their wedding planning process! Whether you are newly engaged or nearly at the finish line, there is wedding advice for everyone.
“Handcuff yourselves together. It’s your day!!...It’s such an expensive day and you’ve waited forever for it, so STICK TOGETHER! I have seen this one everywhere, but we (mostly) followed it and my memories of my wedding day are full of him laughing next to me and operating very much as a team”
With so many great pieces of advice to share, I wanted to start off with ones that I personally love and often tell my couples! As a photographer, I want to ensure you feel comfortable and loved so that this radiates through to your photos.
From a photographer’s stand point, this advice is extremely important if you are wanting lots of candid photos of you and your spouse laughing together, enjoying your day together and conversing with your favourite people. These photos won’t appear in your gallery if you aren’t together so be sure to stick side by side (at least while I am there to capture it all).
PRACTICE YOUR FIRST DANCE
“Practice your first dance. I recommend dance lessons because they are fun and a good way to connect with your partner and get comfortable dancing together.”
I really love this advice from this past bride! Not only does this create a fun date for you and your new spouse, but it also allows you to know how each one will move. You don’t have to have a fully choregraphed dance if that’s not your flavour (or if you don’t like attention) but even learning a few steps will truly help! I remember my husband and I just went for it (we weren’t sure what we even wanted for our first dance song) for ours and we laughed later saying it felt like we were at a junior high dance with zero dance moves.
DON’T EXPECT YOUR DAY TO GO AS PLANNED
This one often gets repeated online or from every vendor you might hire, but it is 100% factual. We can certainly plan as much as we can and hope that your timeline stays on track as possible, but it is inevitable that the unexpected may (and mostly likely will) appear.
“I think everyone says this but don’t expect the day to go as planned because things can happen unexpectedly and don’t stress about it.”
Reducing our stress is the best way for us to feel totally free and ready for the day! I highly recommend appointing someone as your go-to person in the case that something happens on your day so that you can continue mingling or immersing yourselves into your day without the added stress of trying to figure it out. If you are worried about timelines, some things to consider are:
Your hair and makeup may take longer than expected. Ensure you discuss with your artists how long everyone’s hair is, what kind of styles they are looking for and if there are any accessories. It’s important to be overly prepared!
Your transportation may interfere with your timeline. Remember: anything out of your control should not be stressed about. We can plan our routes and how long travel may take from point A to point B, but weather, accidents, or unforeseen blockers may interfere with your travel times. Be sure to add on more time than you think!
If you are doing your own DIY I highly recommend placing all of your table decor into their own separate boxes. This way, you know exactly where they go and how they are placed! If you are getting help from your wedding party and family, be sure to iron any material for your reception days in advance if possible. We don’t want to leave this to the last minute.
This next one I think is becoming a touch less popular but I think it should be highly considered for all weddings! With so much money spent on how your look, you should absolutely allocate the time to document it.
“I also think setting aside some time to do some bridal portraits is so important! It’s so go go go in the morning that sometimes it just flys by so taking a second to capture yourself as a bride (or groom) is so important and you’ll be thanking yourself looking back! I feel like you’ll never again spend that much time and effort on your hair and makeup or wear that expensive of an outfit so it’s a great time to flaunt it and get some gorgeous shots!”
More advice from real couples to come soon! If you have any real pieces of advice (photography or general advice), I would love for you to share!
