Essential Wedding Tips Every Bride Needs to Know | Advice from an Idaho Wedding Photographer

Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting, overwhelming, and emotional journeys you’ll ever take. As someone who’s been through the chaos and magic of her own wedding day, I know firsthand how much thought goes into every decision—from the flowers to the dress to the once-in-a-lifetime moments you want to capture forever. My wedding was a day filled with love, laughter, and even a few surprises, and I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. But let me tell you, there are a few things I wish someone had shared with me before I said “I do.”

When I became a wedding photographer, my perspective on weddings expanded even more. I see the planning process from both sides now: as a bride who’s been there and as someone privileged to witness countless love stories unfold. It’s given me a unique lens to not only document these special days but also support my brides in navigating their own journeys.

One of my favorite parts of working with brides is hearing about their hopes and dreams for the big day. While chatting about timelines or details, I often ask a fun, lighthearted question: “What advice would you give to future brides?” The answers are always so thoughtful, heartfelt, and sometimes delightfully unexpected. They’re little nuggets of wisdom that every bride-to-be can learn from, whether you’re knee-deep in Pinterest boards or finalizing your vows.

In this blog post, I’ve compiled some of the most insightful and genuine pieces of advice I’ve gathered over the years from the incredible women I’ve worked with. This isn’t just about checking things off your to-do list—it’s about making sure your wedding day feels like your day, one that reflects the love and joy you and your partner share.

So, whether you’re just starting your wedding planning adventure or you’re in the final countdown to your special day, grab a cup of coffee (or maybe a glass of champagne) and dive into this treasure trove of tips. Trust me, you’ll find something here to inspire you and help you create the wedding day of your dreams!

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Lauren : Hire a wedding planner! Also start booking people early and getting contracts so you can breathe easy.

Maggie : Don’t ask for anyones opinions unless you truly care what they may tell you. Remember who is important (you & your spouse) don’t let anyone ruin your day.

Paige & Shelbee : Start early and work steadily, don’t wait until the last minute to do everything and delegate to your bridal party or assistants (if applicable) as you see fit. Remember it is your day, not your family’s so work on setting healthy boundaries early so as to keep the peace. Have date days to work on planning and make it a priority to do it together.

Kianna : Have fun planning, enjoy it and do not let it stress you out because the day is going to be how you and your finance want to get married. Everyone there is coming to celebrate and love on you two. They are not worried about all the details. AND live in and enjoy being engaged!!

Shirley: Enjoy the planning process and give yourself grace as you make your dream day exactly how you want it!

Elizabeth: Do what YOU want for your day, and don’t let other peoples opinions change the image that you have for your day. It’s a day to celebrate the beginning of an incredible LOVE story, so make it for YOU!

Katy : Plan plan plan.. Don’t wait until the last second to plan things. We are SUPER happy we did a lot upfront; hasn’t been stressful really at all. Also, if you’re artsy or creative at all, try to make things on your own. i.e. arch, flowers, table decorations, signs, etc. My mom made all our bouquets and flower things with wood flowers that she dyed herself; it was amazing. We’ve created several signs ourselves. We made all the table decorations. Not only is it cheaper, but also adds a personal touch.

Tessa : One tip I would have for future brides is to try and enjoy the process. It can be so exciting to get engaged, and then you start to feel overwhelmed during the planning process, which is sometimes a damper. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and take things one simple step at a time. Everything will fall into place!

Jill : Delegate! Focus on what you envision, listen to other’s ideas but its ultimately you and your fiance’s day so you need it to be what you want, and stick to your guns on things that are really important to you.

Matti : Wedding planning is a lot. Try to talk to vendors and get things set up as soon as possible.

Megan : Go with your gut. Too many people will have an opinion on how you should do things. Take their opinions into consideration but at the end of the day it’s your wedding.

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Cierra : As hard as it may seem (especially at first) enjoy the whole process of planning your wedding. The details all seem to fall in place and at the end of that special day, you get to walk away married to your person and that’s what matters most! Also, give people tasks that are willing to help, even small things to lighten your workload. Book your vendors early so you get exactly what you want!

Shelby : One piece of advice I have is do what makes you happy. Trying to please everyone makes wedding planning much more stressful than it needs to be.

Cassie : Just have fun with it! Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the best days of your life. So, don’t stress the small stuff and truly enjoy the moment.

Tiffany : Have fun! And don’t go cheap on photons since they last a lifetime and it’s always something to look back on and cherish!

Courtney : Try to enjoy the process even when things don’t go the way you planned.

Cassie : Work ahead of time and get as much done as early as possible, this will lighten the load as you get closer to your day so that it is more enjoyable. additionally if something is bringing you to tears odds are its not worth it, the day is going to be as fun as its going tube and as beautiful as its going to be because you get to marry your best friend! The little details won’t even be as memorable as the amazing time to be had on your wedding day!

Hannah : Start early and stay organized. I got to planning as soon as we got engaged and I feel like it really helped me feel less stressed as the day got closer. I also created a google drive that I shared with important people. I kept wedding contracts, invoices, planning checklists, budget and expenses, and other various items in there. It was great to have one spot I could go to to find the information I needed.

Emily : When planning for your wedding, take it day by day. If you look at the big picture it can get overwhelming.

Brianna : Something we were never told is how much parents want to be involved in their kids’ weddings. It is so important to keep them in the loop with decisions being made and to include them in the projects – even if you don’t need or particularly want their help! Find something you don’t necessarily want to deal with and let them have at it!

Leah : If you are not good at decision making, hire or appoint someone to do it for you. Being well educated before signing contracts is vital and put effort into the things that are important to you. The rest, someone else can handle.

Rachel : My advice for future brides would be first to really take in and enjoy each event and planning milestone leading up to the wedding, and give yourself grace when it comes to wedding planning. If you have questions ask your vendors! More than likely they will be extremely kind and helpful and are going to have great suggestions. Second would be to keep your wedding party small. If you leave it to just your closest friends or family it makes each event such a fun and comfortable experience.

Nicole :
– Have a budget set, and stick to it!
– Nothing is worth stressing about
– Invite the people that have been supporting you

Carli : Cherish every moment of the process and the road leading up to the wedding. Some parts are stressful but it’s all GOOD STRESS!!

Erica : When people offer to do stuff for you in regards to the little details – let them! I definitely took a while to start doing this because I felt guilty making them spend so much time on my wedding – because well, it is my wedding – when it comes down to it though, there are too many things to do on your own and it makes something that should be fun overly stressful.

Katie : Remember this is your day, if it makes you happy and you will remember it. Do it.

Rachel : I have a few tips! My first tip is if you have long hair and wear it down, comb it during parts of the reception if you can!!! It was windy, I got sweaty, and my hair was one big giant dread the next day! LOL! My next tip is to pause during the dancing and the fun and look around and watch everyone. It’s a beautiful and emotional moment to see that all those people are there having fun and celebrating you! It was cool to watch them laughing and dancing and having the time of their lives all because of you and your significant other! Finally, it’s okay to ask for help and to speak up for yourself if something is not going as planned!!! It is your day it should be perfect!!

McKenzie : Enjoy the process. Please do what makes you and your fiancé happy!

Cassidy : Bust out all of your big ticket items early; venue, catering, photographer. That way when the big day comes it won’t be too stressful! Also pay for the experience! You HAVE to take into account your time and energy. Do you want to spend your wedding morning stressing and decorating a venue, or would you rather have someone else do it while you hang out with your girls and get ready? I know money can be tight, but it is totally worth it to have a good experience and enjoyable day.

Carlie : Relax and enjoy the process. Not everything has to be perfect. You are going to be the only one who knows if the day isn’t exactly as you planned. Your friends and family will be there to support you and your significant other’s love for one another. They aren’t going to remember all the small details. Remembering that makes the wedding process that much more fun!

Kylee : So many people told me to let others help and to delegate tasks to them. I wish I would have listened earlier and not before the wedding. The amount of stress that you have a couple months before the wedding is insane, make check lists and only do a couple things each day.

Camryn : Don’t stress! Everything falls together perfectly.

Ruby : Accept any and all help you can get! When you’re deciding on bridal party, make sure you have chosen people that will support and help you out as much as possible! This is YOUR time!

Connie : Take as much time as you need to just enjoy every moment. This day is about you and your hubby— you’re about to start your lives together forever. Don’t get caught up in the little things that don’t go right! Focus on the beautiful beginning that is about to happen!

Shay : Don’t stress!! I know it’s easy to say but this day should be easy, fun and full of Love! SO let the little things go and enjoy your day!

Emily : Invite designing and printing sites are ridiculously expensive! Keith and I designed our original invite on a wedding site, and to have them printed it was going to cost us around $400. Instead, we went to PrintCraft in Lewiston and told them what we wanted, and they designed it AND addressed all of our envelopes for us for around $200! Saved us so much time and money, and we loved the way it turned out. Another piece of advice is that there is so much pressure on brides to choose the “right dress,” and make sure everything is perfect for the wedding (hair, dress, shoes, makeup, decor, ect ect..)…worrying about all of that takes up way too much of your energy and causes so much stress! I was worrying about every single detail, and I just came to the realization that none of that truly matters. As long as you get to spend a day celebrating finding the love of your life, and celebrating that surrounded by people that love you, that is all that matters! Let everything else fall into place.

Kelly : Take time to plan so you can relax and enjoy the count down!

BrieAnn : Don’t stress everything will work out how it’s suppose to.

McKenzie : It all works itself out, do the best you can but don’t forget to enjoy the day and planning process with your spouse, family and friends.