5 Tips for Newly Engaged Couples

It’s the start of a new year, and many of you may have gotten engaged over the holidays and are starting to plan, or think about planning your wedding, well below are my 5 tips for newly engaged couples on what to consider first.

1. Set a Date

First things first, you have to think about when you want to get married and set a date! When you start speaking to wedding vendors, one of their first questions will be what date your wedding is, so have at least a rough idea in mind.

(A Spring/Summer wedding in Northern Ireland doesn’t necessarily mean better weather, but there is a good chance that it will at least be warmer than a wedding in Autumn or Winter. Also a wedding in the Spring or Summer will have more daylight, which means hopefully more opportunity for great photos, it gets dark pretty quickly in the winter)

2. Be Flexible

You might have a dream venue in mind, or a particular photographer, or certain people who you want to have on your bridal party (If you are having one), and they may or may not all be available on the date that you would like, so be flexible with your date to get the venue/supplier that you want

3. Choose a Venue

The other suppliers that you speak to will probably want to know where you are getting married, and where the reception is. So have a think if you are going to have the ceremony and reception in the same place (means no travel in between) or separate venues for each. What type of venue do you want, there are so many options, a hotel, a bar, a restaurant, a music venue, a barn, a mill, your back yard in a teepee. Or maybe you want to elope, just the two of you!

4. Book your Photographer/Cinematographer

One of the other things to start researching and book early will be your photographer, and if you want a video, a cinematographer as well. Do your research on the style of photography that you like. If you can meet with, or at least chat with a photographer on the phone to make sure that you get on with them as a person (you will spend a lot of time with them on the day). This is an important one, your photographs and videos are one of the things that you will have for years to come after the wedding.

A few of the cinematographers I have worked with and would recommend are,

Cinematic Tide – https://www.cinematictide.com/
Nigel Ivy – https://nigelivyfilm.com/
PigMintFilm – http://pigmintfilm.com/
Rabbit and the Fox Films – https://www.rabbitandthefox.com/
River Flow Films – https://www.facebook.com/riverflowfilms/

5. Enjoy the wedding planning

Some people say that planning a wedding is super stressful, but it really doesn’t have to be. Enjoy being engaged, and enjoy working out how you want to celebrate your wedding day. Pick suppliers, and do things that are meaningful to you.

That’s it, those are my 5 tips for newly engaged couples. If you want to chat to me about wedding photography, or if I can help in any other way, please just get in touch with me!