FREE Engagement + Wedding Planning Resources For Engaged Couples
The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Wedding: Expert Tips and Resources for a Picture-Perfect Day In Northern Michigan or Anywhere In The World!
Congratulations on your engagement! 🎉 This is such an exciting time, and as you embark on your wedding planning journey, you’re probably feeling a mix of excitement and overwhelm. Don’t worry—you're not alone! As a husband and wife traveling wedding photography and videography team based in Northern Michigan, we've had the pleasure of capturing hundreds of weddings, and we've learned a thing or two along the way. We’re here to share our best wedding hacks, photo tips, and essential planning resources to help you create a day that’s as unique and beautiful as your love story.
Whether you’re just starting to plan or you’ve been dreaming of your wedding day for years, this guide is packed with insider advice to ensure your day goes off without a hitch. Let’s dive into the must-know tips and tricks that will make your wedding unforgettable, whether it's in Northern Michigan or anywhere else in the world!
Start with Your Engagement Session: Capturing the Love Before the Big Day
One of the first steps in your wedding planning journey is often the engagement session. This is more than just a fun photo shoot—it's an opportunity to get comfortable in front of the camera, build a rapport with your photographer, and create beautiful memories that capture this special time in your life.
Why Your Engagement Session Matters:
Getting Comfortable: The engagement session is a great way to get comfortable with us as your photographers. If you're not used to it, being in front of the camera can feel awkward, especially if you've got little to no experience having professional photos taken. By the time your wedding day arrives, you’ll feel more at ease, and your photos will reflect your natural connection when you choose to do an engagement session.
Showcasing Your Personality: This is your chance to showcase your personality and relationship. Choose a location that’s meaningful to you both, whether it’s a favorite hiking trail, the beach where you got engaged, or the coffee shop where you had your first date.
Creating Save-the-Dates and Invites: Use your engagement photos for save-the-dates, wedding invitations, or even a personalized wedding website. These images are also perfect for guest books and decor at your reception.
To make the most of your engagement session, TAP HERE to check out our Engagement Session Guide. It’s packed with tips on choosing outfits, locations, and how to get the best shots that truly represent you as a couple.
Preferred Wedding Venue List: Finding the Perfect Wedding Venues in Northern Michigan and Around The World
One of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing the perfect venue. Northern Michigan is home to some of the most breathtaking wedding venues, from rustic barns and vineyards to elegant lakeside resorts. The right venue sets the tone for your entire day and offers endless photo opportunities.
What to Consider When Choosing a Venue:
Location and Accessibility: Consider the location and how accessible it is for your guests. If you’re planning a destination wedding in Northern Michigan, think about accommodations and transportation options for out-of-town guests.
Scenic Beauty: Northern Michigan’s natural beauty is one of its biggest draws. Look for venues with stunning backdrops like Lake Michigan, lush forests, or rolling vineyards that will enhance your photos and add to the overall ambiance of your day.
Venue Amenities: Some venues offer all-inclusive packages that include catering, decor, and coordination, which can simplify your planning process. Others may allow you to bring in your own vendors, giving you more flexibility to personalize your day.
Envision Your Wedding Day: Get a unique advantage by viewing a full gallery shot at your venue to inspire your wedding day vision! We've photographed weddings all over the world - check our preferred venue list to see if we've been to your venue!
We’ve compiled a Preferred Venue List of our favorite wedding venues from all over the world, and a blog post dedicated to showcasing 41 Northern Michigan we absolutely LOVE, complete with the opportunity to see full galleries from weddings we’ve photographed at each location. This will give you a real sense of how your big day could look at these stunning spots when you choose Exposures by Rah as your wedding photography & videography team!
Planning a wedding involves juggling a lot of details, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the moving parts. That’s why we’ve created a comprehensive wedding planning Google Sheet to help you stay organized and on track.
What’s Inside the Google Sheet?
Newly Engaged Action Planner: A step-by-step guide with suggested date ranges for tasks like booking vendors, booking your first vendors, setting a date & proposing to your wedding party.
Guest List Worksheet: Keep track of all your loved ones with this easy-to-use worksheet. You won’t have to worry about forgetting anyone important with this handy worksheet!
Guest List Calculator: Struggling with who to invite? This calculator helps you decide if a guest should or shouldn’t make the list based on your priorities and venue capacity.
Venue Worksheet: A tool to compare and contrast potential venues based on key factors like cost, location, and amenities.
Vendor Rating Worksheet: Rate and rank your vendors to ensure you’re choosing the best fit for your vision and budget.
Coordination Worksheet: This tab helps you keep track of all the logistical details, from timelines to vendor contact information.
Budget Estimator and Detailed Budget: Set a realistic budget with our estimator and track your spending with a detailed breakdown.
Wedding Day Timeline: Our actual wedding day timeline template ensures your day flows smoothly, down to the minute.
You can make your own copy of the The Exposures by Rah Essential Wedding Planning Worksheet Bundle by clicking here and start customizing it to fit your big day!
4 Wedding Hacks You Probably Haven’t Thought Of
Beyond the standard wedding advice, here are four wedding hacks that will make your day even more memorable and stress-free.
1. Steaming Party After The Rehearsal Dinner: Avoid water stains and wrinkled clothes on your wedding day by organizing a steaming part after your rehearsal dinner. Anyone that will be part of your ceremony, including parents, should plan to meet after the rehearsal in order to steam all the wedding attire. The more steamers you and your wedding party can come up with, the faster this will go. When we did this for our wedding, our entire party came back to our suite where we would all be getting ready the next day and steamed their clothes with us. We threw on some music, drank champagne an CELEBRATED what was soon to come - a wedding day for the ages! Doing this will help you avoid time crunches in the morning.
2. Personalize Your Wedding Favors: Instead of generic wedding favors, consider giving something that reflects your personality or the theme of your wedding. Local products from Northern Michigan, like cherry jam or handcrafted soap, make for unique and meaningful gifts that your guests will love and remember. Our Enchanted Mirror Photo Booth offers 4x6 photos OR 2x6 photo strips for your guests to take home with a template that features your names, wedding date and an optional hashtag. It's designed to match the colors and theme of your wedding day PLUS guests get a digital copy, and you get a hard copy guest book to take home at the end of the night filled with moments of your guests experiencing pure joy during your wedding reception.
3. Plan a "First Look" with Your Parents: While the first look with your partner is popular, consider a first look with your parents and/or grandparents. This intimate moment allows for a special connection before the whirlwind of the day begins, and it’s a moment you’ll cherish in your photos.
4. Create a “Do Not Play” Music List: Music can make or break your reception. While you’ll likely have a list of must-play songs, don’t forget to create a “do not play” list to avoid any awkward or unwanted tunes during your celebration.
Photography Tips: Capturing Your Day Perfectly
As photographers, we know how important it is to capture every detail of your big day. Here are some tips to ensure your wedding photos are everything you’ve dreamed of:
1. Invest in Pre-Wedding Photography: Consider adding an engagement session, bridal portraits, or even a boudoir session to your photography package. These sessions allow for more relaxed and creative photos that might not be possible on the busy wedding day.
2. If Photos & Videos Are Important To You, The Plan Your Timeline with That In Mind: We will work with you to create a wedding day timeline that allows enough time for each part of the day with buffer time. Consider the best times for natural light, and allow extra time for travel between locations if necessary.
3. Focus on the Details: The little details, like your rings, bouquet, or invitation suite, are often overlooked but make for beautiful, meaningful photos. Gather all these items together before we arrive to start photography and videography services so they can be styled and captured perfectly.
4. Communicate Your Vision: Don’t be afraid to share your vision, Pinterest boards, or favorite photo styles with us. The more we know about what you love, the better we can tailor our approach to capture your day exactly as you envision it.
Posing Guide
"What do I do with my hands?!" will not be an issue after you take a look through our comprehensive posing guide! Whether you're getting ready for an engagement session with us or your wedding day is right around the corner, these helpful tips and tricks will keep you poised & ready for your moment to shine!
If engagement photos are still on your to-do list, TAP HERE to enter our engagement session giveaway!
Your Next Steps: Let’s Make Your Dream Wedding a Reality!
You're planning a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and with the right tools and guidance, it can be an enjoyable and memorable journey. Whether you’re looking for a stunning venue, a detailed planning resource, or expert photography tips, we’re here to help you every step of the way.
Be sure to download our Engagement Session and Posing Guides, explore our Preferred Venue List, and start organizing your big day with our Exposures by Rah Essential Wedding Planning Worksheet Bundle . If you have any questions or need personalized advice, don’t hesitate to reach out! You can text us at 231-360-8702 or schedule a time to meet over zoom on the calendar below 👇
Don and I can’t wait to help you create a Northern Michigan wedding that’s as beautiful and unique as your love story. Happy planning! 💍✨
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