Getting Ready the Morning of Your Wedding

There is no other feeling in the world quite like waking up on your wedding day. It’s a moment you have imagined your entire life. You’ve got a lot of emotions, butterflies, nerves, excitement and giddiness all wrapped into starting the perfect day. Have no fear, the best way to start your day is with your gals together! The mimosas are flowing, the music is pumping, the sun is shining, and when you look around, all you see is your very best friends from every stage of life coming together in one serendipitous moment.

Today on the blog we are sharing insights on how to make your “getting ready moment” perfect with 5 Tricks of the Trade, accompanied by gorgeous photos from Jonathan Allison Photography.

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Prepare an Epic Getting Ready Playlist

This one you can do ahead of time which it is a really happy distraction a week prior to the wedding day. When creating this epic playlist try imaging you and your ladies dancing together while getting pampered! Feeling musically challenged at the moment? Nothing to fear, we have listed our favorites jams below, which are guaranteed to get the party started on your big day.

Let’s Get Married - Jagged Edge

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough- Marvin Gaye

Wannabe- Spice Girls

Crazy in Love - Beyonce

Marry You - Bruno Mars

Jonathan Allison Photography

Pop that Champagne, Girl!

Yeah, you heard me?! POP THOSE BUBBLES, BABY! It’s your wedding day! This one really needs no explanation.

You will have friends, family, and your bridal party asking you in the weeks leading up to your wedding what they can do to help. Spread some duties and ask one of the bridesmaids bring a bottle of bubbly and juice for mimosas on the morning of the wedding. CHEERS

Jonathan Allison Photography

Remember to Have a Timeline

Having a day of wedding timeline is one of the most important things you can do (if  you haven’t caught on, this day whizzes by). One minute you’re casually reflecting on the day ahead, and the next you’re walking out the door to get married. Having a timeline, specifically for your photographer, is so, so important, make sure you give your hair, makeup, and photography team enough time to work the magic. If you want something very specific, make sure you mention it to your photographer. They’re not mind readers, and it’s so much better to convey what you hope to have sealed forever in film rather than crossing your fingers and hoping they’ll catch it.

Jonathan Allison Photography

Jonathan Allison Photography

Pick the Right Place

Space is everything. You want to give the opportunity for your photographers to capture you in all stages of the “getting ready” process from the hotel to the venue keep in mind the room you want photos in.

If possible, avoid rooms that have darker colored walls and instead, look for rooms that are white or neutral in color, and that don’t have distracting wallpaper. You want to make sure there is no clutter in the room or anything that would be distracting in the background. LIGHT! It’s a big deal you choose a room with a window that allows natural light in. Amazing photos like these below happen because of amazing light!

Jonathan Allison Photography

Enjoy the Moment

If you remember one thing from this list, remember this one. Don’t stress!

It’s your wedding day. That timeline we chatted about above? If you can, have a family member, bridesmaid, day of coordinator, or someone else you trust make sure you’re trying to stick to it. This is your time to relax, and enjoy.

XOXO

Jonathan Allison Photography

How to get the best photos on wedding day!

Today on the blog we are pleased to have a guest writer: Alicia Larkey, owner and lead photographer of Make It Happen Photography.

Make It Happen Photography

Make It Happen Photography is owned by Matt and Alicia Larkey, two madly in love wedding photographers who are passionate about serving brides & grooms on their best day ever. Their main goal is to set you at ease on your wedding day while making sure they capture images that transport you back to the moments of your wedding day. They were married in a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding and recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. Alicia runs their wedding photography business while Matt is a high school baseball coach, and owns his own business as well. They live in Scottsdale, AZ with their 3 kids. Their favorite way to spend a day together is photographing all the beautiful moments of a wedding day for their brides and grooms.   

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One of the most important decisions you can make about your wedding day is choosing your wedding photographer. And the best photographers are going to insist you have a second shooter present, whether it’s included in their package or purchased as an option. Why is a second photographer so important? Well, think of all the moments throughout the wedding day that cannot be recreated. The more cameras and experienced photographers you have there with you, the less chance you’ll miss any of these unforgettable moments. Below are just a couple examples:

You know those dreamy shots that you see in wedding photos… the ones where the groom was wiping away a tear as his bride came up the aisle?  There was likely a second shooter involved. While the lead photographer captures the bride entering the ceremony, your second photographer stays focused on the groom for that one perfect instant where the tear starts to form in the corner of his eye and his hand comes up to wipe it away. And just at that moment, your lead photographer is catching the bride going into the most beautiful smile of her life as she sees her groom react to her in her wedding gown. These moments are quick, important and will be some of your favorites as you begin your new life together.

One of our other favorite moments while shooting together as a lead and second photographer is during the First Look session. It’s so important that one of us is trained on the bride’s reaction as she sees the love of her life turn around, looking so handsome and ready to marry her. And the second photographer is trained on the groom at that exact moment, where he is seeing her in her wedding gown for the first time. The magic of this moment is caught from different angles with different lenses so you can relive all these emotions every time you go through your wedding gallery in the years to come.

Having two photographers also means we can each focus on one of you as the day begins. Once each of you is ready in your wedding dress, or tux, the lead photographer will take the bride to get the Bridal Party portraits done while the second photographer will get the groom’s portraits done in another location at the venue. This allows the wedding day to run more smoothly and not have your photographer rushing through portraits. So, when you choose your wedding photographer, make sure to choose one who has a second photographer included in their package, or at least the option to pay for one. You will be so happy you did when you see a beautiful gallery full of emotion, storytelling and memories.    

Thanks,

Alicia Larkey, Owner, Lead Photographer

www.MakeItHappenPhotography.com

Instagram: @MakeItHappenPhotography

First Dance Song

Jonathan Allison Photography

Have you decided on your first dance song? It’s a pretty big deal and can feel so overwhelming on what song to choose. It will be a song that for years you will remember and one that you will dance on countless anniversary or sing in the car together. We think it should be a song that you both love or possibly represent a moment in your engagement or dating time that meant a lot to you both. Either way, we are giving 50 songs below that are classics and newer generational love songs that will not only provoke tears from your guest on wedding day but leave you both set up for years of enjoying the first dance song!

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1. "Amazed," Lonestar

Lyrics You'll Love: "I don't know how you do what you do/I'm so in love with you/It just keeps getting better"

2. "As," Stevie Wonder

Lyrics You'll Love: "As around the sun the earth knows she's revolving/And the rosebuds know to bloom in early May/Just as hate knows love's the cure/You can rest your mind assure/That I'll be loving you always"

3. "As Time Goes By," Dooley Wilson (from Casablanca)

Lyrics you'll love: "And when two lovers woo/They still say, 'I love you.'/On that you can rely/No matter what the future brings/As time goes by."

4. "A Thousand Years," Christina Perri (from Twilight: Breaking Dawn)

Lyrics you'll love: "Darling, don't be afraid/I have loved you/For a thousand years/I'll love you for a thousand more"

5. "At Last," Etta James

Lyrics you'll love: "And here we are in heaven/for you are mine/at last"

6. "Better Together," Jack Johnson

Lyrics you'll love: "It's not always easy and/Sometimes life can be deceiving/I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together"

7. "By Your Side," Sade

Lyrics you'll love: "When you're on the outside baby and you can't get in/I will show you you're so much better than you know"

8. "Can't Help Falling In Love," Elvis Presley

Lyrics you'll love: "Like a river flows surely to the sea/Darling so it goes/some things are meant to be"

9. "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," Frankie Valli or Lauryn Hill

Lyrics you'll love: "I love you baby and if it it's quite all right/I need you baby to warm the lonely nights/I love you baby, trust in me when I say"

10. "Come Rain or Come Shine," Ray Charles

Lyrics you'll love: "I'm gonna love you, like nobody's loved you/Come rain or come shine"

Goodbye Photography

11. "Crazy Love," Van Morrison

Lyrics you'll love: "I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles/And the heavens open every time she smiles"

12. "Everything," Michael Bublé

Lyrics you'll love: "And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times/It's you, it's you, you make me sing/You're every line, you're every word, you're everything"

13. "First Day of My Life," Bright Eyes

Lyrics you'll love: "Yours is the first face that I saw/I think I was blind before I met you/Now I don't know where I am/ I don't know where I've been/But I know where I want to go"

14. "Fly Me to the Moon," Frank Sinatra

Lyrics you'll love: "Fill my heart with song/Let me sing forever more/You are all I long for/All I worship and adore"

15. "Grow Old With Me," Mary Chapin Carpenter

Lyrics you'll love: "Grow old along with me/Whatever fate decrees/We will see it through"

16. "Here and Now," Luther Vandross

Lyrics you'll love: "When I look in your eyes, there I'll see/All that a love should really be/And I need you more and more each day"

17. "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)," James Taylor

Lyrics you'll love: "With sweet love and devotion, deeply touching my emotion/I want to stop and thank you baby"

18. "If I Ain't Got You," Alicia Keys featuring Usher

lyrics you'll love: "Some people want diamond rings/Some just want everything/But everything means nothing/If I ain't got you"

19. "In My Life," The Beatles

Lyrics you'll love: "Though I know I'll never lose affection/for people and things that went before/I know I'll often stop and think about them/In my life I love you more"

20. "I Only Have Eyes for You," The Flamingos

Lyrics you'll love: "Are the stars out tonight?/I don't know if it's cloudy or bright/I only have eyes for you, dear"

Goodbye Photography

21. "It Had to Be You," Dooley Wilson (from Casablanca)

Lyrics you'll love: "And it had to be you, it just had to be you/It had to be you"

22. "I Will," The Beatles

Lyrics you'll love: "Love you forever and forever/Love you with all my heart/Love you whenever we're together/Love you when we're apart"

23. "I Won't Give Up," Jason Mraz

Lyrics you'll love: "I won't give up on us/Even if the skies get rough/I'm giving you all my love/I'm still looking up"

24. "Just the Way You Are," Billy Joel

Lyrics you'll love: "I said I love you and that's forever/And this I promise from my heart/I couldn't love you any better/I love you just the way you are"

25. "La Vie en Rose," Edith Piaf (French), Louis Armstrong (English)

Lyrics you'll love: "And when you speak angels sing from above/Everyday words seem/To turn into love songs"

26. "Let's Stay Together," Al Green

Lyrics you'll love: "Let's stay together/Love you whether, whether/Times are good or bad, happy or sad/"

27. "L-O-V-E," Nat King Cole

Lyrics you'll love: "Love is all that I can give to you/Love is more than just a game for two/Two in love can make it"

28. "Lucky," Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz

Lyrics you'll love: "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend/Lucky to have been where I have been/Lucky to be coming home again"

29. "Make You Feel My Love," Adele

Lyrics you'll love: "Nothing that I wouldn't do/Go to the ends of the Earth for you/To make you feel my love"

30. "Marry Me," Train

Lyrics you'll love: "Together can never be close enough for me/To feel like I am close enough to you/You wear white and I'll wear out the words, 'I love you' "

Blake Hogge Photography

31. "Maybe I'm Amazed," Paul McCartney

Lyrics you'll love: "Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song,/Right me when I'm wrong/Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you."

32. "Our Love Is Here to Stay," Billie Holiday

Lyrics you'll love: "It's very clear/Our love is here to stay/Not for a year/But ever and a day"

33. "Sparks," Coldplay

Lyrics you'll love: "But I promise you this/I'll always look out for you/That's what I'll do"

34. "Stand by Me," Ben E. King

Lyrics you'll love: "No I won't be afraid/Oh, I won't be afraid/Just as long as you stand, stand by me"

35. "Steady As We Go," Dave Matthews Band

Lyrics you'll love: "In the darkest times/You shine on me/You set me free/And keep me steady as we go"

36. "Such Great Heights," The Postal Service or Iron and Wine

Lyrics you'll love: "And I have to speculate/That God himself did make us/Into corresponding shapes/Like puzzle pieces from the clay"

37. "That's How Strong My Love Is," Otis Redding

Lyrics you'll love: "I'll be the rainbow after the tears are gone/Wrap you in my colors and keep you warm/That's how strong my love is"

38. "That's Where It's At," Sam Cooke

Lyrics you'll love: "Lights turned way down low/Music soft and slow/With someone you love so/That's where it's at, yeah"

39. "The Best Is Yet to Come," Frank Sinatra

Lyrics you'll love: "Come the day you're mine/I'm gonna teach you to fly/We've only tasted the wine/We're gonna drain the cup dry"

40. "The Luckiest," Ben Folds

Lyrics you'll love: "And where was I before the day/That I first saw your lovely face?/Now I see it every day/And I know/That I am/I am/I am/The luckiest"

Cami Takes Photos

41. "Then," Brad Paisley

Lyrics you'll love: "Now you're my whole life/Now you're my whole world/I just can't believe/The way I feel about you girl/Like a river meets the sea/Stronger than it's ever been"

42. "Unforgettable," Nat King Cole

Lyrics you'll love: "That's why, darling, it's incredible/That someone so unforgettable/Thinks that I am/unforgettable too"

43. "Up Where We Belong," Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes

Lyrics you'll love: "Love lifts us up where we belong/Where the eagles cry on a mountain high"

44. "We've Only Just Begun," The Carpenters

Lyrics you'll love: "And when the evening comes we smile,/So much life ahead/We'll find a place where there's room to grow/And yes, we've just begun"

45. "Wild Horses," The Rolling Stones

Lyrics you'll love: "No sweeping exits or offstage lines/Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind/Wild horses couldn't drag me away"

46. "Wonderwall," Oasis

Lyrics you'll love: "I said maybe/You're gonna be the one that saves me/And after all/You're my wonderwall"

47. "You Are the Best Thing," Ray LaMontagne

Lyrics you'll love: "The way you move me, it's crazy/It's like you see right through me/And make it easier/Believe me, you don't even have to try"

48. "You Are So Beautiful," Joe Cocker

Lyrics you'll love: "You're everything I hoped for/You're everything I need/You are so beautiful to me"

49. "Your Song," Elton John

Lyrics you'll love: "I hope you don't mind that I put down in words/How wonderful life is while you're in the world"

50. "You're My Best Friend," Queen

Lyrics you'll love: "You're the best friend that I ever had/I've been with you such a long time/You're my sunshine/And I want you to know"

Always Timeless Productions

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50 songs can be a lot to choose from but grab your partner and split the playlist up. We suggest enjoying the playlist over a couple of days of evening drives or while cooking a meal together, either way choosing together will make even a bigger impact on the day of the wedding.

Enjoy

XOXO

Songs list from: https://www.theknot.com/content/classic-first-dance-songs

David Lemp Photography