10 wedding moments couples forget to plan for

Couples spend months planning the big moments: the ceremony, the first dance, the speeches. Those almost always go well. It’s the smaller things, the ones nobody thinks to plan for, that we most often hear people wish they’d captured. Here are the ten we’d put at the top of your list.

1. The speeches, properly mic’d

Speeches are often the part of the film couples rewatch most, and the hardest part to fix if the sound isn’t right. A great speech recorded from the back of a noisy room is a story you can’t quite hear. Tell us who’s speaking and in what order, and check whether your venue has a PA system. We’ll make sure every speaker is recorded cleanly, so the jokes land just as well years from now.

2. Getting ready, on both sides

The nerves, the laughter, the moment someone does your buttons up: getting ready is full of small, honest moments. If you’re getting ready in separate places, think about whether you want both covered. With a photo and film team, one of us can often be with each of you.

3. Your first look at each other

Whether it’s a private first look before the ceremony or the moment you turn around at the aisle, that first glance is over in seconds. If it matters to you, tell us, and we’ll be in exactly the right place for it.

4. Your guests’ faces during the vows

You can’t see your guests during the ceremony. You’ll want to, afterwards. Your mum’s face as you say your vows, your best friend wiping away a tear: these are some of the most loved images we deliver, and they need a photographer looking the other way at the right time.

5. The people who won’t be here forever

Grandparents, older relatives, the friend who travelled from the other side of the world. It’s worth making a quiet list of the people you want to be sure are photographed with you, and maybe a few words of them on camera. You’ll treasure it.

6. The details you spent months on

The stationery, the flowers, the rings, a family heirloom, the table plan you rewrote eleven times. Put the small things together in one place on the morning (rings, invitation, perfume, shoes, anything sentimental) and we’ll take care of the rest.

7. Confetti, done properly

Confetti is pure joy and is over in about four seconds. Ask your venue whether it’s allowed and where, make sure guests actually have it in their hands before you walk out, and walk slowly. We’ll often suggest a second pass if the first one was a bit sparse.

8. A few quiet minutes together

Many couples say the day went by in a blur and they barely saw each other. Ten minutes on your own after the ceremony, maybe during portraits at golden hour, gives you a breather and some of the most natural images of the day. Build it into your timeline.

9. Messages from your guests

A few words from your friends and family, recorded during the drinks reception or the evening, can be lovely to look back on. Some couples love it, others would rather keep the film purely about the day. Either is fine; just let us know which you are.

10. The last dance and the send-off

By the end of the night, everyone is relaxed, the dance floor is full and the best stories are happening. If you have a final song, a sparkler exit or a send-off planned, tell us when it is so we’re still there for it.

Most of these come down to one thing: telling your photographer and videographer what matters to you. We’d always rather know too much than too little. If you’re starting to plan, get in touch and we’ll talk it through.