PART TWO of Tips for a seamless New Hampshire Wedding, as told by a New Hampshire Wedding Photographer.
Whether you are having a New Hampshire seacoast wedding or a White Mountains wedding everyone could use a little direction on planning a seamless wedding weekend! The following are ten more tips to help you along your way!
11. Plan your hair for your ceremony location, meaning beach = wind and white mountain peak = wind. So if you are planning a New Hampshire beach wedding ceremony in Rye or if you plan to say your I Do's at the top of Cathedral Ledge in the NH White Mountains, you can almost guarantee that you will have a breeze blowing through your entire ceremony, which will be very refreshing come summer time, but plan ahead and tell your salon that an updo is a must! Otherwise you will be fighting that hair the entire time and in every picture afterwards!
12. Can you hear me?! If you are planning an outdoor ceremony it would also be a great idea to consider a sound system. I am not talking a great huge system but a simple one microphone and speaker set up. Being that an outdoor wedding will not have the same acoustics as an indoor church wedding, your voice may need a little help to travel. We want all of your guests to hear ever word from your heartfelt love soaked vows.
13. Pardon me, but where is the Loo? This very much piggy-backs with the these from above of a outdoor wedding celebration, we plan for a gorgeous sail cloth tent and florals to accentuate the natural beauty of the outdoor location and oh the delicious foods too, but what about a bathroom break?! Keep in mind that if you are having an outdoor wedding reception that you must also provide the bathrooms, luckily enough there are a lot more options, look at these two, one in pink and one with real water!
14. Signs are a must when it comes to an outdoor or "off the beaten path" wedding location. If you are planning a ceremony on the beach of your Lake Winnipesaukee cabin and guests must travel down thin, dirt, camp roads and you don't them lost and listing to "recalculating" the whole way, then make sure to include adorable wedding arrow signs in your planning!
15. Allow time for getting lost, guests are traveling to your wedding location and not everyone will be familiar with the beauty that is New Hampshire and New England, allow them time to site see and enjoy themselves too. Maybe even set up a mini guest welcome kit with a few midnight snacks and map of your favorite local hot spots in Portsmouth or Manchester or trails to hike in North Conway.
16. Enlighten the travelers on the chosen location. When you plan your wedding you of course want to have a magical weekend but you also want to ensure that your guests have a great time too! Nothing can ruin a great time more than arms being eaten alive from bugs or goose bumps from a cool breeze. Remind guests that New Hampshire and New England weather can be finicky and that it is always a great idea to pack a light sweater in summer or fashionably warm jacket in fall and that bug spray is always a great idea.
17. Serve local food and drinks. Okay so this really isn't a make or break tip but it is always more fun to have local items at your wedding, you chose this location for a reason right! Sam Adams from Boston and Smuttynose from Hampton are two great options. Smuttynose even has a great restaurant on their Towle Farm Rd location, which can be a perfect post wedding rehearsal dinner spot. Think local for guests favors too! How adorable is a little Maine lobster candy or a mini jar of maple syrup from a local sugar house.
18. Drink responsibly, now yes of course this goes for alcohol but also remember to drink an adequate amount of water leading up to your wedding. Wedding weekends can be hectic but nothing slows them down faster than passing out from dehydration! It is always a good idea to keep granola bars and other quick and easy to grab snacks out at all times especially during the wedding day. I know you spent all this time planning and choosing the perfect wedding food, but I hate to break it to you, you probably wont eat any of it. Remember this McDonald commercial? Yup, it's true. I would suggest maybe something a little healthier than fast food, but you get the idea!
19. Remember it is about the love, it is so easy to get swept up in the planning and then the day and forget what the day is actually about. This day is about bringing two souls together and bonding them for life, two families and two lives joining as one. Make sure to take a few quiet moments through the day and just look at each other and take it all in. A First Look is a great way to schedule in a quiet moment too, we pull the two of you aside just before the ceremony after your hectic morning of hair, make up and getting all dolled up and slow down to capture the first moments you two see each other. This is done away from family and friends, allowing true emotions the opportunity to pour over with out any need to hide the tears or huge smiles!
20. Look at each other during your day, especially your first dance, often times couples will feel a bit awkward dancing all alone while being watched by all their family and friends, but all those eyes are looking on with love and admiration that you two have taken this big jump together. Make sure to stare into each others eyes and enjoy the quickly fleeting moment. (Photographer note: this will also make for much more love filled photos of your dance together) This also goes for father--daughter or mother-son dances, look at your parent and hold them tight, you just went from a fresh warm newborn to a someones spouse in a blink of an eye!
BONUS TIP!
Did you know that there are TWO PASSPORT options! There is a option for the traditional passport book but also a passport card! Make sure that prior to your honeymoon you order the proper one! Also keep in mind that you must order your passport with your maiden name, but you can put in a request to change it once all the paperwork has been filed.
Did you miss 1 through 1-10?! Find them here and get all caught up!