How to HAVE FUN at Your Wedding!

When the father of the bride whips out his cellphone halfway down the aisle + takes a selfie...

Yeah... THESE are MY kind of people!!!

In all the chaos of wedding planning, don't forget that this is YOUR day + it can be whatever you want it to be. Try not to get so caught up in all the details that you forget to have FUN along the way. With that in mind...

here are my rules for how to have a fabulous wedding day (and a great LIFE, too):

1. Always be yourselves.

2. Celebrate however YOU want.

3. Create new traditions (like rocking out to choreography with your dad instead of a father/daughter slow dance).

4. Have FUN.

5. Surround yourselves with JOY.

6. And remember... even though there's a timeline in place, this is YOUR day. Things will happen, and not always as planned. But that's okay. Because the day can't progress without you there, anyway! And because there will be tons of other insanely incredible, non-planned moments happening, too. And some of THOSE just might become your favorites. 

So breathe it all in. Take a few heartbeats to realize this is a celebration of your love, and notice you're surrounded by the best of the best to help cheer you on in your journey. So smile till your cheeks hurt. Dance barefoot. Hug everyone within arm's reach. Laugh till your sides hurt. And feel the LOVE.

Wanna see more? Check out this highlight reel from a recent wedding:

the big day // Bend, Oregon Lifestyle Wedding Photography

It was finally the BIG day, and she was a bundle of nerves... dancing through the house on her tiptoes, waving her freshly manicured fingernails about, and peeking around the corner at the grownups in their fancy dresses as they sat side-by-side, getting their makeup done.

A moment later it would be her own turn... with a few strokes of blush and straightened hair, today was definitely an occasion to play dress-up.

Because today was the day her mother was getting married, and she'd be getting a new step-dad, too!

Helped into her flowergirl dress and fancy shoes, she gave one last grin and flew up the stairs to excitedly show off just how TALL she was in her fancy shoes... and they even had HEELS. A few squirts of perfume, and she was feeling like one of the ladies.

With the others still getting ready, the bride-to-be turned to her daughter for assistance in getting dressed in a fancy gown of her own. And what started out as a time-saving convenience turned into a once-in-a-lifetime moment between mother and daughter.

Tiny fingers zipping up her mother's wedding dress, as her mother might be doing for HER one day. And watching in awe as the woman before her transformed from "Mom" into a glamorous bride that could decorate the pages of a magazine.

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See, the wedding day isn't always just about the bride and groom...

There are soooooo many amazing stories happening in the background, and it's my pleasure to bring them to light.

That's the fun in being a lifestyle photographer. Seek and ye shall find... because we ALL have a story to tell.