5 Ways to Create Time With Your Family on Your Wedding Day from a Springfield Wedding Photographer

Time flies when you’re having fun! For anyone that’s ever been to or been a part of a wedding, you know just how true this age old saying is. Spirits are usually at an all time high for a wedding, and with all the activities that make up the day it can feel impossible to actually fit time into your day to be present with those you love. Lucky for you I’m here to tell you that is NOT the case! While your wedding will feel like it is flying by, there are ways to actively be present throughout the day and make time for those most important to you outside your soon to be spouse, your family. Here are my top 5 tips as a Springfield wedding photographer on creating time with your family on your wedding day!

The Importance of Creating Time on Your Wedding Day

Before we take a look at how to have more time present with your family on your wedding day, why exactly is it so important to do so? Of course you’ll be enjoying yourself and having the time of your life on your wedding day, but this often leads to you missing out on some truly incredible moments. While you’ll be able to relive a lot of these moments with the help of your photographer and videographer, there’s something so special about being present in the moment to really have it sink in. Creating these lasting memories with those that you care the most about is part of what makes weddings so incredible, I mean how often are you able to get ALL of your family together like this?! 

5 Ways to Have More Time With Your Family

1. Expand Your Rehearsal Dinner

The first way to create more time with your family on your wedding day is to actually start BEFORE your wedding day! I know this sounds like cheating, but trust me it’s not. This can be easier for some than others depending on where your wedding is taking place, where the rehearsal dinner is taking place, and where your family members are traveling from. That’s why it’s important to let your family members know as early as possible how much this means to you and how much you’d love to have them there. This is probably THE best way to get extra time with your family during your wedding as there’s no other events of the wedding day that will come into play until the next day.

2. Have a First Look With Family

One of the most magical moments of a wedding day is the first time that someone sees the bride once she’s in her wedding dress. It’s why first looks have become SO popular and a real staple of a lot of wedding days. Typically a first look is limited to the bride and her father, and then the bride and groom, but there’s no rule that says you have to stop there. Have a first look with your grandmother, your aunt, your sister, etc. This of course extends to the groom as well! First looks are such powerful, magical, and emotional moments and are one of my favorite parts of any wedding as a Springfield wedding photographer. There’s one more plus side to having a first look which we’ll take a look at next…

3. Get Portraits Finished Early

If the bride and groom have seen one another prior to their ceremony, that means that couples and wedding party portraits can all be done BEFORE the ceremony even starts! Allie and Dylan’s wedding at the Bloomington Country Club is a perfect example of this. With all of these portraits out of the way early it gave them SO much more time and flexibility to be present with their family and friends on their wedding day. It also let them enjoy their entire cocktail hour, which is something I love to recommend my couples try to attend as a Springfield wedding photographer. Speaking of cocktail hour!

4. Prioritize Going to Cocktail Hour

If your rehearsal dinner is the best way to create time with your family before your wedding, then being there for the FULL cocktail hour is the best way to do so on your actual wedding day! Your cocktail hour is the only time you really get to talk to anyone on your wedding day. Every other moment is filled with other responsibilities and events that will keep your conversations too short to really enjoy. Cocktail hour is that short reprieve where you have the full hour to enjoy yourself and actually be present with those that came to celebrate you and your love! As a Springfield wedding photographer, I always recommend my couples to prioritize making it to their cocktail hour!

5. Include Them in Your Day

Last on our list is including your family into your wedding day! With so much going on during a wedding day there’s only so much the two of you can handle. Including members of your family to help get you through the day can not only give you some extra time with them, but also save your sanity! Whether it’s larger tasks like having your aunt style your hair, or smaller moments like the groom’s dad tying his tie for him, there are so many creative ways to include your family into your wedding day. It’s of course important to keep in mind who you know can be trusted to perform these tasks without issue. If your cousin is a bit on the forgetful side, maybe don’t have her in charge of keeping track of your phone and bouquet.

And there you have it, 5 ways for you to create time on your wedding day to be present with your family! I hope this list helps you create a wedding day where you’re able to actually spend time with your loved ones who are there to celebrate this next adventure you’re about to embark on. If there’s only one thing you get out of this blog though, let it be the idea of being present for your wedding day. It’s going to fly by no matter what, so try to take in as much of it as you can! For more wedding planning tips from your favorite Springfield wedding photographer be sure to check out my blog, and if you’re ready to book me for your wedding send me an inquiry!