Wedding Stress Reducers

Not just photography: How Les Henig Photography can help.

The secret is to Delegate, Delegate, Delegate, and then forget about it.

Timing

Ceremony: Unless your ceremony location comes with a staff person who manages the coordination and timing, this will be done by Carol. She'll need to know music cues for ushers, clergy and musicians, and will be the one to fix the train of the dress and seat late guests. Let her know your needs in advance.

The reception is usually coordinated by the catering staff, and we will check in with them. However, even then, we'll be alert for any problems.

Transportation and Movement of People and Items

Gifts: There will always be more gifts to transport than you anticipated. A couple of friends with larger vehicles should be asked in advance.

People: Think through how everyone in the wedding party and your family will move between events. Where will everyone's car be? We can't tell you the times we've had to take a stranded bridesmaid home.

Clothing: Think ahead about the Mess that gets created when the bridesmaids dress and get ready at the ceremony location. Someone other than the bride or her family should be responsible for getting things packed up and put into the proper place (like a car trunk).

Clothing Problems

Tuxes: Men seldom check out each article of clothing before they leave the rental store. Therein lies disaster! Remind the men to try on their garments at the earliest possible moment. We've seen guys 6'5" whose trousers were still too long; Carol came to the rescue, but she wouldn't have been able to help the husky usher who received a 30 pair of pants, but luckily had time to return to the store. Let's hope that somewhere there wasn't some angry skinny guy with a 40 portly pair of pants. Don't forget the ties, cummerbunds, studs and SHOES! You can't have a good time in shoes that hurt, and two left shoes are never funny.

Guestbooks, maps, programs: Although your ushers seem a logical choice to handle these things, they often get overlooked this way. Instead, honor a young person not otherwise involved for each of these jobs and you will be sure to have the job looked after thoroughly.

Contracts with florists, bands, organists, D.J.'s.

Make sure that you get a signed confirmation in advance. Don't depend on your canceled check to insure that who or what you expect will show up. Reconfirm with your contact person during the week before the wedding. Remember these people work for you, so speak up. If you don't want a running patter of conversation from the DJ all night, tell him so. If you want guests to be able to talk during dinner without shouting, make that clear also.

Florists: You're spending a lot of time or money or effort on this one item. It's a big disappointment when the flowers are not available for the pictures. It's also inexusable. Tell your florist where and when the pictures will take place. Carol will take responsibility for sorting out all flowers if the florist labels all items. If a florist balks about the timing of a delivery, let us see if we can help. We often take boutonnieres or corsages from one location to a second location, if the florest doesn't want an additional run.

Children

We're not sure that this really needs a category of its own, but for some people children spell trauma. Trust us here, we're experts. We love them and don't find them difficult. While they do not "pose" they can look and act wonderful. A word of caution: Do not start the day (or the week) warning them to "be good". Tell them what a good time the family is going to have and how wonderful that this is a special day they will always remember. Don't comb their hair and adjust their clothing over and over. Wait until the last moment - only not during the photography. When it comes to the group photos, do not tell them to look at the camera while you bend your neck to look at them. This confuses the children because you are not doing what you are instructing them to do. Model behavior for the child and let the photographer direct EVERYONE. Children love to see their parents taking direction from someone else - we wish people would remember that. We have enough tricks and treats to accomplish the job while respecting the child.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

We have dressed flower girls, straightened trains, bribed ring bearers, hemmed ushers' pants, glued heels, pinned flowers, oiled squeaky doors, swept tent caterpillers, bandaged small children (and now large adults as well), changed diapers, repaired every variety of garment, bussed tables, delivered gifts and calmed a sea of in-laws. Don't be shy about letting us help. It is almost a cross between show business and social work, and we love it.

Les Henig Photography
301-933-5762