The time to plan your magical day has finally arrived, but there's SO much going on, so many things to decide and you don't even know what you should prioritize? Or maybe you do, but with so many ideas floating around, you're not sure of what to implement and what will give you the best memories captured to look back at years from now? Well, ya girl is here to help!

As a Denver Wedding Photographer who value real moments and experience over just posed photos, I try my best to treat your wedding day as a documentary about the beginning of your journey as a married couple, which in fact it's, what it actually is! So here are my best 15 tips to plan your wedding if you also value the experience and real moments:

Choose your venue wisely: Prioritize a venue that offers beautiful natural surroundings, such as gardens, open fields, lakes or mountains landscapes. These settings can enhance the authenticity of your photos, and give you plenty of space for creative shots, aside from being a gorgeous backdrop to a photo that might end up in your living room. Also take into consideration the style you want for your wedding photos, are you looking for an editorial light vibe? Choose a glassy, open space industrial venue. Wanting a more romantic feel? Castles and wineries are good options. And the same way, if you want a light & airy feel for your photos, choosing a dark cabin in the middle of the woods, won't really do

Prioritize natural lighting: Opt for venues with a lot of natural light if planning for an indoor ceremony, and if doing an outdoor ceremony - which I'm always here for - plan that to happen as well as the formal portraits moment during the golden hour when the lighting is soft and warm. I love helping my couples plan their timelines, so if you have any questions at what time these things should take place, I'll be happy to help!

Opt for an intimate guest list: Consider having a smaller wedding with close family and friends. This can create a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere, allowing for more meaningful interactions and authentic moments. I always say this, and I mean it, I love all weddings but there's something so special about smaller and intimate ones, where you know that the people who are there are the ones that truly - TRULY - care about you and your fiancé and will be there to support your journey every step of the way. Celebrating this milestone with the closest to your heart also gives you more flexibility to create an overall wedding experience that's much more true to you - aside from also freeing the budget a little to splurge on other things, like your dream photographer or your dream honeymoon experience!

Consider doing a first look: Having a private moment before the ceremony where you and your partner can see each other for the first time allows you time to soak it in and relax the nerves before doing the most beautiful commitment of your life. You can also include here private personal vows reading, so instead of reading your hearts to everyone invited, you do so only to one another, and this can give you genuine freedom of emotions and reactions, not worrying about anyone else, or make-up smear or nervousness on reading your soul to everyone in your guest list. This way you feel all the emotions and your photographer can capture these intimate moments. It's also the perfect time to get some bride & groom portraits and even family photos before the ceremony, making that photo time between ceremony and reception easier and faster. On the other hand, I totally understand wanting the traditional moment of seeing each other as you walk down the aisle and see your groom crying like a baby as he sees you - trust me, i've been there! - so an option for my more traditional couples is to do a first touch instead, so it can still help you to relieve the nerves before the ceremony, without seeing each other.

Consider an unplugged ceremony: Encourage your guests to be fully present during the ceremony by requesting that they put away their smartphones and cameras. This allows everyone to focus on the moment and helps create a more intimate atmosphere + is a good way to make sure no phones will be in your important ceremony moments, like your first kiss and aisle exit. You're hiring a professional photographer for a reason, don't let your guests phones interfere with the amazing shots that could've been taken. If you want to give space for your guests to snap that picture to send to the rest of the fam, you can ask your officiant to announce a moment for that right before the ceremony starts, after you're both at the altar, and then tell them to put the phones away right after.

Plan a meaningful ceremony: Personalize your vows, incorporate rituals or traditions that are significant to you as a couple, and involve your loved ones. Authentic emotions and reactions make for memorable photographs. Aside from personal vows, I've already seen parents speeches and gifts given to the couple at the altar, glass unit ceremony, las aras ceremony, incorporation of Scottish, Ukranian, Serbian, Jewish traditions, and so many others! As I always say, do something that meaningful to you as a couple and turn that moment even more important and genuine. I honestly think one of the most amazing things about weddings is how personalizable its - or it should be - and how many cultural traditions I've been exposed to because of this!

Plan your timeline to allow candid moments: Your wedding day will already go by so fast, so make sure to take deep breaths and take it in everything that's happening. To do that, plan your wedding day schedule to give you extra time to interact with one another, to laugh and have fun while getting ready with your girls, to feel all the emotions during your first look, to let you dad give the sweetest speech and you to take it all in. Allowing time for these moments, will give you the best candid shots that hold the most emotional value.

Focus on connections: Get yourselves some time to connect with each other, to escape the intensity of the wedding day and sit outside to take a breath together. It all circles back to planning your timeline to give you these moments. Aside from that, also connect with your guests, and get a documentary style photographer who will capture interactions, hugs, looks and shared laughter and showcase the bond between you and friends, families & guests.

Don't skip on the details: When your photographer asks you to have your box of details ready to go on the day off, don't skip on those. Documenting the small details can often go unnoticed, but including them to your wedding day will contribute to the overall atmosphere, aesthetic and story of your wedding photos. And honestly, the story of you as a couple. The college rings and the first hand-written letter the bride ever gave the groom, the vows and that souvenir bought on your first trip together, aside from decorations, centerpieces, other handwritten notes, and meaningful objects, all of that will help us to tell the story of your day from the very beginning, and to tell the story of your relationship until that point. It's such a sweet and important little detail to be added to the beginning of your wedding gallery, and it really shouldn't be skipped on. And of course, going back to planning the timeline, make sure to allow time for your photographer to creatively put together your details, this way you'll have the most stunning beginning of storytelling for your big day.

Encourage spontaneous moments: Not only plan the timeline to allow candid moments for yourself, but also encourage spontaneous moments in your guests, give them time and space for spontaneous interactions, such as impromptu dances, heartfelt speeches, or unexpected gestures. For example, once a Bride's dad during his speech incorporated a whole new tradition and got all the guests to participate in it, then at the end of his speech he invited everyone to the dance floor unprompted. I'm sure those moments are stuck in the couples memory forever and it was only possible because we had that extra time planned on our schedules. So again linking back to tip #7 planning your timeline to allow these candid moments, often result in the most genuine and emotional photographs.

Add personal touches: Infuse your wedding with elements that reflect your personalities and relationship. Unique decorations, handcrafted details, or sentimental items can enhance the authenticity of the experience. I always ask my couples if is there anything special or different that they'd like me to pay attention in capturing it, and from that, I've gotten mom's handcrafted desert's table, college rings that reminded the couple about when they met, grandma's necklace, scottish quaich, mickey mouse details on the bride's veil, couple's dog being present and participating in the ceremony, and there's always so many more ideas and details to make your day even more unique to you.

Incorporate interactive elements: Plan activities or games that engage your guests and create opportunities for candid interactions and laughter. This can lead to great candid photo opportunities and create a relaxed atmosphere.

Plan for natural movements: When selecting your wedding dress, consider one that allows you to move comfortably and freely. This will enable you to participate fully in the celebration and allows for more natural and fun photos

Prioritize experience over poses: Instead of focusing on posed shots, allow your photographer to capture the essence of your day by documenting the emotions, interactions, and atmosphere. You can include here activities that will give you amazing experience and therefore incredible photo opportunities resulting in a more authentic and meaningful wedding album. For example, instead of only doing formal wedding party photos, why don't you create a moment to take a shot with everyone and party your soul out? Or choreograph a dance with the wedding party to open the dance floor! And for bride & groom portraits, you can incorporate your favorite activity during your formal photos and that will generate a dreamy experience where the end result will be memories photographed and not only posed shots. An example of this is if you like riding horses, you can add that right before your grand entrance and turn that into a horseback ride grand entrance!

Trust your photographer: I think this is my most important tip, so choose a photographer whose style aligns with your vision and trust their expertise. Communicate your preferences and let them guide you on capturing genuine moments throughout the day. Keep them in the loop about your desires, timeline, family situations, details you'd like to include and everything in between. The more they know about you and your wishes, the better they can tell your story. I for once, always help my couples with their timelines, giving examples and then refining that once we heard back from the wedding coordinator, so I know what I have time to include and what I don't, and I can plan my couple's photos around their entire wedding experience and not only having back to back photo time. On top of that, to trust your wedding photographer, make sure your personalities match! Your photographer will be the vendor closest to you all day during your wedding day, so make sure you feel comfortable around them, because more than likely they'll be the person that does much more than only clicking the shutter.

Remember, these tips are meant to inspire you to create a wedding experience that is authentic and true to yourselves. By embracing genuine moments and connections, you can create a beautiful and memorable day that will be reflected in your wedding photos. I hope these were helpful to you and you're ready to tackle your wedding to-do list with confidence that it'll be the most genuine and true to you possible - and that you'll have amazing photographs from that!!