Scotland Wedding Planning Guide – Tips from Your Local Photographers

From first steps to final dance – your complete Scotland wedding planning checklist

Wedding planning can be an exciting yet overwhelming experience. With so many decisions to make, from choosing a venue to selecting the perfect dress, it’s easy to feel lost or overwhelmed. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive guide to help you plan your dream wedding, from start to finish.

Wedding Planning Tips

Before you dive into the details, it’s important to set a realistic budget and timeline for your wedding. This will help you stay on track and avoid overspending. Once you have a budget and timeline in place, you can start to research and book vendors, such as a venue, caterer, photographer, and videographer.

Wedding Planning Guide

To help you stay organised and on track, we’ve created a comprehensive wedding planning checklist. This checklist includes everything you need to do, from booking a venue to sending out invitations. You can use this checklist to keep track of your progress and make sure you don’t forget anything important.

Engagement

1. Get engaged! (Congratulations!) Check out our posts on proposals if this is something you would like.
2. Set a budget.
3. Decide on a date and time.
4. Start researching venues.
5. Interview potential photographers (if we can’t help you here we have some fantastic recommendations) and videographers.
6. Start shopping for wedding bands.
7. Consider hiring a wedding planner if needed.
8. Maybe arrange an engagement photoshoot to announce in style and get practise in front of the camera.

More Than a Year to go – Pre-Wedding

1. Have the budget conversation with your fiancé and parents (if you haven’t already). (50% of couples increase their budget after they start planning their wedding)
2. Create a guest list to determine size and budget then book your venue.
3. Select and order your wedding dress or suit
4. Book a caterer and order your wedding cake, flowers and décor.
5. Book hair and makeup services as they tend to book up early.
6. Design and order wedding invitations and any other stationery.
7. Consider insurance. Cover against the unexpected, such as, incase you need to cancel due to illness or weather. Perhaps you need cover for the costs of suppliers who fail to supply or costs for damage, loss or theft.
8. Create and submit your marriage license application.
9. Plan any pre-wedding events, such as showers, stag/hen parties, and rehearsal dinners.
10. Consider an engagement session to get practise being in front of the camera and have some images to show off.

Twelve Months to Go – Eeek! It’s the year of your wedding!

1. If sending out save-the-dates this early, hold off in sending an Order of Service until you have established a basic timeline with your venue and photographer.
2. Hire a wedding planner if you want one.

Eleven Months to Go

1. Finalise your colour scheme and styling
2. Hire transportation and/or wedding cars.
3. Book any other suppliers you may need.

Ten Months to Go

1. Arrange for alterations and fittings.
2. Have a tasting to discuss your menu and drinks order with your caterer.

Nine Months to Go

1. If you’ve not sent out your save-the-dates, do so now. Again, hold off in sending an Order of Service until you have established a basic timeline with your venue and photographer.

Eight Months to Go

1. Put together a gift registry or honeymoon fund. Consider guests contributing towards a wedding album. Average album cost is over £500 and your guests can help you get that perfect keepsake.
2. Choose your bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmen’s attire.

Seven Months to Go

1. Book rentals for any equipment or furniture you need.
2. Book a celebrant if you haven’t already.

Six Months to Go – Wedding Countdown

1. Make a final guest count and update your guest list.
2. Arrange for transportation for the wedding party and guests.
3. Plan any activities or entertainment for the reception.
4. Send out invitations once you’ve established a basic timeline with venue and photographer. If you are using e-invitations, add a link to your sign up form to ‘Receive an invitation to view our wedding gallery after the event’. Once you receive your online gallery from your photographer, when you want to share, all you have to do is click ‘Share’ and input their email. Done : )
5. Review your budget and make any necessary adjustments.
6. Double-check all of your vendor contracts and confirm all arrangements.

Five Months to Go

1. Book your honeymoon flights and accommodations.
2. Go honeymoon-wardrobe shopping (remember, summer clothes aren’t easy to find in winter and vice versa).

Four Months to Go

1. If you’re changing your name, renew your passport now or do it after the honeymoon. The officiating minister or registrar will need to sign the form for you.
2. Get any travel visas or inoculations needed for your honeymoon.
3. Discuss your hen and stag night plans with your friends.
4. Book your hair and make-up trial.

Three Months to Go – The Final Stretch

1. Meet your celebrant, select our readings and write your vows.
2. Send out final reminders to guests about the wedding.
3. Arrange for alterations and fittings for bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmen’s attire.
4. Purchase any last-minute items for the wedding, such as favours, decorations, or accessories.
5. Confirm all transportation arrangements.
6. Review your wedding day schedule and make any necessary changes.
7. Make sure you have all of your paperwork in order, such as your marriage license and any required permits.

Two Months to Go

1. Go over the photo list and any other details with your photographer.
2. Schedule your first fitting for your wedding dress or suit.

One Month to Go – The Panic Begins

1. Review your wedding day schedule again and make sure you have all of the important details.
2. Touch base with your vendors to confirm everything’s on schedule and pay any remaining final balances.
3. Grooms, try on your whole outfit. Forgotten anything? Get it!
4. Make a list of what you want to pack for your wedding day bag and honeymoon luggage.
5. Discuss your playlist with your band.
6. Order any foreign currency you need for your honeymoon.
7. Chase any RSVP stragglers.
8. Finalise your timeline and photo list with your photographers.
9. Go on your hen and stag nights – It’s time to party!
10. Relax and enjoy the process!

Two Weeks to Go

1. Book your final haircut and colour appointments.
2. Confirm final numbers with your venue and caterer.
3. Schedule your final fitting for your wedding dress or suit.

The Week of the Wedding

1. Start packing your wedding day bag and for your honeymoon.
2. Break in your wedding shoes.
3. Have any final beauty treatments (waxing, spray tan, mani/pedi).
4. Brides > Collect your dress.
5. Finalise your seating plan.
6. Attend your rehearsal.
7. Make sure the best man and maid of honour have each other’s numbers (and those of important suppliers), as well as any addresses and timings for the day.
8. Set up any décor at the venue.
9. Relax and enjoy the time with your loved ones

The Day Before

1. Groom > write your speech. JOKING! DO NOT LEAVE IT UNTIL THEN.
2. Try and plan to be able to relax in the evening to get a good nights rest which will be hard with the excitement.

The Wedding Day! YASSSS!

1. Eat breakfast. It’s going to be a long day.
2. Keep drinking water but have a glass of champagne too whilst you get ready.
3. Enjoy each moment for what it is and take each moment as it comes.
4. Make sure to take time for the two of you.
5. Celebrate the night away!

Hints and tips

Every couple is different so we always go with the flow to make you comfortable. Main thing we always say.. be natural, shake the nerves off and let the moment take you away for those natural shots we love to achieve. Whisper to each other (proper talking shows up in photos), make each other laugh, have fun with it. After all you shall be married by this point so use that magic.. honestly! Sounds silly but you’ll be feeling amazing! Use that and let the moments help us create natural and intimate moments between you. We are not fans of stiff and posed photos. Also remember that this is a time where the both of you are alone and away from guests so let it all soak in and take advantage of this time alone.

Here are some tips on things to do during your photo session.

– Gentle touches like brushing your knuckles on your partner’s face, brushing wisps of hair off of their face.

– Hand on your partners face looking up at them; forehead to your partners chin or forehead closing eyes and smiling.. taking in the moment.

– Kiss your partners forehead.. don’t forget to close your eyes for this one (both of you). Looks weird otherwise.

– Laughter ~ Laugh together! Those kind of shots are the best. Don’t be afraid to be silly.

– Surprise ~ Crack a joke. Whisper it in their ear.

– Emotion ~ Whisper something meaningful to each other. The emotions will come through in your face which captures romantically on camera.

– Closed eyes and smiling ~ Taking in the moment. This probably seems weird but trust us it looks ace in photos.

– You don’t need to be looking at the camera at the same time. Look at your partner while they look around or at the camera and vice versa.

– Play a game. Go through the alphabet and think of a compliment or endearment with each letter.

– Look up Pinterest boards on poses. It will help a lot.

– Don’t overthink it or suggest shots. We have your back. Let us be in control of the camera.

To get the most out of your session

Try and keep the room you are getting ready in as tidy as possible.

Get a great spot facing a window for when you are getting your makeup done for that natural light.

Try and get into your wedding attire 30 minutes before you leave.

When speaking to your venue about your timeline do remind them of the time it takes for photos. This is important as a lot of venues focus timeline around when you sit down for your wedding breakfast leaving us photographers with not very much time. Group shots can take up to 20 minutes as there are sometimes a few who do not tend to listen to direction which can delay the process. Allow 15 minutes for a group shot when it follows the ceremony, 30 minutes for family formal photos (It is great if you can have someone you trust help us find the necessary people for photos), 40 minutes for the two of you and 30 minutes for you to mingle with your guests while also allowing us to get detail shots and candids.

Based on season we recommend splitting your photo session into two. One following your formal photos and one following your meal to get that gorgeous golden hour.

Bring along flats, wellies or boots for shots that may require walking on grass. Or go bare feet. Such fun photos!

Wearing a dress? Your dress shall need cleaning regardless. Do not let it stop you from getting incredible photos. We have seen this too many times and it impedes the creative process. You will also regret it later. Trust us, you really will.

Get your venue to place your cake in an area that is not in front of a radiator, electrical cords or anything off putting.

Get someone from your bridal party to help us organise the confetti shot. This needs to be planned as some guests get overly excited and this can ruin the shot.

Let us know of any surprises or traditions.

We don’t recommend band lights with differennt coloured spotlights/lasers. Often people in the photos and yourselves end up with big green/blue/red dots on your face and elsewhere which does not look very good in photos. Please ask your band to wait until the third dance to use these types of lights.

Speak to your bridal party about timings. So many times someone from the bridal party has been the reason for the ceremony lateness. They really don’t need 100 selfies and 10 check ups before leaving.

Other helpful info

Please see some examples below on popular formal shots to help you along. From these suggestions you can make your own, providing us with names as well. As mentioned previously please assign someone reliable to help gathering these folk to ensure this session runs smoothly.

In addition to this here are some helpful links for some great information and tips.

We love engagement sessions

The low down on groom preps

Bridal preps

Making the best of your wedding morning

How to plan the perfect wedding ceremony

Wedding ceremony hints and tips

Take advantage of the golden hour

Wedding Advice from Experienced Photographers

We’ve also compiled some advice from being experienced wedding photographers to help you plan your dream wedding. This advice includes tips on making the best of your morning preps, to florals to decor to speeches. Check them out below.

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