bride and groom standing on the sofa at the keeper and the dell

Why You Shouldn’t Forget to be Spontaneous on your Wedding Day

bride and groom standing on a sofa laughing at the keeper and the dellThe Importance of Being Spontaneous on Your Wedding Day

Whether you plan a wedding over two months or two years, it’s so easy to get so caught up
in every detail. With every second of the day accounted for, it can feel like you have
already lived through your wedding day numerous times before you even get to the event
itself!

From a sudden change of plans to surprises from your loved ones, there is definitely advantage
in not being afraid to be spontaneous on your wedding day. Well, so long as no one is left waiting
around indefinitely because things have got really spur-of-the-moment! 😉

bride walking with lilac bridesmaids in the rain in norfolk countryside

Choosing a relaxed wedding day

With all those spreadsheets, timetables and everyone knowing their position at any given
moment, it’s not a cliché to say it will feel like a military operation. There are so many
benefits to that, obviously, as it lessens the likelihood of something going astray. But the
other side of that is – regardless of how laid-back either of you are – a slippery slope into
sweating ALL the small stuff… not just on your wedding day but in the days leading up to it, too.

When you set the bar to ‘perfect’ (or at the very least ‘running perfectly’) you’re all the more
likely to not cope when something unexpected happens (rain in the middle of the hottest
summer on record anyone?) and, perhaps most importantly, you might miss the moments that take you by surprise.

bride laughing at cake toppers surrounded by fairy lights at blackthorpe barn

Going with the flow

Because it’s those unexpected moments that you will truly remember: your dad deciding that
he really can dance, your bridal party discovering hula hoops and disrupting the
photography schedule or the flower girl that decides to give an impromptu speech. By
letting go a little, and knowing that you’ve chosen to say ‘heck yes’ to a sudden turn of events,
you will actually keep the day flowing exactly as you want. Let’s face it here – there’s two options in those scenarios: a stressful scene where you try to get things back on track and waste precious the time on a day you’ll only get once, or an unexpectedly happy memory before you get back to the schedule.

 

black and white photo of groomsmen holding groom in a suffolk field

Beautiful Spontaneity

It’s these moments of beautiful spontaneity that are what create life’s wistful ‘remember
when…’ moments. If you prepare yourself for anything is possible (and adding in buffer time
is a great way to remain in control if this sort of thing makes you feel anxious), you are
giving yourselves the freedom to enjoy the reality of your married life right from the starting
gun, rather than being disappointed that the expectation has faltered…

Whether it’s the sudden urge to make a song the DJ has put on into your first dance, to needing to just take five minutes to be together with a cup of tea whilst everyone else is enjoying Pimm’s or doing shots, nothing will go wrong.

Spontaneity really is the best thing from a photography point of view; it always leads to the best facial expressions for candids.. so if for no other reason, embrace it for that alone!

Wedding days are extraordinary. Great weddings leave everyone, from parents to work colleagues, feeling like they know the bride and groom a little bit better. And surely, just a splash of the unexpected is going to be the perfect way to do that.

groom stroking horse walking to ceremony

If you’re planning your wedding and looking for a relaxed wedding photographer – find out more about what I offer here. Fancy reading more of my planning tips? Click here.