Montreal Wedding Planning: An unconventional glossary for memorable wedding celebrations: : Letter G: Your guests are gifts
Wedding guests are more than just attendees; they're an integral part of your wedding day. It takes a village, and you want that village by your side on the biggest day!
When planning your wedding guest list, ask yourself who you would love to see in your wedding photos when you look back at them: celebrating with you, ugly-crying, raising a glass, sharing hugs and dancing.
It’s important that you identify how personal you wish your wedding to be. A wedding photographer will cover both formal photographs and candids, and that will be the record you look back upon when reminiscing about your day. Inviting a large but impersonal list of people may have you scratching your head years later, wondering who some of the people are!
Two elements to consider around your guest list:
Size of venue versus guest list
If you have your heart set on a venue of your dreams but it has limited capacity, there are 2 choices - pare down the guest list, or seek another venue. You must look to your heart to know if your celebration would be the same if you had to remove certain people. If you are down to the core group that you must be surrounded with and cannot budge any further, then investigating other venues will be the right decision. While we can tend to fall in love with a space, we must remember to keep an open heart and look around, as there are many wedding venues that could be a good fit.
2. Photography
A group photo is a good way to document all who attended the wedding. The trick is to get this group photo done immediately after the ceremony, as otherwise people tend to scatter - to find a restroom, to grab something from the car, to tend to kids, or to go find the cocktail area. I will plan this upon my arrival, taking into account where a larger group could be arranged nearby the ceremony location, and the lighting. If outdoors, care must be taken based on time of day and strength of the sun. After that, only immediate and possibly extended family will pose for formal photographs. Candid photography will capture guests more informally during cocktail and reception. If it’s important for additional and more formal photographs with guests, it should be planned in advance so that the timeline has sufficient time. Table photographs have been a mainstay of weddings for decades, but a table of half-eaten food isn’t the nicest context. For that reason if a couple requests table photographs, I will stand the group up from the table and pose them in front of the table or a nearby location. It’s important to announce the intention of table photographs at the start of the reception and give an approximate time for when it will happen, because people may also leave the room. In these cases, we do the best we can, understanding that sometimes we won’t be able to get absolutely everyone.
A fun trend I’ve seen recently is for the couple to set themselves up on the dance floor and during a song or 2, each table is called to come and surround the couple for a fun group photo. This trend is not only entertaining, but it also eliminates the awkward table photos!
Featured photo above: Wedding at La Bullerie Winery
Photographer: Lucy Baum Photography