So it’s finally here; the Child of Prague survived the night, you only got 4 hours sleep and you’ve got mammy stuck in your head from yesterday “would you not go to bed now love”, “sure you can do that in the morning”, “Tom do we have enough milk for the morning”, but as the sun breaks and you poor your first coffee, there’s an eerie calmness and you’re not sure why.

Don’t worry, this is all normal, pretty soon hair and makeup will be in full swing, and your mothers set list will have changed to “oh, I’m still not sure I like this hat”, “Tom, why are you only shining your shoes now” and “will someone remember to close all the windows before we leave”.

Tip #1 – Organisation and Delegation

On the run up to the day, keep that to-do list handy and dole out those jobs like a military commander; you stay in one place and any emergency can be dealt with by somebody not important (i.e. anyone but you). Your wedding coordinator will tell you, if you’re running an event, there’s no point in you running around trying to solve everything while everyone else stands around with nothing to do. So sit back with a glass of champagne and a bacon sandwich and delegate, delegate, delegate.

And don’t panic if you forget something, it can be sorted. Hell, I’ve transported flowers, lanterns, guests and even couples from the church to the venue before. So don’t be afraid to ask anyone to take on a job.

Tip #2 – Timeline

An easy way to keep everything running smoothly is to have a timeline stuck to the fridge or somewhere around the house that everyone can see. You probably won’t have a watch on, so everyone else can see your plan and stick to it.

Tip #3 – The Garter

If you decided to wear a garter, put in on early in the morning and wear it around for a while; brides often have to stop before going into the ceremony because the garter is really annoying them or it falls off as they’re walking (not the most convenient).

Tip #4 – The Dress

Who ever is going to be helping you into your dress on the morning comes to the final fitting. That way they know how it gets tied, buttoned, looped, clasped and hooked up for later. Saves a heap of heartache on the morning.

Tip #5 – Timing

Aim to have your dress on 30mins before you’re due to leave. That gives you a window for delay or (more hopefully) time for a few photos and a few deep breaths. Also aim to be about 10mins late, no one likes an on time bride in Ireland, sure we’re never on time for anything.

So that’s 5 of about a million tips I have; if you book me as your wedding photographer, I’ll tell you the rest… 😉