Dear KDP Bride,

Happy Wedding Season! You’re probably knee deep in phone calls to make, dress fittings & tracking down those who didn’t RSVP, but I hope you’re taking some time to take deep breaths, enjoy some wine & read this letter to you. I want to talk to you today as a friend & as a past bride myself, not just your wedding photographer (although I’m BEYOND excited to play that role as well!). At this point, wedding season is almost upon us! Whether your wedding is in just a few short weeks or a still a few months away, it will be here before you know it!

Your wedding day is something you’ve been dreaming about for a while now. Long before you’ve been flaunting that gorgeous new ring on your finger :) Ever since he popped the question, you’ve starting envisioning the big day… You’ve booked your dream venue (or if your dream venue was booked, you changed your dream… I did that!). You shopped until you found the dress that makes you feel like a million bucks. You’ve poured over Pinterest & wedding magazines for more hours than you care to admit. You’ve done round after round of guest lists & seating charts. And your fiancé probably didn’t know “blush” was a color until you asked him for his opinion on bridesmaids dresses.

As much as I will love photographing all of your gorgeous, perfectly planned out details, here are a few things to remember from bride-to-bride…

Remember, as much as you possibly can, to try to soak in these moments. I’m sure you’ve probably been told this before. But seriously. There will likely never be another time in your lives that all of your loved ones are in one place again! I remember on our wedding day taking a moment with Corey when we were eating dinner, looking at each other and being like “Holy Cow… We’re MARRIED!!!”

And in that moment, we looked around at all of the people there to celebrate with us… Family, childhood friends, college teammates, teachers… It was a huge clashing of worlds and we loved having everyone from different areas of our lives on one hoppin’ dance floor! Try to enjoy those precious moments as best you can.

Love on your friends & family. Your people have been there for you through the highs & lows of wedding planning. It’s your day… but it can also be their day too. Again, when are you going to have all of your best friends in one place again?! My bridesmaids all came together the weekend before my wedding for my bachelorette party then we all spent the week together in Maine before our wedding. Seriously, what I wouldn’t give to have that group of girls together again!! And our parents put in so much love & effort (& money!) into our wedding day… Make sure to check in with your parents on your wedding day to make sure they’re having a good time and being well taken care of :) One of my favorite parts of photographing a wedding is getting to capture the pure joy that parents & family members experience as they’re by your side for your big day. It truly is just such an exciting day for everyone, and that is something I love most about weddings!

This is so simple, but remember to have FUN! You’ve put so much hard work into planning this day, so you deserve to let loose & just enjoy yourself! Let your vendors do the hard work because when it comes to your wedding day, you should only be enjoying yourself & your time with your loved ones!

Your groom is just as excited (and nervous!) for this day as you… even if he seemed impartial to the details you’ve been pouring over. He will think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world, no matter what. You think your dress makes you feel amazing?! Oh just wait until he sees you in it!! Girl, that is one AMAZING feeling! Be excited for that :)

Enjoy the quiet moments during your bride & groom portraits. There is a good reason why I kick everyone out during your first look & portrait time :) This is probably going to be one of the only times throughout the excitement of the day where you two get some moments to  be “alone”… I mean I’m there, but you can just try to forget that I’m there :) This is one of the things I loved most about our portrait time between the ceremony & reception. It was just us & our photographers and I got to look at Corey and say, “Hi HUSBAND!” Enjoy these moments. As fun as it is to celebrate with your best friends & family, these were some of my most cherished moments from our wedding day. Plus, while you’re getting to spend time with your new hubby, you’re getting gorgeous photos. Win. Win.

But perhaps most importantly, remember that your wedding day is so much more than this day. Even if your hair didn’t turn out exactly the way you had hoped. Or it’s raining. Or your dress has a little dirt spot or wrinkle that nobody will probably see anyway. At the end of this day, you will be married to the love of your life. And that’s what matters most.

One last thing… remember I’ll be there for you on your wedding day to capture all the little moments that go by way too quickly! At the end of this beautiful day, you can relive your wedding through your photos for a lifetime of being happily married :)

I can’t wait to be there on your big day!

xo Kelsey

P.S. Don’t go too crazy on checking the 10 day forecast… ;)