Over the past 5 years I’ve photographed a variety of weddings. From traditional to unconventional. There has been a common theme to the ones I’ll always remember – INTENTIONAL PLANNING. From the vendors you hire, the traditions you include, the details you have to the venue you choose – everything should feel aligned with you and your partner’s relationship. If you want to create a celebration that will have you wanting to relive the entire day, here are 3 questions you should answer when starting to plan your wedding with Intention.

a bride resting her head on a grooms shoulder while they are both sitting at a table decorated with flowers

Question 1. What is the purpose of this celebration?

When starting your planning process it’s important to ask yourselves “whats the purpose of this celebration?”

Do you have family and friends you haven’t seen in years and want to use this day to bring everyone together over an intimate dinner? Maybe you want to use the day to dress all cute and have a big PARTYYY with all your favorite people in one place? Or maybe you just want a day with a few of your closest people to witness your commitment to your partner.

a man putting on a tie facing a window
a woman with curlers in her hair sitting on another womans lap while they take a selfie on a cell phone
two men hugging and smiling
Two hands zipping up a wedding dress
women circled around a bride putting on her veil

Whatever the ‘purpose’ is of this love celebration is totally UP TO YOU and its the first step in creating an intentional wedding celebration that is aligned with who you are as a couple. So sit and reflect what you want the purpose of this celebration to be.

Question 2. What do you want the day to feel like?

This question helps start prioritizing the things to include on your wedding day. Knowing how you want the day to feel will help in narrowing down other details of the wedding day like how many guests to include, what traditions to include to help foster that feeling for the day, and which vendors to hire.

Do you want a day that feels relaxing and peaceful? A small/Intimate wedding celebration with a few of your closest people at your favorite restaurant might be the way to go. Maybe one of your favorite activities to do with your partner is go to your local brewery and try their new drink menu. Do you want a day that feels exciting and fun? Maybe a destination wedding is what feels right for you. That way you and your guests can all enjoy a new experience together! Or maybe that means you only include traditions that you’re EXCITED to participate in/experience. There are a range of emotions throughout the day but getting a general idea of what you want the day to feel like can help you in your initial planning process.

The best news? There are multiple ways you can customize your wedding day and plan with intention! Take time to sit down and think about what would make you feel most fulfilled and happy to experience with your people. If needed, check out Bernadette and Will’s Intimate Brewery Wedding for inspiration on how they planned their wedding with intention.

a groom turning to face bride with a happy expression no his face
A father walking his daughter down the aisle under a tunnel. The brides veil is blowing in the wind behind her
a man hugging a bride while his eyes are closed
a groom surrounded by his wedding party while everyone is looking towards the bride walking down the aisle. The groom has a big smile on his face.
two people hugging a groom with their arms wrapped around each other
a man facing a bride while smiling and holding hands with her in the middle.
a bride and groom facing each other while they smile and laugh
A bride wiping a tear away with a tissue facing the groom. The groom is looking down at a little book while he is talking
A womans hand placed on a mans knee while they are sitting down
two women sitting on white chairs while wearing sunglasses. They are smiling at what is in front of them
a bride walking aside her bridesmaids while everyone is looking at each other.

Question 3. Which wedding vendors are your top priorities for the day?

There are a lot of factors that go into wedding planning. When you’re planning a wedding with intention you will notice that it’s a lot more fun. You are usually working towards a vision that not only will look great but will feel so fun to experience!

Take a moment to sit and think about what parts of the wedding day you can’t wait to experience. Is it the ceremony? Is it the smaller details of the day? Or maybe it’s dancing with your friends and family? Is it the food? Drinks? Whatever it is think about which vendors will help make it the best time for you and your partner!

Go over at this list of vendors and rank them based on importance to you.

  • Venue
  • Florist
  • Stationary
  • Photographer
  • Videographer
  • DJ or Live Band
  • Planner/Coordinator
  • Hair and Make Up Artist

Once you list these in order of importance you will know which ones you should book ASAP!

Take the top 3 or 4 vendors and start inquiring with them to see if they’re available for your date. The average time to inquire for your wedding is 1 year in advance.

a woman holding a little boy on her lap while another boy stands next to them. They are facing away looking at a pond with a fountain
a group of 4 young adults hugging each other while smiling at the camera
a groom cradle carrying a bride in a field. They are laughing together.
a row of people sitting a table looking over the back of their chairs
a small crowd of people holding up their glasses and smiling while they toast to each other
a bride and groom laughing together while they stand behind 3 wedding cakes
a bride and groom standing behind a table of three wedding cakes. The groom is feeding the bride cake.
A couple holding hands while they are smiling at each other.
an older aged couple holding hands and smiling
three men side hugging each other. They are laughing in different directions

A Bonus Tip When Planning a Wedding with Intention

In my experience, the venue you decide in plays a HUGE role in what the vibe is for the day. Here is a list of unconventional/unique spaces to have your wedding celebration at.

Weddings

How to Plan a Wedding with Intention

a woman resting her head on her partners shoulder while they are both sitting at a decorated table

July 27, 2022

I’m an NYC photographer who is more than a little obsessed with documenting your looking-good-feeling-even-better moments.

I’m Francesca!

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