5 Tips to Planning an Intentional Wedding Experience
Planning an intentional wedding experience starts with…
your brave decision to make what is most important to you and your partner, on your wedding day, the top priority.
In my experience, if you really want to plan a wedding that is filled with intention, you will need to take a step back from the conventional wedding planning process.
Instead, you’ll want to focus on the aspects of the day that are most important to you and your partner. It’s during this process that maybe you begin to realize that some of those more traditional events, just don’t suit your story together and don’t serve the experience you want to foster, and that is 100% okay!
Realizing that your wedding day can be
anything you want
really is the first step in creating a truly unique and intention-filled day!
When couples step away from the confining nature of a traditional wedding, a whole world of possibilities opens up. Not many couples choose the freedom of an intention-filled wedding experience, so cheers to you for being brave and stepping outside the box of the traditional wedding world!
Begin your planning process by visualizing what kind of day you want to have.
Simple enough! Don’t get caught up in specifics yet, simply envision what kind of day you want to spend together. Do you envision yourselves having a slow morning and getting ready together? Or perhaps something more adventurous like climbing up a mountain trail to catch the sunrise? Do you want to explore a new city together or have an exhilarating experience (hello helicopter or hot-air balloon tour!)? These are fun ways to start the brainstorming process of what your day could potentially look like!
2. Book like-minded vendors who you are totally stoked to be working with!
Booking vendors who understand the vision you have for your day, and who can provide you with guidance and direction throughout your planning process is priceless. They can easily make or break your wedding experience.
The most common vendors that couples book for elopements or small weddings are a photographer (which is where I recommend starting!), an officiant (or you can have a family become ordained!), a florist, as well as hair and makeup. Other vendors that you may be interested in are videography, ceremony and/or reception styling, and a private chef or catering service.
Start with booking a photographer
I recommend starting your vendor journey with booking a photographer! This is because, like a venue is for a traditional wedding, the photographer is for an elopement or small wedding. They can help guide you in the direction of your vision. Many times they have “insider” information about specific areas they serve and are a huge resource that can be utilized throughout your planning journey.
For example, I work very closely with all of my couples to help them curate a wedding day that reflects the vision they have. This is especially true for helping couples discover amazing, unique, and wild locations that fit their inspiration. Even for my couples that want a venue experience, I help them discover locations that are off the beaten path, unique, and compliment the vision they have for their day.
“Jenna is so much more than a wedding photographer. She is a kick butt kind of lady who will help any couple plan an amazing wedding of any kind, ANYWHERE.”
-Jen & Deanna
3. Decide who (or if anyone) will be invited to share in your day.
I have been witness to intentional wedding experiences with 50 guests as well as intentional wedding experiences with no guests! It really comes down to what your priority is for your day and whether or not you feel that fostering a “Just Us'“ wedding experience is for you.
The best piece of advice I can give when deciding on whether or not you would like to have a “Just Us'“ experience or if you would like to invite guests is to set boundaries early.
If you are wanting to keep this experience strictly between the two of you, then do! For some couples, keeping their elopement plans a secret to most of their friends and family can be really special and also makes for an easy way to dodge any un-wanted opinions. This also allows couples to set the boundary early for those select few family members and friends by letting them know that your top priority is having the wedding day you want. Let them know how excited you are to celebrate privately and inevitably your excitement will ease any initial uncertainty they have about you eloping.
If you have decided to invite your closest friends and family, be upfront with them about what they can expect from their time as your guest. If you are only planning on a short (yet meaningful) portion of your day being dedicated to friends and family, let them know. Tell them your plans and that you and your partner are both looking forward to soaking in all those newlywed moments together, privately.
When you communicate your expectations clearly with your loved ones, I have found that it makes for a much more enjoyable wedding day experience. Setting boundaries early allows everyone to be on the same page and helps keep your priorities straight right from the beginning.
4. Don’t compromise your values.
Ask yourselves if how you are celebrating is in line with what you value most? Do you feel you are compromising in any way? If so, re-evaluate your day. Fostering an authentic and intentional wedding experience can only happen if you are staying true to yourselves, and that includes your values.
For example, the average traditional wedding produces over 400lbs of trash (yikes!). If sustainability and eco-friendly options are an important value of yours, don’t let the wedding industry negatively impact your decision to keep your wedding as “green” as possible. Instead, I would encourage you to make that a focus of your day and invest into vendors who share those same values.
5. Be a silent wedding planner.
These are the words of a previous bride of mine and they have stuck with me ever since she shared them. I love the simplicity in this advice and now share these words with all my couples and would encourage you to do the same. It’s important to remember that it is impossible to please everyone, it is impossible to keep everyone happy. Ultimately,
THIS IS YOUR DAY.
So create the experience you want. Be different and dare to be brave on your wedding day!
Hey I’m Jenna!
The girl who wants you to be fearlessly authentic on your wedding day!
I can’t wait to start helping you create the wedding experience you’ve been dreaming of!
Whether you have questions about how to get started planning or you know you are ready to rock and roll, I’m here to help make this experience straight-forward, meaningful, and easy.
Hear From My Past Couples
“I couldn’t of asked for a better photographer for my wedding and engagement photos. Jenna is simply amazing! She is so kind and so talented. She went above and beyond my expectations. Her photos aren’t your typical wedding photos, they are adventurous, so unique, and capture your natural emotions. She made the day go so smoothly. We had a fantastic experience and couldn’t be more thankful.”
-Rochelle & Kush
“100/10 recommend Jenna for your big day! We had the best experience from before we hired her, all the way up to sending us jaw-dropping sneak peaks a day after our wedding. Jenna went above and beyond to make our day special and just what we wanted and more. She found a beautiful location for us to hike all day and planned everything out beautifully. She kept us on our schedule and braved 50mph sandy winds while keeping the best attitude the entire day. We both had so much fun with her and felt so natural and ourselves, even though we are both very awkward in photos usually and didn’t have ideal weather. And our photos are absolutely gorgeous!! You are so talented and we love you Jenna!”
-Bailey & Andrew
“WOW. WOW. WOW. Jenna exceeded any and all expectations of what I wanted my elopement photos to look like. The images that I have from Jenna are well worth the investment that I made in her. She is one of the kindest people I had the pleasure of working with while planning my out of state elopement. She helped me find other vendors and she was so willing to answer all of my questions and address any of my concerns. If you are on the fence, I want to tell you, Jenna is the photographer for you. Her rich and vibrant work speaks for itself, and her lovable energy allows you to feel completely at ease. Book her todayyyyyy! You will not regret it.”
