Alexa and Ricky Are Married!!!

And let me tell you their wedding was nothing short of SPECTACULAR. The day began with the bride and groom getting ready at the Tampa Hilton Hotel in Downtown Tampa, proceeded with a beautiful ceremony at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and followed with a lively reception back at the Hilton. Now, I could go on about how amazing their wedding day was, but the photos tell a better story. However, if you’re planning a wedding and are wanting to have AN INCREDIBLE WEDDING, take some notes from Alexa and Ricky.

Here are 10 ways to make sure you have an amazing wedding and have fabulous photos.

1. Hire A Photo & Video Team That You Connect With
   1. This is SO IMPORTANT! The connection with your photographer will allow ease and enjoyment throughout your day. It’ll also allow you to enjoy each moment while they take care of business. Having someone to just take photos isn’t enough because wedding photography isn’t just about pretty pictures. In the end, your wedding gallery should tell a story, capture emotion, and make you want to relive those moment time and time again. Now, do you just want pretty pictures, or do you want your DREAM PHOTOS?
2. Plan Enough Time
   1. Yes, this may vary depending on how many locations, what moments you want to capture, how big your bridal party is etc. but if you want everything from getting ready all the way to your exit captured, plan to hire your photo & video team for 10 hours. If you don’t plan on having an exit you can always hire them for 8 hours but anything shorter are for smaller weddings. The last thing you want is to feel rushed or regret not capturing everything. This is a once in a lifetime event.
3. Don’t Send Your Photographers A Shot List
   1. Please, for the love of God, don’t send us one of those Pinterest shot list. I know you want every moment captured but TRUST US we got you. These lists takes away from our creative story telling process because we feel restricted to those specific photos. Also, some of them are kind of silly because of course I’m going to take the photo of you walking down the aisle…. No duh. The best thing you can do is tell your photographer “ I trust you” and I promise you will have the best photos that are unique to you, your love, and your wedding day. SO, THROW THAT LIST AWAY!
4. Choose Your Bridal Party Wisely
   1. I will never get tired of preaching this! You want a group who will take care of you in every aspect. Especially, an amazing maid of honor who can take charge and make sure everyone is on their A game.
5. Hire The Best Glam Team
   1. When you look good, you feel good. Get yourself a team that will throw down and make sure you look spectacular. This will 100% reflect in your photos and it’s worth every single penny.
6. Allow Time to Breathe
   1. Wedding days go by fast, schedule some time after portraits and before the reception to take a breather and freshen up. I love seeing my couples do this because it’ll slow time down before the reception and you’ll enjoy it a whole lot more.
7. Hire The Best Entertainment
   1. This will make or break your reception hands down. I am a SUCKER for live bands, but if you’d rather have a DJ, then go for it. Just make sure they have good reviews, you’ve heard their mix’s, and can keep the party going.
8. Eat!
   1. Yes, you have all these guests. Yes, you probably want to thank them all for coming, but eat. Not only is it your first meal as a married couple but you’re probably starving and don’t even know. Plus, you’re going to need the energy for all that dancing.
9. Bring Comfy Shoes & Lip Gloss
   1. I know this might seem random but if you’re wearing heels all day your feet are bound to be tired. Change into something comfier for dancing. And after eating, reapply lip gloss! Just because you’re done taking formal pictures doesn’t mean your guest don’t want to take photos with you. Having a fresh coat of lip gloss will give you that bridal look without having to reapply liner and lipstick.
10. Enjoy Every Moment
    1. Don’t get caught up in wanting everything to be so “perfect” that you miss out on enjoy each moment. This is a once in a lifetime event so have fun, soak it all in, and enjoy!

Here are some images from Alexa & Ricky’s Wedding Day

Now, if you loved these images, remember it took a whole team of vendors to make this happen. Down below is the vendor list from Alexa and Ricky’s wedding. Please click on the links to go directly to their page.

Venue| Hilton Tampa Downtown
Church| Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Hair Stylist| The Beauty Lounge Salon 
Makeup Artist| D2 & Co
Dress| White Magnolia Bridal
Florist| Jennies Florist
Photographer| JCanelas Photography
Videographer| J&S Media
Band| CNERGY Music