Up next in our column, Advice from the Aisle, we’re focusing on old traditions made new. You’ll hear advice from three brides, Taylor, Jasmine, and Madie, who are each sharing how they approached standard wedding ideas with a fresh twist. As we all know, when you’re planning a wedding, it’s always on the brain. If you’re currently dreaming up your own wedding ideas, we’re here to connect you with our past couples who will be sharing what they LOVED about their wedding, as well as ideas that you may not have thought of! Not just how to divvy up planning duties, but all of it, the emotional, the practical, the downright unique. (Especially the downright unique!) As a Santa Barbara wedding photographers, we’ve spent the better part of the last decade capturing weddings large and small. We can totally offer plenty of advice but here’s the thing. There’s no better advice than from people who JUST got married, so we thought it would work best if we deployed the newlyweds to share their sage wisdom.
Taylor, on going out for a breakfast date –
The morning of our wedding Jeff and I went on a breakfast date and exchanged gifts. He got me a blender in true Father of the Bride fashion and I freaked out, because… really? But then he told me to open it and inside was my dream turquoise Zuni Squash blossom necklace. I still can’t even believe he surprised me with that.
Jasmine, on choosing to do a first touch, instead of a first look –
We didn’t want to see each other before the ceremony, so we held hands and Tyler said a quick prayer tucked away around the corner of a wall. This little moment settled whatever nerves we had and just made us so excited!
Madie, on surprising her parents –
Because we were working on the yard (our venue) up until the day before the wedding, It was kind of a relatively last minute realization that my parents anniversary was just two weeks after. We had spent the whole summer focusing on getting the yard ready for the wedding and my parents were there every single weekend, digging, moving rocks, planting – it was a lot. I knew they probably wouldn’t have the time or energy to have an anniversary party right after the wedding, so we wanted to have time to celebrate them with all our friends and family for their 30 years of marriage. We decided to surprise them with a second first dance that happened after I gave a toast to them. Not only were my parents so selfless with all the yard help, but they are also my role models; they have showed me what strong, quiet, humble love and commitment is. They deserved that moment of appreciation for so many reasons and we can’t thank them enough for everything.
P.S. Want more from your Santa Barbara wedding photographers after reading this Advice from the Aisle on how to make old wedding traditions your own? See more Advice from the Aisle here.
