When I first saw Chrispin + Crane asking for wedding advice, I wondered if it was too fresh for me to make a contribution. I mean, I am knee deep in wedding planning and my outlook may be jaded. Now that my big day is two weeks away, everything has come into perspective. Sort of like the life of my wedding flashed before my eyes.
What I would do differently if given the opportunity (which, honestly, I would not accept the offer) is this - pick a photographer first, and before anything else. Discuss with him, her or them the amount of coverage time you need in order to capture every moment you need and want, and what that looks like broken down into a timeline. Think of it this way - if a moment in your wedding is not photographed or recorded, it will seem as though it never happened. So, think about everything you need and want, and plan accordingly.
Why is this first step important?
It is important for two reasons:
1. It helps you organize and streamline your planning process
2. It helps you strategically hire vendors. For example - How many make-up artists will I need to effectively "beat" everyone's face within the timeline? Will there be time to capture before and after ceremony photographs? How many hours should I reserve for transportation?
You get the gist.