written by Reigna Jaramillo

With so many unsolicited opinions about your wedding day, it can be hard to tell which advice is actually helpful and what you should politely smile at before immediately ignoring it. Your aunt has opinions about the seating chart. Your mom has thoughts about the flowers. Your future mother-in-law has very specific feelings about the cake. And somewhere along the way, you’ve probably received at least one piece of wedding advice that begins with, “When I got married…” to which you refrained from responding, “NO ONE ASKED”.

As Los Angeles wedding photographers, we’ve seen a lot. We’ve seen the good, the beautiful, the chaotic, and everything in between. In an effort to save you from questionable wedding decisions, here are 10 hot takes coming directly from a Los Angeles wedding photographer. Some are practical. Some are controversial (I wouldn’t be me if there weren’t a few of these in there lol).

Take what you want. Ignore what you don’t. At the end of the day, it’s your wedding.

1. Don’t Have Your Wedding Party Standing With You During the Ceremony

Having your wedding party stand beside you during the ceremony can look cute in theory. In reality, you’ve got 14 people standing shoulder-to-shoulder, taking attention away from you and your spouse. Yes, I know, these are your people. Your best friends, siblings and family. The people that mean the most to you and the one’s who have in some way impacted you and/or your spouse. I get it. But while you’re gazing lovingly into your future husband or wife’s eyes, someone’s dress is riding up, someone’s bouquet is upside down, someone’s checking the time, and your best man has been subtly shifting his weight for 27 minutes.

Coming from a Los Angeles wedding photographer’s perspective, it can make your ceremony photos feel incredibly busy and attention gets taken away from the only two people that really matter.

I’m not saying not to have a wedding party at all. One alternative we’ve seen that I absolutely love is having your wedding party sit in the aisle seats during the ceremony. Not only does this still give them a special spot in your audience, it can also help prevent from invasive cell phone shots and other distractions that could end up in your wedding photos.

Plus, your friends will be thankful that they’re able to sit down. Trust me.

2. Gatekeep Your Wedding Plans

Not everyone needs to know the ins and outs of your wedding day.

Believe it or not, you don’t have to show your bridesmaids your dress before the wedding. You don’t have to send your family photos of the invitations before they go out. Everyone doesn’t need to see your Pinterest board or know what your first dance or aisle song is. More than anything, you don’t need to accept feedback from people who aren’t paying for the wedding (and maybe not even from people who are).

Sure, it can be exciting to share your plans with friends. They’ll get excited with you, which can make planning feel even more exciting, but there’s also something really special and peaceful about leaving everyone to see on the big day.

Wedding planning already comes with enough noise. Protecting a few surprises (and your sanity) isn’t rude. It’s smart! And as a wedding photographer, I LOVE when couples keep certain details on the DL. There’s nothing better than capturing someone’s genuine reaction when they see something for the first time.

3. Do NOT Hire Your Hair + Makeup Team Without a Trial Run

Your wedding day is not the day to discover that your foundation doesn’t match your skin tone and your makeup artist doesn’t have your color. As a Los Angeles wedding photographer, I’ve seen how lighting changes can betray brides into thinking their makeup looks perfect, only to find that in different lighting, it’s either far lighter or darker than her actual skin tone. And at that point, editing can only do so much.

Brides, I urge you…DO A TRIAL!

Bring inspiration photos and be honest with your MUA! Take photos in natural light. Walk around. See how your makeup photographs (with and without flash). Make sure your hair actually stays in place. Your wedding photographer can edit a zit, or fix a stray hair, but we can’t suddenly make you love a hairstyle or wedding day makeup that you knew you weren’t 100% confident in from the beginning.

4. Say Goodbye to Chiffon Bridesmaid Dresses (PLEASE)

I honestly don’t have much to say about this. It’s just a no for me.

Chiffon bridesmaid dresses have had an incredible run, but I think now we’ve had enough. Yes, they flow, they’re romantic, they’re…everywhere. But from a photography standpoint, some fabrics photograph beautifully while others can make a bridal party look like they’ve been wrapped in tons of wrinkly curtains.

But as with anything I mention in this blog post, this is just my take.

5. NO. EUCALYPTUS.

I know someone just gasped reading that, but yes, you read it correctly. Again, I’m really just not a fan.

Eucalyptus has been absolutely everywhere in wedding photography for years. We’ve seen it in bouquets, centerpieces, arches, flat lays, boutonnieres and everywhere else.

And hey, I really can’t even judge, I too was a fan at one point (insert pictures from mine and Isaac’s wedding day lol).

So yea…I get it. But if your wedding Pinterest board looks like a eucalyptus farm exploded inside a minimalist California venue, it might be time to branch out…HAHAHA.

Seriously though, there are tons of beautiful floral options that can give your wedding personality, texture, color, and look absolutely stunning in your wedding photos.

The eucalyptus isn’t bad. Let’s just save it for our bath salts and shower heads, yea?

6. Don’t Cheap Out on Your DJ

“But Reigna, it’s just music and we’ll send them a playlist.”

Listen, I know weddings are expensive and if you ask me where the majority of your budget should be going, your wedding photographer will always be at the top of my list, BUT, that doesn’t mean you should cut corners when selecting other vendors, like your DJ. With a million things to spend money on for your day, you would think the DJ seems like an easy place to save some. You would be wrong.

Sure, you’re probably going to provide them with either a playlist or an idea of the kind of music and artists you like, but a good DJ does more than just press play. A quality DJ keeps the reception moving, reads the room, handles announcements, coordinates with vendors, and knows how to keep the dance floor alive while also keeping from getting your guests too rowdy (unless you’re really trying to go crazy).

A great DJ can save a boring reception and a bad DJ has the power to end turn a beautiful wedding day on a bad note.

As a Los Angeles wedding photographer I’ve seen both and believe me, choosing the right DJ is well worth it (just look at these photos from K + A).

7. Don’t Overdo It on Flowers

Flowers are one of the key elements of a wedding day. I’m not arguing that. They’re gorgeous and their beauty always enhances the look of the day. I’m a big fan. However, they can be overdone and an intentional floral design can feel far more luxurious than simply throwing flowers at every square foot of the venue.

Not only can overdoing it be a waste of extra funds that could have been allocated to something that will live on after your day (like…I don’t know…your photos), if you’re working with a beautiful venue, you may not even need to cover every available surface with florals to make the space feel special.

Instead, think strategically.

Put your floral budget toward the areas that will actually have an impact: your ceremony installation, bridal bouquet, sweetheart table, reception tables, or a statement arrangement that photographs beautifully.

Trust me, your photos and bank account will thank you later.

8. If Someone Wears White, Pour a Drink on Them

Okay this one is a joke, don’t actually pour a drink on them (unless you really want to…we won’t judge).

We hope and pray that this doesn’t happen to you, but if it ever does and we’re shooting your wedding, that person won’t be in any of the photos.

9. Investing in Luxury Vendors Can Save You in the Long Run

First, let me clarify. “Luxury” doesn’t necessarily mean spending the most money possible.

It means investing in vendors who know what they’re doing, communicate well, show up prepared, and can handle the inevitable chaos of a wedding day without falling apart.

Cheap vendors aren’t always bad and unfortunately, more expensive vendors aren’t always good.

An experienced Los Angeles wedding photographer, for example, isn’t just showing up with a camera and some equipment. They’re anticipating moments, managing timelines, navigating difficult lighting, working alongside your planner and other vendors, and knowing what to do when something inevitably goes sideways. Personally, I’ve had countless experiences with this even beyond my role as a wedding photographer. I’ve sown dresses, pinned boutonnieres, coordinated timelines, put in numerous veils and so much more.

That’s just how weddings go sometimes. Experienced vendors know how to make it work for the sake of their couple.

Speaking specifically on the photography side, investing in a high quality wedding photographer can also save you from the devastating reality of walking away from your wedding day without the photos you paid for (or getting EXACTLY what you paid for) and no way to get those precious, captured memories back. I’ll talk about this in another post, but this is why our team has extensive backup systems to ensure nothing has the possibility of getting lost.

Sometimes spending more upfront means spending less time, energy, and money fixing problems later.

10. First Looks With the Groomsmen Are Weird

I said it.

A first look with your partner? BEAUTIFUL.

A first look with your dad? Brings me to tears every time.

A first look with your bridesmaids? I’m all for it.

But with the groomsmen? Hard pass.

I’m not saying it’s bad. I’m just saying that gathering grown men in matching suits so they can dramatically turn around and gasp at the bride is… a choice I wouldn’t recommend.

If that’s your thing, absolutely do it. Weddings should be personal, and we’re here for whatever makes you feel best, BUT if you’re only doing it because you saw it on TikTok, you have our (unsolicited) permission to skip it.

Instead, just enjoy hanging out with your friends throughout your day! As a Los Angeles wedding photographer, I see much more value in those moments and they tend to make much better memories (and photos) anyway.

At the End of the Day, It’s Your Wedding

Like I mentioned with #2, you don’t need to accept feedback from people who aren’t paying for the wedding.

You don’t have to take any of my advice.

A quality Los Angeles wedding photographer should know how to photograph your wedding, not the wedding they would have planned. At the end of the day, it’s about you and your partner and what would make the two of you feel your absolute best on one of the greatest days of your lives.

If you love eucalyptus, use eucalyptus. If you want 16 bridesmaids standing beside you during the ceremony, GO FOR IT. If chiffon is your favorite fabric, we will photograph that chiffon like it belongs on the cover of a magazine.

Your wedding doesn’t need to follow every current trend or satisfy everyone’s expectations.

It just needs to feel like you.

And honestly, that’s usually when the best photos happen anyway. 🤍

xx

Reigna