Choosing a venue is a massive part of creating your dream day. Afterall, they book up first, set the stage for the day’s events and create the backdrop for all your photos! It’s so important, in fact, that over the course of planning, you’ll likely have not one, but TWO wedding venue walkthroughs. But what’s the purpose of each visit? What should you look for? What should you ask? It’s a lot to take in each time you’re on-site, but there’s always a way to keep it simple. Read on for my tips and tricks, and all you need to know about wedding venue walkthroughs!

The Initial Walkthrough

Your initial tour will give you a great idea of the policies, event spaces, and all the options, preferred vendors, and inclusions available for your big day. You’ll get to see where you’d be getting ready, along with how each space could be used, where things could be set up, etc. This wedding venue walkthrough should include the bride and groom, your newly-appointed planner (if you’re using one), and whoever is responsible for this piece of the budget. The goal? Find the perfect place with the perfect date available. Obtain a contract, an understanding of logistics, vendors and rentals, then… save your date! 

Do this:

• Ask for their open and available dates right away. If your ideal date is already booked, it’s good to know that before you fall in love with the space to properly weigh the pros and cons.
  
• Make note of ideas that come to mind while you’re touring each space. Are you picturing something in particular? Did you spot a way to incorporate a special item or activity? Make notes of all your inspiration in your phone, or write it all down!
  
• Snap a few photos on your phone to reference later when planning decor, etc. There are likely tons of photos on your venue’s website, but snap a few pics of your spaces from different angles, while it’s not set up and perfectly decorated for someone else’s event.

Not this:

• Don’t assume anything you can dream up is allowed (send off with sparklers, alcohol across the property, etc.)
  
• Don’t waste your walkthrough! Be present. Texts can wait! Use this time to get as much information as possible.
  
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions… That’s what your guide is there for! Ask away while you’re present, while questions are fresh, and while you have everyone’s attention.
  

The Final Wedding Venue Walkthrough

A month or so before the big day, you’ll schedule one final wedding venue walkthrough to iron out all the last minute details, ask any remaining questions, and make sure the spaces are what you remember them to be. The goal? Finalize all the details for the wedding day, and make sure all parties involved are on the same page. 

Do this:

• Take your time. If possible, clear an afternoon for this walkthrough so you don’t have to rush through this process. Now is the time to address any concerns, have any remaining questions answered, and, this being the FINAL wedding venue walkthrough, you don’t want to skip over anything!
  
• Confirm arrival and departure times so you can communicate that information to your wedding party and beauty team.
  
• Enjoy! This is the last time you’ll see your wedding venue before it’s showtime. Take it all in. Be excited. This is it! 

Not this:

• Don’t forget about the rehearsal! Yes, the wedding is the main event, but your families and wedding party will need to confirm the arrival time, schedule and plan for the rehearsal, too.
  
• Don’t assume everyone knows what they’re in charge of! Use this wedding venue walkthrough to review and finalize who is doing what, when it needs to be done and where things will be so there’s fewer chances of miscommunications.
  
• Don’t stress yourself out! There’s a lot of information to confirm and there will be a lot of finalizing going on, which can be stressful — especially this close to the wedding! But don’t forget, you’re in good hands! If there’s something in particular that’s causing anxiety, use this time to smooth it out. 

Bonus Tip: Bring your photographer to the final wedding venue walkthrough! They’ll want to see the spaces and lighting they’ll be shooting, along with hearing the schedule for the day’s events. They might even snap a photo or two to capture your excitement—and who knows? Those photos could end up being some of your favorites!

Nowadays, professional photos aren’t the only high-quality images taken on your wedding day. Want to see it all? You’re in luck! This week I’m sharing my favorite four ways to see your guest’s wedding photos!

Lining up an excellent wedding photographer is definitely a top priority for your big day, but odds are, every one of your guests will have a phone on hand with a camera at the ready. Smartphone lenses are getting fancier and fancier, too, and most are capable of capturing some pretty stunning photos.

More than that, your friends and family can see all the moments you don’t throughout the day, and capture them in a way that only your closest circle can see. So trust me when I say, you’re going to love seeing the moments your guests capture throughout the day (especially while you’re waiting for the professional album!).

So how do you do it? People don’t upload all their photos to Facebook anymore, and you’re likely not going to text every guest and ask for what they shot on their phones. Some people use social media and abide by the ever-so-clever wedding hashtag, but you can’t count on everyone to do that, or guarantee the hashtag is free from typos. It can be a frustrating guessing game! So, without further ado, here are my top four ways to see your guest’s wedding photos:

Have disposable cameras on hand

These are still a thing… and they’re fun! If you’re asking friends to put their phones down during the event and be present, having disposable cameras at a photo booth or at each table can be a fun way to get your guests to be involved. 

Pros: A throw-back that brings a physical camera back into the photo capturing game, and a fun way to your guests actively involved.

Cons: Your guests won’t be able to see all the photos (unless you share the digital versions). 

Go retro with vintage instant (polaroid) cameras 

A collection of mini polaroid-style cameras (that spit out the actual tangible photo) on the spot is the best! A few popular ones are FujiFilm Intsax Mini cameras, which come in pastels to match your wedding colors, making them super-cool wedding party favors, as well. They are incredible easy to use, so everyone from the flower girl to your great grandma can figure it out. Just point, shoot and smile! 

Pros: These cameras are gorgeous and the instant prints are definitely scrapbook worthy.

Cons: It’s a bit spendy if you want one for each table, and you’ll want to keep all the photos for yourself (so you’ll have to remind the guests to leave their pics behind).

Share a Google Photos or DropBox link with your guests 

The most common method for collecting and sharing photos these days is Google Photos or DropBox. And the best part? They’re free to use (unless you exceed the free storage space). Share a link at your wedding (like leaving a QR code on the tables) and let everyone pile on their photos. Heads up, though… things could get messy when everyone contributes without any prior review, so take note on that! 

Pros: Easy-to-use, and apps are household names that people are probably already using, or at least familiar with. 

Cons: You’ll be left with a folder full of photos without any rhyme, reason, filenames or chronological order.

Photo Sharing (and facial recognition!) with Waldo 

One of my favorite ways to see your guest’s wedding photos is with a newer app called Waldo. It’s a photo app powered by facial recognition! With Waldo, wedding guests can submit selfies via text or app and then get notified every time they appear in a photo. You’ll get every photo uploaded in high-resolution, and guests can print directly from Waldo albums. Waldo will even drop ship them! Save your favorites and let your guests pick theirs, too. Who knows, their new profile pic might be from your big day!