Hey, It’s Enzo! I’m a wedding photographer on Oahu, Hawaii. After photographing more than 300 weddings, I have some essential wedding day advice for any couples planning a wedding.

Planning a wedding is tough. There is an imaginary expectation that I have seen time and time again that people getting married put on themselves. That expectation is that your wedding day has to be the “Perfect Day”, and in order for it to be perfect, nothing has to go wrong and everything will be happy. This perfect day almost always seems to be to impress others more than to be symbolic of your future life together, too.

There are a lot of moving parts that all have to work in harmony to create your “perfect” day. It is exhausting to even do this with months and years of preparation. I’ve seen too many couples mentally check all the items they had planned on their list only to find them stressed on the day of. ⁠

After 300 weddings, I can tell you that something ALWAYS goes wrong. I’ve seen brides faint or get sick, unexpected rainstorms, and many other things that were outside of the bride and groom’s control. The difference between the day still being perfect or being ruined usually comes down to having a patient attitude, and having some great helpers who relieve the stress off of the couple.

The couples that truly enjoy their wedding day are those that trust their own planning skills, and let the show run…. because they’ve done everything possible beforehand in order to enjoy the day with their friends and family members. ⁠

Instead of a couple worrying about everything and ‘micro-managing’ the vendors, they should let them do their job with the trust that everything will get done and go well. Here is where great wedding vendors come in. These vendors will relieve stress instead of create stress, and solve problems without you even knowing there was one. The best way to find these stellar vendors is by looking at reviews and getting recommendations from other couples.

So here is my best wedding day advice in a nutshell: focus on what matters most to you and your partner and work from there. Find vendors you trust, and then trust them!