In the third post of the DZP Wedding Planning series, I am sharing how to make the most of your wedding party portraits. Your wedding party portraits are a fun and exciting time to share with your best friends and loved ones. You’ll celebrate and honor those who have supported you over the years, first as individuals and now as a couple. Some choose a large wedding party while others simply pick a best friend or sibling to stand with them. Regardless of your wedding party size, I want this to be an incredibly fun time with your loved ones. Read on to learn how to make the most of this time with your loved ones.

Tips To Consider

If you have chosen a First Look then wedding portraits portraits will immediately follow your First Look. Please remind the Groomsmen to be wearing their boutonnieres and Bridesmaids to have their bouquets. If you have a ring bearer or flower girl, remind all parents or Guardians when and where the younger attendants are needed.
If you choose to forgo a First Look we will take the Bridesmaid and Groomsmen portraits separately before the Ceremony. Remind attendants to have their florals on and ready to be photographed. The flower girl and ring bearer will also be needed during this time. Following the Ceremony, your wedding party (including younger attendants) will gather for a large group photo.
Remind Groomsmen to remove cellphones, wallets and other items from their pockets that will be easily seen in photographs.
Wedding Party portraits will take 30 minutes on the wedding day, possibly more for those with larger wedding parties. Plan your timeline appropriately to have enough time to photograph your party in a relaxed and stress free atmosphere.

Resources for helping to Plan your Wedding Party Attire

*Bridesmaids -- These days there are many beautiful choices for your Bridesmaids attire. Long and flowy or short and flirty, you can find options to fit any personality, style or size. I love when a Bride chooses to mix and match the dress styles or let her attendants choose their own dresses. If you’re looking for a more classic look there are many options available that are traditional with a modern twist. Some of my favorite places to source Bridesmaid dresses are :

BHLDN
JCrew
Anthropologie
Flair Bridesmaids
Nordstrom
Rent The Runway
Dillards

*Groomsmen -- Purchasing a suit for the Wedding Day is a great investment and something that you will wear again and again. Renting a suit can be very expensive and often the suits or tuxedos are not fitted or tailored to each Groomsmen’s specific shape. Consider putting the money you would spend on renting towards a custom or tailored suit. A few of my favorite places to source Groom or Groomsmen attire are shared blow.

The Tie Bar
Vineyard Vines
Ralph Lauren
Blank Label Boston
Brooks Brothers
Bloomingdales
The Black Tux
JCrew