1) Enquire at your planned wedding venue about the sunlight and the times of sunsets, and work around this. Remember, group photos should be taken before dark. Also, in some venues late afternoon sunlight can be harsh.
2) Having a mid-summer wedding? Remember the heat and the crowds. These things can actually add character to your day if they are planned for. Some ideas – placing quaint wooden hand held fans on guests’ chairs, or the bride holding a stylish sun umbrella. Make sure you are re-hydrated – drink lots of water, and keep a couple of tissues on hand.
3) Travel times should always be over-estimated, as they can be influenced by crowds, tourist traffic and phenomenally windy roads. Regular bus services are unpredictable. Our advice: try to avoid separate destinations for your ceremony and reception, or keep them close together.
4) In June, July and August, try to avoid midday or lunch weddings and opt for an afternoon or evening ceremony.
5) Lunchtime weddings in October can be beautiful.
6) Remember that many venues around the coast are only accessible by foot, so comfortable shoes, or a change of shoes, is a must – including for the bride!
7) Cake-cutting ceremonies outside, and in the dark, can be extremely difficult for photos since the flash has nothing to bounce off. However, as this often happens due to the natural time flow of the day, we highly recommending using a white canopy, drape or netting over the cake as a backdrop for the flash. This can be worked into the overall decoration scheme to make a feature, for example by tying the canopy between tree branches.
8) If you are having a church ceremony, keep in mind that a lot of the Catholic churches enforce dress codes. This means covered shoulders and knees. Although not applicable in every case, it is safest to check with the priest of the particular church, and suggest that female guests bring a scarf or shawl.
9) Choose your priest wisely. It is important to have a confident English speaker so that you and all your guests can hear and understand him. They are hard to find, but they do exist here on the coast. If necessary, consider looking into a translator. It is also important to try and find a liberal priest who is not too strict on procedures and timelines.