OPEN FOR SUMMER: Planning a Last-Minute Fall Wedding in Edmonton

We are OPEN for summer! I don’t know about you, but it has been SO nice to see people in person again. As a wedding photographer, I have enjoyed capturing intimate celebrations over the past year (when it’s safe to do so, of course). But as an extravert? I couldn’t BE more excited to see larger groups of people come together again. Everyone is just full on ready to CELEBRATE. With that said, if you are thinking about planning a last minute fall wedding, I have some advice for you!

Last Minute Wedding Planning

Everyone in the wedding industry went from zero to a hundred over the last few weeks. It’s a BEAUTIFUL thing after a year of postponements and reschedules, but it means that if you are planning a last minute wedding or are dreaming of a fall wedding, you are going to want to book your highest-priority wedding vendors first. 

In normal circumstances, the first wedding vendors you want to book are the wedding planner, your wedding venue, and your wedding photographer. I actually wrote all about that here. But when you are planning a last minute wedding venue, I want to encourage you to focu more on what’s important to you. Don’t need a fancy wedding venue? You can get married in your backyard. Dying to have food truck catering? Book them first. 

Wedding photos rank highest on the priority list? You are in the right place. Skip the rest and contact me here because I got you. 

 

What does ‘Open for Summer’ Mean for Weddings?

We opened FAST! Right now, there are very little restrictions in place that might affect your wedding day. Certain vendors (like your caterers) will need to wear masks but there are no restrictions placed on your guests at this time). You can have as many guests as you like (indoors or outdoors). 

Even though it’s not mandatory, there are a few things you can do to help your guests feel safe as the world opens up again like:

• Having hand sanitizer at the entrances and high touch areas
• Offering color coded bracelets for guests to communicate what level of contact they are comfortable with (not everyone is hugging yet!)
• Opt for individual portions of food over buffet style catering

This is changing fast so make sure to always get the updates directly from the Alberta government website before finalizing any plans.

 

Fall Wedding Tips

Now that we’ve talked about planning at the last minute, let’s talk about getting married in the fall. Fall weddings are honestly some of my favourite because the colours are SO incredible and the lighting is often softer than it is on harsh summer days. Everything just feels so romantic (can you tell I also chose to have a fall wedding?). 

Here are 3 Quick Tips if you are planning to have a fall 2021 wedding:

1. Bring a Jacket! I recommend treating yourself to a custom denim or leather jacket but even if you aren’t going to buy yet another new thing for your wedding, bring a jacket for comfort in between the wedding photos. Don’t worry – I won’t tell! 
2. Have a backup plan. It’s usually safe (if we can even say that in Alberta) to plan for an outdoor wedding ceremony, but for your wedding reception you will likely prefer to be indoors (it gets dark so fast!). No matter what you decide, prepare your guests so they can dress accordingly!
3. Consider a weekday wedding! Saturdays booked fast, but there are plenty of Fridays, Sundays and other weekdays for you to have your perfect fall wedding without compromise.

 

 

Planning your Fall 2021 Wedding

Can you tell how excited I am for weddings to be happening again?! This work LIGHTS ME UP. If you are looking for a wedding photographer, make sure to reach out here and we can get you on my calendar ASAP. I can’t wait to learn more about your wedding day vision and make it a reality for you. CONGRATULATIONS!