Your life is made up of little moments.  Some good some bad, but these moments are what you get to reflect on when times are tough or you get the "moment" to reflect. I get concerned when I see articles of wedding priorities and the number one priority is almost always the dress. I get it.  It's what most girls think about when they envision themselves walking down the aisle but when I think about priorities I think about a couple of ideas.  I'd love to have your input.

Priority 1) Enjoy the moment(s). Time really does fly when you are having fun.

Enjoy the moments, soak in the moments.  The moments are the things that no one will tell you to prioritize.  The time spent with your family planning and creating an event that will be one of the biggest moments of your life.  The actual event (s).  Not just the ceremony.  Getting your best friends and family together for parties, meals, ceremonies, parties, etc.  Events that are focused on you and you as a couple do not happen ever again!  Which leads me to why I know #2 is important.

Priority 2) Photography and Video - Document and Capture Every Moment from different perspectives.

Three points here!

A)Engagement photos: Ask any married couple and see how many times they have had their pictures taken as a couple together since their wedding photos. 99+% will tell you they never have.  Children take priority and frankly its difficult to justify spending the money.  Have them taken and use them by sharing them!  Engagement photos will help you tremendously when ordering Save the Dates or Personalized Favors, invitations, etc.  I a big bonus if you use the same photographer you get to spend more time to get to know your photographer and he gets to know you and your priorities! 

B) Hire a photographer that "knows why these are important to you 10 years from now" not just taking what sells. A professional photographer has two priorities.  Make you look great and take photos that sell.  That may be in direct conflict with taking photos that you'll cherish 10 years from now.  Most have a "must list" for posed photography that gets mom and dad posed, etc.  The experienced photographers know what works and what doesn't and "what sells".  Don't underestimate the talent of a "great photographer" vs. a photographer with "great equipment". Don't skimp on this item and don't hire "uncle larry". Hire a professional and be clear on your priorities.

• There is a conflict between what's important to the photographer and what's important to you.
• Look at their work and If "what gets ordered" is the most important to the photographer by the way their contract is written, then make sure that you fully understand what their motivation is.  (Example: Anything not ordered is destroyed or deleted).  You can have the DVD or CD's 6 months (at a significant price) after proofs have been reviewed.Etc.  Is the intent of the photographer to take photos for you to give you photos that you will cherish for a lifetime or to take photos that will sell great prints?  See the difference?

C) How do I get both?  Encourage people to take pictures and video and collect momentos!

Future Event date?  Write this down as a priority. Don't wait until after the events to ask people to send in their photos.  If you're asking after the event, guess what,  they didn't take them!  I have heard so many people tell me after the fact that they can't believe how hard priority #1 was because of magnitude of the day.  2) They wished they would have thought about #2 before they received their photos back six months later.  And also we hear over and over again 3) that they wish they would have asked people to take more pictures because people only took "snapshots" for themselves, they didn't take photos that you might want to keep forever!  They think that the photographer was going to get it and the reality is the photographer is over under that beautiful setting taking posed shots of you and your beauty while the fun stuff is going on without you....  and not to mention they only are hired for a limited amount of time, they can't get it all. "They are posing you for the "money shot" that will be forever hanging on your mother's wall.  They aren't focused on the stuff that you will be looking at 10 years from now and remembering the "moments"/

If you don't ask they will not take pictures for you!  (NOW THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN HIRE UNCLE LARRY... FOR FREE).  Designate him as the "Photograph collector" and rally the troops to capture and collect the moments.

Ok. that's my two cents worth.  Read every other blog out there for your priorities about date, location, ceremony, etc, which are all valid.  But don't forget the "real top" priorities.  

You know we love this kind of stuff.  It made me think that it could be an awesome Save the Date. A Thaumatrope Save the Date.  We had to put our little SPIN on it with "The Proposal".  If you need help doing something like this for your SeeYouThen Exchange, just ask we love getting creative! 
The folks at PhotoJoJo Show you how!

Transcript from my latest checkup.

This is an amazing video and an incredible way to represent your product.

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