A Photographer Reveals the Mistakes Couples Make When Wedding Planning

• A wedding photographer who makes TikTok videos about her job sees couples make plenty of mistakes. 
• Shayla Herrington told Insider that not having a day-of wedding coordinator leaves room for error.
• She also said couples forget to make enough time for each other on the day and over-invite guests.

A wedding photographer in Arkansas who makes viral videos about her job says there are three common mistakes engaged couples make when planning their big day. 

Shayla Herrington, who began making TikTok videos about her job in May, regularly shares her tips and tricks for wedding planning with her 267,900 followers on the platform.

Herrington, 22, told Insider she booked her first solo wedding shoot in 2019. Since then, the photographer has learned a lot about what makes a wedding run smoothly both on the job — and from getting married herself this July.

One mistake is not having a wedding coordinator

Herrington said that not having a day-of coordinator is at the top of her list of mistakes, and recommends that couples hire someone or delegate the task to an organized friend or family member, “even if it’s just an aunt or cousin.” 

“I had my sister-in-law coordinate my wedding,” Herrington said, adding that she oversaw who walked down the aisle, made sure the food was ready to go, and that everyone was on time.

Having a coordinator doesn’t mean you won’t get to be involved in the planning. You can still “own that process and plan your own wedding to save money,” Herrington said, adding that not having a coordinator leaves room for things to go wrong and become stressful. 

Couples who don’t spend enough time together at their weddings are making a faux pas

Herrington says that often couples don’t factor in enough time to enjoy the day with their new spouse and only spend time with each other during their photo shoot.

“That’s sad. It’s your wedding day, it’s about you two,” she said, noting that couples can get too caught up in making sure the day is perfect.

“I always tell my brides and grooms, try to find 15 or 30 minutes to yourselves,” she said. “Otherwise you’re going to look back and realize that the day was more about entertaining other people and it wasn’t about you two.” 

Inviting too many people is another easy mistake 

Herrington thinks couples tend to invite too many people to their weddings — such as people who they’ve only met once or twice — due to pressure from their friends and family.

“So many people get caught up in the guest list and then chances are, you’re not even going to talk to everyone at your wedding,” she said.

Herrington said she had 60 people at her wedding, and that even with a smaller guest list she didn’t get to talk to everyone. “I remember I didn’t even talk to one of my uncles and his entire family,” she said.

She thinks couples shouldn’t feel guilty about having a more intimate guest list, and that they should brush off any backlash from those you aren’t able to invite.

“If you think someone’s going to make a big deal […] because they weren’t invited, then they’re not a good supporter of you,” she said. “Someone who supports you is going to support your decision no matter what, even if you decide to elope or just have a hundred guests.”