Planning, Logistics, and Strategy.
It's just one day. It's a big day, but it doesn't contain more hours than any other day. That means you have to plan carefully and avoid overloading your schedule. I'll send you a planning worksheet that helps immensely with this process. If you're really excited about photography (and chances are, if you're reading this, you are) then you'll need to think about how picture taking figures into your day. I can help you methodically plot activities, ensuring that we have enough time to capture the kinds of pictures that will grab and hold your imagination.
Organize the Formal Stuff
You know the deflating, anxious feeling that strikes at every wedding once formal pictures begin? It's a silly way to kill the joyous mood of the day, isn't it? I try to avoid that kind of feeling by knocking out formal shots quickly and efficiently. Before the wedding, communicate any must-have formal portraits to me. I can supply a checklist template for this purpose. Assign a person who knows your families to play traffic cop and help keep people moving in and out of the formal shots -- this is incredibly helpful for everyone involved.
Embrace Your Story
Storytelling photography isn't fiction. It's a flowing narrative of events. I try to stay true to the mood and lighting of that special day, so if it's raining, let's make use of the clouds and dampness; likewise, if it's blazing hot, I won't hide it in the pictures.
So when your best man rips a huge hole in his trousers and spills coffee all over the maid of honor's dress, let's have fun with it. It's those details that make up the story of your day.