Your wedding day is one of the most important days you will ever experience. It also has the potential to be one of the most stressful! After planning every last detail over the course of a year, anything short of perfect would be a huge let down. The truth is, when the day finally arrives, your only responsibility is to get married and your memory of the day will be nothing but amazing. However, if the girl scout (or boy scout) in you wants to feel prepared, here are 6 things you can do to make your photos run smoothly:

1. Gather all of your details and sentimental items before your photographer arrives. This includes the rings (engagement AND wedding), shoes, dresses, maybe a family heirloom, and don’t forget an unused wedding invitation! This allows the photographer to work quickly without interrupting your morning and ensures nothing important is forgotten.

2. Bring a nice hanger for the dress. A lot of brides opt for personalized hangers with their new name but even a simple wood hanger will suffice. Your dress is so beautiful and deserves to be hanging on something other than the plastic and cardboard it came in. This is just a tiny detail that is often overlooked but plastic hangers are distracting. A nice hanger really goes a long way and compliments the gorgeous dress hanging on it.

3. Overestimate hair and make-up time. Hair and make-up always run late. Always. It is also one of the first opportunities for the wedding to get off schedule. By allowing extra time for hair and make-up, you don’t have to feel stressed when things take a little longer than planned.

4. Don’t rush the first kiss. You just married your best friend, it’s not a race to the finish! Enjoy that kiss for a few seconds, it’ll give your photographer (and family and friends) a chance to get that picture that everyone wants, your first moments as a married couple.

5. Appoint a friend or bridesmaid to be in charge during group formals. It is very unlikely that your photographer is on a first name basis with all of the important people in your life. In fact, this is probably the first time they’re meeting face to face. Plus we know everyone wants to get to that reception! It’s only a matter of time before people start to get restless. Having someone calling out names and directing the group makes things move a little quicker.

6. Relax and don’t worry about the camera! You’ve hired a professional, they know what they are doing. Trust that they have it under control. They are there to document your wedding. They’ll tell you when you need to look at the camera and smile or fix a stray hair, otherwise just have a good time. The more fun you’re having, the happier and more natural you’ll look in your photos.