Maine & NH Wedding Photographer | For the Love of All That Is Holy: Change Into Comfortable Clothes

Dear brides and grooms,
Please. I’m begging you.
Once the formalities are done…. change your clothes.

You did the ceremony. You crushed the portraits. You survived family photos. You ate (hopefully). You danced. You checked all the boxes. At this point, your job is to enjoy the hell out of your night, not suffer through it.

Heels? Absolutely not.
A wedding dress on a hot August night? Brave. Questionable. Not for the weak.

I have watched so many couples hit the reception like, “We’ll just power through.” And then an hour later they’re barefoot, overheating, holding half their dress, trying to bustle that dress on a crowded dance floor which is like trying to defuse a bomb in an active war zone, and quietly regretting every life choice that led them there.

Here’s the thing: changing outfits does not make your wedding less formal, less classy, or less meaningful. If anything, it makes you more present. You move better. You dance harder. You stay longer. You look happier because, shocking, you’re comfortable.

Some solid post-formality options:

• Sneakers. Cute ones. Or ugly ones. I support both.

• A shorter dress, jumpsuit, or literally anything that lets you sit or use the bathroom without strategy.

• Linen shirts, rolled sleeves, no tie energy.

• An outfit that says, “I’m married and I’m here to have fun.”

And let’s talk about heat for a second. Summer weddings are beautiful. They are also humid, sweaty, and unforgiving. Heavy fabrics, shapewear, multiple layers, and zero airflow? That’s a recipe for misery. You don’t get bonus points for suffering.

Also…..photos.
You know what photographs better than a perfect outfit? A relaxed, happy couple who can actually move. Joy beats fashion pain every single time.

Your wedding isn’t a endurance test.
You’re not required to wear the same outfit for twelve hours to prove anything.

So when the dances are done, the speeches wrap up, and the party starts, do yourself a favor. Change your clothes. Kick off the heels. Let your shoulders drop.

Future you (and your feet) will be forever grateful.