One of my favorite wedding morning traditions is the exchanging of a small gift or letter between the bride and groom. I especially love the sentiment behind hand-written letters: the mental picture of your partner pausing in the craziness of life to just sit and write is beautiful to me!

I’ll never forget reading Chris’s letter to me on the morning of our wedding. Written on a plain piece of lined paper, it wasn’t necessarily anything “fancy”, but it was absolutely perfect. We were in a time crunch, and I was starting to feel stressed…but when my maid of honor handed me his note, it made all the anxiety melt away. To this day, his words are tucked into a spot right by my closet where I see them every morning!

Yes, exchanging letters is an extra step to add into an already busy morning, but I promise it’s worth it. If you know this is something you want to do, make sure to talk it over with your spouse and photographer! That way it can be built into the timeline, and there won’t be any unnecessary rush.

A lot of brides choose to read their groom’s letter right before they get into their dress, while some wait until they are all ready to go. There’s really no wrong way to do it!

Another neat way to create intentional time alone with each other on your wedding morning is by waiting to exchange letters until your first look. It was very important to Jenna and Jeremy to share personal vows with one another, but they didn’t necessarily want to announce all their hopes, dreams, and promises at the front of the altar with all eyes on them. So, they opted for a more intimate setting and chose to read their notes out loud. It was one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever captured!

I love that they were able to have these moments, and I know that it’s a part of their day they will forever cherish. :) Whichever way you decide to go, there is something so special about hand-written words. They remind you of WHY all of this is taking place in the first place and serve as such a beautiful foundation for the day.

I’d love to hear other ideas for crafting quiet moments into what can become a very busy day — comment below and let me know!

Want more? Make sure to check out:

Best of Weddings 2017 | A Year in Review

Bridal Basics | Getting Ready Tips

Bridal Basics | The Getting Ready Room

Bridal Basics | Timeline Tips