Ask the couple and hosts to name the person or people they trust to explain the wedding and check captions. Do not assume authority from age, dress or seniority alone. Give each adviser a small, clear task, record who advised on what, and tell us. The couple and responsible hosts keep the final say.
Many families ask someone knowledgeable to look over a wedding plan, and they are right to. What we need is a clear way to use that help, without deciding for you who has authority. This page explains how, and sits within our guide to church, civil and community-specific weddings.
What do advisers actually do?
An adviser helps with accuracy. They can explain what a moment is called, say why it matters to the family, point out something the brief has missed and correct a caption before it is released. They do not decide what the wedding is. That remains with the couple and the hosts.
Keeping the role this specific makes it easier to ask and easier to accept. It also protects the adviser, who is not made responsible for every decision.
Who counts as knowledgeable?
The honest answer is: the people the family says. We go by the family's word, not by age, appearance, dress or title. A younger relative may know a particular matter better than a senior one, and a senior person may prefer not to advise. Authority in a family or community is the family's to describe.
So we ask the couple and the hosts one question: who do you turn to when you need to be sure of something about this celebration? Their answer is the list.
Giving each adviser a small task
A clear task is easier to complete.
| Adviser's task | What they receive | What we need back |
|---|---|---|
| Check names and spellings | A list of names and titles | Corrections |
| Explain priorities | The draft shot list | Which moments matter most, and which to leave out |
| Review captions | A short caption sheet | Approved or corrected wording |
| Flag boundaries | The open, ask first, private list | Changes and additions |
Send each adviser only what they need to see. A list is kinder than a link to a full gallery, and it protects other people's images.
When advisers disagree
It happens. If two advisers give different answers, we ask the couple and the responsible hosts to decide. We wait for a single instruction before finalising the caption or the shot list. Record the decision with the date and the name of the person who made it. Our guide to organiser instructions and individual guest preferences explains a similar principle for instructions that conflict.
A hypothetical example
Imagine a couple who ask an uncle to check names and an older cousin to advise on the order of the family portraits. The uncle returns two spelling corrections. The cousin suggests that one group is photographed before another, and the couple agrees. We update the shot list and the caption sheet, and we keep the note of who advised on what. Later, when the photographs are ready, the couple decides whether the uncle also sees the selection before sharing.
Where this fits in the plan
Add the review step to your timeline early. A reviewer needs time, and a late correction can mean re-editing captions. Our brief builder produces the one-page summary you can send, and the responsibility planner records who approves what.
For briefs written for specific communities, see the briefs for Iban and Kadazan-Dusun weddings. For how advisers help with attire and objects, see photographs of community-specific attire and objects. For returning the final photographs to hosts, see returning approved photographs to participating community hosts.
What should you tell us?
Tell us who the advisers are, what each has agreed to check and when they will reply. Say which advisers may speak to the crew on the day and which should be contacted by message only. This keeps conflicting directions away from our team in the middle of a ceremony. If an adviser would like to see the shot list, send it with a clear deadline. With your permission, we record the advisers' names in the written plan and keep the note private.
Checklist
- Ask the couple and hosts to name their advisers.
- Write down what each adviser will check.
- Send a short list of names, terms and moments for review.
- Agree how disagreements are settled and by whom.
- Decide whether advisers see photographs before release.
- Record who advised on what, and keep the record with the brief.
Tell us who the family has asked to advise and what each will check. We will build the review step into the plan so captions and priorities are checked before photographs are released.
Discuss your adat photo planCommon questions
How do we decide who should advise?
Ask who the family itself turns to for this kind of matter. The couple and hosts nominate, and we avoid guessing from who looks senior. Tell us the names and what each person has agreed to help with.
What if two advisers disagree?
Bring the question to the couple and the responsible hosts, who decide. Record the decision and tell us. The choice between advisers is theirs, and we edit captions once we have one instruction.
How much of an adviser's time does this take?
Keep the task small. A short list of names, terms and moments to check can be reviewed quickly. Ask the adviser how they prefer to receive it, and do not send them the whole gallery unless they have agreed.
Should we pay or thank advisers?
That is for the family to decide. Expectations are theirs to set. If our team's time is involved in a review call, we tell you in the quotation.
Do advisers see photographs before the couple?
Only if the couple agrees. Decide the order of review in advance, and who may see which images. Our privacy guide explains why access should follow the permissions you have set.
Discuss your adat photo plan
Tell us who the family has asked to advise and what each will check. We will build the review step into the plan so captions and priorities are checked before photographs are released.
What happens next: You send your event details on WhatsApp. Our team reads the brief, asks what is missing, then confirms in writing whether the date, venue and coverage can be booked, with a quotation. Opening WhatsApp does not send anything, and a message is not a booking until both sides confirm.
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