That's So Cherry. A "Law & Order" Star's Weddings Photo.

Two of the most important elements of a successful wedding are planning and organization. We're going to use our photo shoot with "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" star Kelli Giddish to illustrate our point.

First, for some reason - and we're not entirely sure why this is - "Sophisticated Weddings" Magazine has photographed a lot of TV cops.

We photographed Kelli in mid-April, just after she got engaged. The shoot was in Manhattan's Flatiron neighborhood. As most people know, New York sees the Cherry Blossoms typically bloom from late March to mid-April, with peak bloom usually occurring in mid-April. 

We were in peak bloom that day. And we knew of a phenomenal spot just two blocks away from where we were shooting that had a path lined with trees and lamp posts, and the Empire State Building standing majestically in the background. Truth be told, it was a little chilly that day. However, again: planning. We knew we wanted to hit that spot. It was on our list. So we brought a coat for Kelli.

Planning and organization. Keep a list of every image you want to photograph. Make sure your wedding photographer has it in advance. You'll be glad you did.