Congratulations you’re engaged! Now the fun part begins, shopping for your wedding dress, tasting yummy cakes, having a regular meltdown once a month. I wish I was kidding. There’s a lot that goes into planning a wedding. To help make life easier, below are a few nuggets I picked up along the way while navigating the craziness that is planning a wedding. Remember it’s never too late to hire a planner to keep you sanity and budget in check.
- Don’t expect others to do what you would do for them. Your wedding is probably one of the most important days of YOUR life. Just like your friend’s wedding was hers, or your sister’s, whomever. While it may be important for you to have all your bridesmaids pack up for an exotic trip somewhere, it’s not always possible. This doesn’t mean they should be cast out from your wedding party, it just means that other people have other things going on in their lives too. You get one day to be the bride. Your friends and family are not dedicating a whole year to you.
- Don’t second guess your decisions. Pinterest has become the go-to place for everything wedding. It’s great because you get to see so many ideas and it’s bad because you get to see so many ideas. One day you’ll fall in love with the idea of an all-white wedding. You’ll book your flowers, linens, and the invitations. The next day you’ll go on Pinterest and see how amazing a magenta wedding reception will be. You will make yourself crazy. Trust your first instinct. Your wedding will be beautiful no matter what!
- Don’t be afraid about hurting vendor’s feelings. This is your money and your wedding. If there is something you don’t like say something! They are very much used to it and often happy to accommodate. You don’t want to look back on your wedding day with regrets.
- Don’t get stuck on tradition. You don’t need to walk down the aisle to the Wedding March, I opted for the Rolling Stones Angie, but was overruled by the church. I didn’t toss a bouquet. Why pick on the single people? There was no garter toss. My Dad and 90 year old grandpa don’t need to see my husband climb up my dress. My cake was a Stanley Cup created by Muscoreil’s. It was absolutely amazing, nontraditional, but very much my husband and I. It’s your day make it your own.
- Stay Present. Easier said than done. Looking back on my wedding day now, I wish I had been able to stay in the moment. The morning before church I was worried about the groomsmen getting on the shuttle on time. At Church it was worrying how much time in between for pictures. Now I wish I had stopped to smell those tea roses in my bouquet. Also, try to take some alone time with your new husband. Even if it’s for five minutes. Once that reception starts it will be very hard to get that.
- Which brings me to my next point do as Cinderella did. At the stroke of Midnight the night before your wedding accept that it’s all out of your hands from there. Whatever will be, will be. Rain or shine, late or on time. Once that rehearsal dinner is over go home, relax, and live in the moment from then on. There’s nothing else you can possibly do at that point. Unnecessary worrying will do nothing but leave you with bridal bags under the eyes.
- Try not to argue a lot. You will argue, it’s normal. Weddings are stressful. Try to remember what this wedding is really all about and not fight over why your spouse isn’t inserted in picking out linens for your sweetheart table. Do you really care about his opinion anyway? Oh, and don’t argue about each other families. They’re your family too after the “I do. What you say before the wedding will not be forgotten after.
- It’s a little bit about your loved ones. It is about you and your partner, but it’s about your family and friends too. Some of them traveled far and wide to get to the event. Some spent countless hours assembling invitations with you, or maybe they helped you out financially. Whatever the case may be, make sure you acknowledge them.
- Embrace the attention. I know I said before you get one day, well you may get a few more. You get your shower, and dress shopping, and the bachelorette. I’m a person that craves attention but when I actually get it I’m uncomfortable. I nearly had a nervous breakdown at my shower standing in front of everyone opening gifts for an hour. As shy as you may or may not be embrace the attention. You only get to do this once!
- You get one Honeymoon. Splurge!!! The planning is all done, you’re exhausted and finally have time to be one on one with your new spouse. Make it everything you want it to be. Pick and choose how you spend your wedding budget. When the wedding dust settles you may regret spending 30,000 on a 6 hour party but you will not regret spending a quarter of that on your first adventure as husband and wife.