In less that 20 months, my two sisters and I got married. So, its safe to say wedding planning has been my life for the past several years. Planning a wedding can be extremely overwhelming and when you first get engaged it is hard to know where to even start. However, the most important thing to remember is that the day is about celebrating you and your partner. Never let the stress of the wedding become bigger than the marriage.
Below are some of my tips to hopefully make wedding planning enjoyable and to have the wedding of your dreams.
It is okay to settle on some things. Make a priorities list when you start planning your wedding. For me, I wanted: (1) an outdoor venue that was in a city or close to one, (2) a big band that played pop/current music, (3) an intimate setting, and (4) a lot of food. These were the non negotiables. Everything else I was willing to compromise on. For example, since I wanted an outdoor wedding I had to settle for trailer bathrooms that were not the most luxurious. And, my venue had a bit more rustic vibe than I had previously envisioned… but it was intimate, the perfect size, and in the city. Not everything can be absolutely perfect.
Make a decision and move on. There are so many beautiful wedding dresses, talented bands/djs, and venues. You will drive yourself crazy if you keep looking at other options after you have already made a decision. Make the best decision you can at the time and then do not dwell on it. Trust your gut.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. I remember being absolutely shocked when I saw how many options for white tablecloths there were. Do you want eggshell? ivory? antique white? The options were endless. However, have you ever left a wedding and said “Wow! The color of the tablecloths really made that wedding” or “Those table numbers were the most beautiful decor I have ever seen!” Instead, I focused on the bigger items that impacted the overall vibe of the wedding and having one “wow” factor for decor (mine was the lights on the ceiling of the tent) rather than a bunch of tiny details that take up sooo much time and stress.
Don’t leave your partner’s side the day of the wedding. This may seem obvious to some but it is so easy to get overwhelmed at your reception, especially if you are having a big wedding. Someone from your side of the family might try to pull you in a corner and then 20 minutes later you realize you don’t know where your partner went. However, at the end of the day the wedding is about the love between you and your partner. People are there to celebrate both of you as a couple and not just catch up with one of you. Ross and I made sure we were together the entire night and now every memory we have with our friends and family from our wedding is also with each other.
On a similar topic, do your best to say hi to as many people as you can at your cocktail party (or welcome party if you have one) and then once the reception starts, enjoy your night. Ross and I made a few rounds to tables while dinner was being finished but for the most part we never stopped dancing to mingle. Personally, I have never gone to someone’s wedding and not said hi to the bride or groom. In my opinion, they are the guests of honor.
Go with the flow on the wedding day. There is bound to be something that goes wrong on the day of. Do NOT let that ruin your day or cause you stress. It is what it is on that day. Just remember that the only thing that matters is marrying the love of your life!
#4 !!! We just had our engagement party and halfway through I realized I had no clue where my fiancé was so def going to remember this for our wedding