Hello, beautiful! I hope you are having a fabulous week. I have been thinking about writing a post like this for sometime. Looking back on our wedding planning process I feel like I was relatively calm & pretty laid back bride. So I want to share my tips with future brides & if this post has no use to you, please share it with a friend.
There is this stigma that surrounds your wedding day that it is going to be the best day of your life. Truthfully till I started focusing more on the rest of my life with Ricky is when I started feeling more relief. Sorry to burst your bubble but this day will go by in a matter of hours, cost thousands of dollars, & will be over in a blink of an eye. What honestly should mean the most to you is the beginning of your new life with your partner. It is going to be a beautifully chaotic mess & you are in it together. Anyway let's get to my tips, this one was a freebie.
1. Communicate- For the love of linen communicate every single expectation to anyone involved may it be your vendors, bridal party, or parents. This is so important. People cannot, I repeat cannot read your mind so it is critical that you keep an open dialog. Communicate to your bridal party exactly what you would like them in for hair, makeup, shoes etc. Go into vendor meetings with pictures & an idea of what you want. Your parents whether your in-laws or your actual parents discuss who is paying for what so there are no unexpected expenses along the way.
2. Stick to your Budget- If you don't have a budget, that's great. If you are like the rest of the world this I feel is another key point whether you are paying for your wedding or not. Of course it is your wedding day & you want the best but you have to be realistic. Ricky & I paid for our wedding so we had to be very cautious of where every dime was allocated. If you have family paying it is still important to stick with in a budget. Communicate what that budget is & be courteous. You want to avoid whomever over extending themselves & resenting you for that. They have offered to pay but keep in mind that everyone has a budget. By sticking to your budget you will avoid stressing on how to pay for things.
3. Stay on Task- Staying on task & maybe even a few steps a head really helped us, especially when we started looking to purchase our first home a couple months prior to our big day. If you have a wedding planner they will definitely help you keep planning smoothly. Personally, I found the knot helpful & our venue gave us a check list that broke things down month by month. You want to avoid leaving tasks that can be done now for the last minute. Your life is going to get cray as you get closer to the big date & by staying on task (or a few steps ahead) will relieve some stress because you have it under control. Stay organized, maybe even keep a binder broken up by vendor. I just kept one wedding folder including everything wedding in it: invoices, inspo, etc.
4. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff- This tip I will admit is one of those that are easier said than done. Going back to my point in the opening, this is one day is just 5-6 hours of your life that will be totally wonderful but it's just that, a few hours. I showed up to our venue before the ceremony & realized that we were short one vase for our center pieces which I thought could not be true because I had ordered 3 extra. Turns out in the shuffle the extra vases didn't get packed & the venue had to go get another vase that didn't match the others identically but still did the trick. There was absolutely nothing I could have down so instead of crying over spilt milk I enjoyed my night. These things are going to happen but do not let the most minute details ruin your day.
5. Utilize your Bridal Party- As I had mentioned earlier life will get bananas before the wedding day utilizing your girls for tasks will help decrease stress & help you stay on task. I had a couple of my girls help me put together wedding favors. I am in a wedding in a couple weeks & we helped the bride put together her wedding invites. Maybe you have some DIY projects that need extra hands. That's what your girls are there for is to help & be there for you. Throw on Bride Wars or Bridesmaids pop some bubbly & have fun while doing these projects together. You can always utilize your bridal party by delegating day of responsibilities. For example, give one girl the limo companies number in case they are running late & they can follow.
6. Be Considerate- This is your big day & the main focus is the couple getting married. Yes, this day is for you but you have also asked a group (your bridal party) to be apart of this day & this is a HUGE day for your parents as well so keep in mind they may get a little emotional. Let's start with the bridal party, they are going to be spending a pretty penny on your wedding so be considerate of their circumstance. My entire bridal party was 25 & under, girls who are just starting to establish themselves & dealing with an astronomical student loans. I wasn't interested in a big extravagant bachelorette party to Vegas, my mum paid for the bridal shower, & they were able to pick their own dresses. I also found very reasonably priced & talented hair & makeup which they were given the option to do both, one service, or not do either. I had 1 bridesmaid do her own hair & makeup because she is talented & another that had her sister do her hair & makeup because she owns a salon (that was 2 out of 7 bridesmaids). Keep in mind that if your bridesmaids don't feel beautiful that will come across in your wedding photos. Be considerate of cost as well because weddings are expensive & you don't want your crew to resistant you by stressing about money, they should have fun too & be excited for you. Yes, they did agree to be in your wedding but honestly how could they say no? Again communicate all expectations with your party so their are no unexpected expenses for them. Now the parents, if they are paying for the wedding they will probably have a say in your guest list. They of course will have their opinions about things along the way which you can respectfully accept or reject. But what I want to focus on is the moms, it is important that they look & feel beautiful too. Also brace yourself for the emotions that will come while getting ready, let the moms do their thing even if it includes getting a little emotional. Their baby is getting married & it is an emotional thing. In all the crazy just don't forget to be considerate, kind, & understanding.
I hope you found these tips helpful! I know that they helped me throughout the process. By nature I don't get stressed easily but it is a stressful time & we all have our moments. The day of my wedding the girls were done getting their hair & makeup done, everyone was kind of standing around, & we were running late. I will admit, I was a little snappy in this moment because no one had their dress on. Then everyone got dressed, we were off, & everything was right in the world. As my mom always says, "Be cool!" or try to be as cool as you possibly can because I understand this can be easier said than done. Most importantly enjoy the process, this is a super exciting time!
Well fash dolls, till next time.
Stay Sassy & God Bless!
