8 Things I Learned While Planning Our Wedding
8 Things I Learned While Planning Our Wedding
All photos by Sparrow & Lace Photography
Well, here we are! Already almost 4 months post wedding, and life is finally starting to feel back to normal. Josh and I had already lived together for years prior to the wedding, so nothing really changed afterwords. I guess that’s a good thing! Over the past few weeks I have been reflecting on the wedding and decided to dedicate a post to allll the things I learned about planning a wedding. To be honest… Even though it was stressful at times (okay, a lot of times), I truly enjoyed the experience. BUT it’s also nice to have finally some time to relax and just enjoy being married. Still, there are a few things that I’m realizing in hindsight. And if I could go back in time, these are the things I would tell myself.
Start early & DON’T procrastinate
This isn’t something I had an issue with, because procrastination gives me anxiety. Josh and I had a 1 year and 9 month engagement, and I was SO happy we did it that way. There are so many steps to planning a wedding and I think I would have been super overwhelmed if we didn’t have that much time. Obviously some people have shorter planning periods and still make it work, but just don’t put everything off until the last minute! You’ll thank yourself later.
Everyone has an opinion
This was honestly one of the trickiest part of the process for me! EVERYONE has an opinion. “You should be traditional. Your bridesmaids need to match. Don’t even think about doing anything besides a formal, sit down dinner.” Sometimes it can be so hard to block out the chaos of what everyone else thinks is important. I promise you will be so much happier when you remember that this day if for you and your other half. You are the ONLY two that need to be happy. Josh and I chose to have a private ceremony. Only our immediate family and bridal party attended, and the rest of our guests arrived at happy hour (cocktail hour.. but I like calling it happy hour!). A lot of people questioned (and were maybe even upset by) our decision. But it was important to us to have a small, laid back, intimate ceremony. That’s exactly what we got, and it was amazing (:
3. Compromise is key
To go off of the last one, you both need to be happy! So that may mean loosening the reigns a bit and allowing your fiance to have a few things their way. Now if you are like me and like to have the control when it comes to planning, this could be a little difficult. Make sure to openly communicate about what’s important to you, but also ASK your fiance what’s important to them. Luckily Josh was pretty laid back and okay with me making a lot of the decisions, but if there was something in particular he felt strongly about, I let him have it.
7. Choose your vendors wisely
I can’t stress this enough. I never realized how much work your vendors do AND how much you need to trust them to do it right. I was sooo thankful for each of the vendors we chose. They honestly did so much to keep us on track not only on the wedding day, but also throughout the planning process. I know the budget is an important factor, but having an experienced vendor that helps the day run smoothly (so you can be stress free) is priceless. Try to find a balance! ** I listed some of my vendors at the end of this post!
4. Keep your priorities in check
I learned very quickly how easy you can fall into the trap of wanting it all. Budgeting is a super tricky aspect of planning! There were soooo many times I had to take a step back and think “Is this actually that important? What is more important than this?” Because truly, as long as you end up married by the end of the day you reached your goal! So try not to stress about the colors of the napkins.
5. Find your own way to personalize it
This was the fun part! There were so many times during the planning process that I realized certain things are done JUST because that’s how everyone else did it before. The truth is that there is NO right or wrong way to get married. You can do anything you want! So make it authentic to who you guys are as a couple.
6. Be prepared for a lot of details
I expected wedding planning to be a lot of work, but man… there are SO many small details that you wouldn’t even think of. Yeah, you know about the vendors and the dress and the ceremony, but there’s a lot more to it than you would even realize. I swear, my seasonal to do lists were pages long. Which leads me into number seven…
7. Go with your gut
There are so many options out there! I spent hours and hours researching all the vendors and decor and other ideas. Do your research, read reviews, but don’t stress about making a decision. Trust your gut and go with what you feel drawn to!
8. Have fun with it!
This is the most important step! I know it can get stressful, but it’s truly such a fun time in your life!
There you have it! All the things I learned while planning our wedding. Honestly, there were probably many other things, but this is what comes to mind. If there are any brides out there that have questions about the planning process feel free to reach out! I know I did so much research on other’s blogs and social media, and it was nice to feel like I could relate to other brides throughout the process. Happy Sunday!
VENDORS:
• venue: Historic Shady Lane
• photographer: sparrow and lace photography
• videographer: le moment capturer
• florist: petals with style
• dress: posh bridal
• hair: anthology
• make up: Chelsea Wanamaker
• DJ: Bring on the bash
• Caterer: Tasteful Occasions
• Cupcakes & day of coordination: Mackenzie Krott (& Chloe Ciferri)