Thank you to all of our Coquettish readers who chimed in and gave us even more pearls of wedding planning wisdom. All of the feedback we got was great! Here’s a few more tips we wish we knew when starting to plan our weddings:
Know that mistakes will happen and something will not go according to plan – just don’t worry about it. Remember that no one notices missing details except you! Sometimes the best things come from the mistakes….
– from JKP
Not everyone has a moment of epiphany that drives them to tears of joy when they find “the” dress. I certainly didn’t. Like some, you may recognize your wedding dress right off the bat, or, like many others, you may find it, like it, keep looking, and then realize that the dress you tried on 30 dresses ago is the one you’ve been comparing all others to, the one you felt best in, and the one that’s been on your mind all this time … Everyone will have a different experience when it comes to finding her wedding dress, and that’s okay!
– from JL
Don’t be in a hurry to just check things off your list, just to get it done. Wedding planning is a process (a journey, if you will) and each part should be enjoyable. Also recognize, that your fiancee won’t always be as enthusiastic as you when it comes to planning. Some guys just don’t have that desire, but know that at the end of the day, all they want is for you to be happy.
– from SL
Designate a friend or find a DOC for your wedding. Since you’ve been planning for months, you want this day to go smoothly, with no delays, or any major mess-ups. In order for the couple to actually have fun and not worry, you really do need to offload all the work on somebody else.
– from KG
I guess I would say, pick one or two items that really matter to you and don’t be afraid to splurge there and stick to your budget or cut back on other things.
– from JKP
Make sure you take a moment to soak it all in! This is your wedding day … a once in a lifetime event, so don’t worry about the centerpieces or if you’re 5 minutes late. ENJOY yourself and just revel in the magical day.
– from JW
Take lots of engagement pictures! In addition to our official engagement session with our wedding day photographer, we took two additional FREE engagement sessions with photographers we found on Craigslist … These sessions were SO helpful – we got comfortable taking pictures with each other, with the traditional portrait poses, and even learned how to kiss photogenically. So for every couple who needs practice being photographed, there’s a photog out there that needs practice photographing! Take advantage of that!
– from JL
Tags: "Dress shopping", "engagement session", "wedding budget", "wedding planning advice"
Such good advice!
Is it too late to chime in? My 3 bits of advice for brides to be:
(1) Goes without saying, but TRUST YOUR GUT INSTINCT. Don’t get pressured to make a decision on the spot if you’re not sure, i.e. you don’t feel like you’re on the same wavelength with a vendor or not sure about a centerpiece design. Take a minute to step away or ask the vendor if you can get back to them and then revisit the topic when you feel more comfortable.
(2) ASK QUESTIONS. Don’t be afraid! If you absolutely love a vendor or item, but it’s out of your budget, don’t be afraid to tell the vendor the truth and ask if they can work with your budget or if they have an understudy. You will be surprised at how many vendors are willing to work with your budget. And most vendors from photographers to florists to make up and hair artists have understudies who charge less for their services.
(3) WALK SLOWLY down the aisle and FACE YOUR GROOM (not the priest or officiant) during the ceremony. This is the one time you will get to walk down the aisle. Embrace every millisecond, so walk as slowly as you can! And your guests are there to see you, the beautiful and radiant bride, and not your backs during the ceremony. Facing your groom allows your guests to fully witnesses your commitment to one another.