You’re engaged!

CONGRATULATIONS! Time for wedding planning 💍

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This is such an exciting and fun time for you two! You’re going to be in the thick of wedding planning soon! This is going to be the start of a beautiful adventure….along with A LOT of decision making.

 

Between planning all of the big things (I mean the venue and food are so important), you’ll also be considering small details like how you want your napkins to be folded (crazy, huh?) and about 100 other decisions that will need to be made.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a short list of must-have things to remember when you’re in the midst of wedding planning? Well good news friend! I’ve got a cheat sheet of 10 things to remember while planning your wedding. I’m not including the ones you’ve heard 100 times (even if, yes, eating and drinking water is important). These 10 tips will set the tone for absolutely everything else on your wedding day and the time leading up to it.

Ready to jump in? Let’s do it!

 

 

 

1. Don’t DIY too much 

Friend, I know that you want your wedding to be full of personal touches and beautifully planned details…BUT, if you’re balancing careers, friends, preparing for your first dance (ballroom dance lessons anyone?), and still want to maintain your relationship, this is one thing I’d recommend you reconsider. Wedding planning is a lot of work. Fun work, but work. I know some people are practically born with a hot-glue gun attached to their hands but I am definitely not one of them and it’s okay if you’re not either! There are professionals for a reason and they won’t let you down.

2. Leave the wedding planning to the pros 

I cannot, I repeat, I CANNOT over state this enough. Hire a wedding planner. Planning a wedding is going to require so many vendors and decisions it’ll make your head spin. Have someone on your team for them! From coordinating with the florist and rentals on a delivery time, to helping you design a cohesive and beautiful space, finding the best vendors for your budget, taste, and personality, creating a timeline for your day and SO MUCH MORE. From walking you through the entire wedding planning process to coordinating every detail on the big day, there’s so much for a wedding planner to do.

Wedding planners are absolutely fabulous and come in all budgets. They’ll even make your engagement a fun experience by eliminating the overwhelm and stress (decision fatigue!). When I got married, our wedding planner literally paid for herself just in how much money she saved us, let alone how much we didn’t know about weddings (like the napkin thing, I’ve never in my entire life thought about how a napkin should be folded).

 

3. Only invite the guests that you really want there

I get it, it can be really hard to avoid hurting someone’s feelings when you’re sitting down to write your guest list. We all have so many people who’ve showered us with love and kindness in our lives that it makes sense to want them all there as you celebrate the start of your happily ever after.

BUT…I’ve heard SO MANY stories about couples that feel pressured into inviting distant relatives and family friends or coworkers to their weddings only to feel overwhelmed by how many people they had to “entertain” on their most precious day. Wedding planning does involve making these tough choices too.

Remember, this is such an intimate and beautiful experience. The two of you are joining your lives. If not every person you’ve ever met is on the guest list, that’s okay.

 

 

4. There’s no need for a huge bridal party

Speaking of unwanted guests (j/k), but seriously, do you really both have 8 best friends? While wedding planning does involve choosing the bridal party and groomsmen, consider the size of your team.

I mean, I have 8 close friends but 8 BEST FRIENDS? No. Gift your close friends with the beautiful experience of being there for you and enjoying your wedding day but it’s okay to keep your bridal party down to only a few key people in your life. I had my sister and best friend there when I got married and I don’t regret a single bit of it.

Especially because after 12 years, my sister is still my sister (lol) and my best friend is also still my best friend.

 

5. Hire a great photographer

Hi! Nice to meet you.

I’d love to be YOUR photographer! LOL!

Shameless plug I know but seriously, regardless of who you decide to work with, please get a professional. In 2 years when you’re already married and living your lives together, I want you to think about what you’ll have left of your wedding. The food, cake, music, and flowers will all be a memory. Wedding planning involves so many vendors working together to ensure we preserve the magic of your special day.

You may have had family members that you’ve lost or a wedding gown you won’t wear again but that beautiful album with photos of both of you sharing your first kiss or walking down the aisle as a married couple, those photos will always be treasured.

 

 

6. Don’t forget your dancing shoes!

As obligated as you may feel to say hi to everyone, just go to each table for a quick photo and two minutes to say “thanks for coming” and be on your way.

You’ve got dancing, kissing, eating, and laughing to do! Sneak in all the newlywed dances you can with your new partner! Speaking of dancing, bring a pair of cute flats that you can change into for the night in case those gorgeous new sparkly heels are killing your feet and you still have more celebrating left to do! Dance the night away and avoid the pain by packing a pair of flats.

You’ve done all this wedding planning, now it’s time to enjoy the night!

 

 

7. Determine which traditions you do and don’t want to keep

I’ll be honest, I’m a bit of a romantic and traditionalist at heart but that doesn’t mean YOU have to be! From wearing a white gown to spending the night before your wedding apart and even having a garter toss at your wedding, these are all things you should evaluated and considered for you as a couple. Wedding planning isn’t only about pretty details, it’s also about ensuring you have a great experience!

I’ve had so many people tell me that they couldn’t sleep well the night before because they were apart from their partner. I personally didn’t love the garter toss and colored gowns are a huge trend right now! So, whatever the two of you decide during the wedding planning process, that’s probably what you should do!

 

8. Consider the season.

I recommend putting thought into what season you’d like to get married and how that will work with the brides gown and makeup preferences and the grooms choice of fabric for a tuxedo or suit.

I know that it’s so easy to fall in love with a gown (I mean, they’re kind of magic aren’t they?) that it’s easy to forget how many hours you will actually be in the gown (close to 10-12 hours) and in that time, you’ll want to wear something that’s seasonally appropriate. There’s no need to sweat and feel uncomfortable under heavy fabrics. So during the wedding planning, make sure you remember the season 🙂

I recommend chiffon, crepe, and organza for the warmer seasons.

For the Winter, Silk, Velvet, and Faille materials are classics that lend themselves well to cool weather.

 

9. Have a hair and make-up trial

I’ll admit it, this is another one of those things that my wedding planner told me about. I just didn’t know what I didn’t know! Now, I’m so thankful that I was able to see everything and make adjustments to my look before the actual wedding day. I don’t typically fuss with hair and make-up so I had no clue (at the time) that there were so many different “looks” I could have! This is the best way to guarantee great results for that gorgeous face at showtime!

 

10. Sneak away (for a few minutes) after the ceremony

Okay, so this is a fun one! Let your wedding planner know that right after the ceremony, while you’re guests are going to cocktail hour or before you take your professional photos, you’d like 10-15 minutes alone.

Here’s why: you probably haven’t actually seen each other that much on your wedding day and it’s important to remember what this whole thing is about! All the wedding planning is for one thing: your union. 

Take a few minutes to just be alone, share this experience together. Laugh, cry, kiss, dance, or just sit in sheer excitement together. Everything has been leading up to this moment and I want you to just revel in it! Everything else can wait, I promise!

 

Ready to inquire about your wedding? I’d love to chat!