by: Who better to take advice from... than real brides that have gone before you. Here are 12 of our real brides who have graciously offered their savvy advice on everything from planning for the big day to simple words of encouragement!
Enjoy and be inspired.
Amanda on their Vintage Shabby-Chic Wedding
Advice I'm glad I took:
Don’t let anyone else’s opinion persuade your decisions, It’s your wedding!
Advice I'd like to give:
Have a guest book! I did a scrapbook guest book to go with a photo booth and I’m disappointed that if they didn’t do the photo booth, I don’t know exactly who was all there. If you have a guestbook, then you’ll be able to look back and know exactly who was there. With all that goes on, it’s possible to not get a chance to talk to everyone there!
Kimberly on their Garden Arizona Wedding
Advice I'm glad I took:
Seeing the groom before the wedding ceremony. I was so much calmer and more at ease seeing him before all the craziness started!
Advice I’d like to give
The day of your wedding–just RELAX! You have been working so hard and for so long planning your perfect day. Trust that you have made all the right decisions and just go with the flow! No matter what happens, it is your day and it will be amazing!
Chandra on their Cultural Outdoor Wedding
Advice I'm glad I took:
Make the day yours and don’t worry about anything — it WILL all be perfect.
Advice I'd like to give:
Invite people YOU want there, not just who your parents think should be there. If you’re an intercultural couple or a bride of color, make sure to share your story! There wasn’t a lot out there about our type of wedding but we do have beautiful stories to share!
Cindy on their Asian-inspired Traditional Wedding:
Advice I'm glad I took:
Not having the bachelor/bachelorette party the night before your wedding–instead, get a full night of restful sleep.
Advice I'd like to give:
This is a very special day that took months/years of planning to come to, which will however be over in a matter of hours. That said, try to embrace every little moment of it, and remember every detail, and every word, because I can honestly say, it will be over in a blur. By the end of it, you’ll be thinking … “what just happened?” Also, eat your food.
Chelsea on their Destination Beach Wedding in Mexico:
Advice I'm glad I took:
Not to sweat the small stuff
Advice I wish I'd taken:
To not worry about the little details as no one will notice. This may be different because I had a destination wedding … but I had a certain vision of details i.e. chairs and table clothes. I spent extra money to have the fancy decor and no one really paid attention at the reception and the day went by so fast for me–that I didn’t really either! haha
Advice I'd like to give:
Remember this day is about you two and that is all that matters, you will not please everyone.
Danielle on their New York Wedding {in a hurricane}
Advice I’d like to give:
Remember what this day is about–you can’t make every single person happy, but you are marrying the love of your life . . . and really, that’s all that matters in the end, so treat it that way!
Yasmin on their Floridal Beach Wedding
Advice I'm glad I took:
Renting a Photo Booth
Advice I’d like to give:
Create timelines for your photographer, DJ and Hotel Coordinator – this will save you headaches.
Vicki on their Dominican Republic Beach Wedding
Advice I'm glad I took:
Using lots of hairspray – it was REALLY windy but my hair stayed in place all day … -Not wearing extremely tall heels (mine were 2.75 inches and I kept them on all night) … -Strolling hors d’oeuvres versus self serve (so much more elegant).
Advice I’d like to give:
For destination weddings, try to go to the resort at least 6 months prior to the wedding to see the venues, meet the wedding planner and get a vision. We did this and it helped tremendously.
Irene on their Multi-cultural Wedding in the U.K.
Advice I wish I had taken:
Check and double-check bookings over and over to ensure people who say they were going to do something don’t let you down at the last minute. Relying on family and friends helps to cut costs but sometimes it can cause more stress than it’s worth.
Advice I’d like to give:
-Compromise as much as you are willing to–in order to keep family members happy–but once you have reached that point don’t budge, or you will end up having the type of wedding you never wanted. Keep it simple and don’t let people pressure you into doing what you don’t want. People are still shocked that we managed to have a small intimate wedding considering my Nigerian background. Weddings in Nigeria are usually like carnivals!
-Don’t lose sight of what the day is really about and remember, it’s yours and your spouse’s day. You can’t please everyone, so just stick to what you want as a couple.
-Also, ask for money instead of gifts. You can request contributions towards your honeymoon for example. It’s much better than getting random gifts that you may not need or may not go with anything in your house. We had to move to a new country so we didn’t want a lot of stuff.
Jessica on their New Year's Eve Wedding
Advice I'm glad I took:
To just enjoy the moment … really take it all in. Just relax and eat the food and cake that we took forever to decide upon!
Advice I’d like to give:
-Don’t stress about the little things, something might go wrong, but you will look back and laugh later. (Our “disaster” was our programs were accidentally loaded into a car that wasn’t going to the ceremony. By the time we realized they weren’t at the church, guests had already begun to arrive. Luckily, the day was saved and they were delivered and passed out in the middle of the ceremony. Better late than never!)
-Also, splurge on a photographer!!!!!!! That will be your best investment, because the pictures will last a lifetime!
Chrissy on their Niagra Falls Wedding
Advice I'm glad I took:
On the day of the event, I let other people take over and just enjoyed myself even if something wasn’t just they way I had planned it–I just let everyone else handle it.
Advice I’d like to give:
Take a second during the wedding and reception to really be present–to take it all in and have fun–it’s your day!
Carin and her Elegant Black and Red Wedding
Advice I'm glad I took:
Sneaking away to the beach during the reception while our guests enjoyed dinner, so that we could take some additional bride/groom photos on the sand. These are some of my most favorite shots!
Advice I wished I'd taken:
I wish we had hired a videographer for the entire day, rather than just our ceremony. I regret not capturing our first dance and all of the toasts/speeches on video. It would have been great to have these included in a video highlight reel of the entire day.
Advice I’d like to give:
Take photos, including a “first look” before the ceremony. It relieves some of the anxiety and makes for a great intimate moment between bride and groom before walking down the aisle. Also, the more photos you can take beforehand, the more time you have to enjoy at the reception with your guests.
