by: Real advice from real brides! Take it from those who know ... Here are 7 of our recent brides who graciously shared their wedding planning advice. Plus, read Samantha's touching story of how she and Mike were wed in the wake of hurricane Sandy!
Be inspired & wise!
From Danusia on their Classic Wedding
Advice we’d like to give
For the nervous bride and/or groom I would suggest a first look photo session prior to the ceremony. It's just as special as seeing each other for the first time in the church but a bit more intimate. Also, for me, any nerves I had about being in front of a lot of people just went away once I saw Calvin. {See their wedding}
From Sarah on their Simple & Classy Wedding
Advice I wished we'd taken
We DIY’d a lot of items. We rolled the silverware, made cake pops for our guests as favors, our guestbook, decor. While that was fun, some of it was stressful at the end. I probably would have bought some of these items instead–just to save time and energy. I would have allowed more time for my nail and hair appointment as well!
Advice we’d like to give
It’s your wedding day, enjoy it! It’s the day you’ve always dreamed of, so really make it uniquely yours. Plan early, give yourself plenty of time and details really do matter. It’s easy to stress about the “big day” but try to enjoy the process and the loved ones that help you along the way. Have fun!
Advice we’re glad we took
We were advised to go with gray suits rather than tuxes so that the guys could keep them. We are so glad we did! They looked great, and each guy loved them! Also, everyone I talked to stressed the importance of delegating tasks and responsibilities so that you can just enjoy your day. That is so important! We got a lot of friends and family involved, which helped a lot. I’m also glad we dismissed guests by row so that we got to greet everyone at least once. {See their wedding}
From Brandie on their Southern Wedding
I’m glad that I …
Being the compulsive planner I am, it was natural for me to develop a time line for to do’s as well as to keep our bridal party, immediate family, and vendors updated on changes and plans as they came about. Those monthly emails that turned into weekly emails as our wedding day approached truly made a difference. It allowed all my vendors to be up to date with the when’s and where’s of the day as well as my expectations. The bridal party, especially my bridesmaids, really appreciated having things planned out so that all they had to do–was show up and enjoy the fun … knowing everything would be taken care of. Having a clear plan also helped to ease my nerves which in turn allowed me to enjoy all of the wedding festivities leading up to our wedding day.
Advice we'd like to give
Most of us (ladies that is) dream of our wedding day from an early age. My advice would simply be enjoy every moment of the wedding planning experience and especially the day itself. It goes by entirely too fast! This can be achieved by not fretting over pleasing every person who has input about how he or she believes things should be–unless it’s truly important to you and your future husband! And of course those details that don’t quite come out as you envisioned. Let it go, at the end of the day, not a single person besides you will even know the candles on the cake table were not aligned the way you requested them to be! {See their wedding}
From Rachel on their Nautical-Beach Wedding
Advice we’re glad we took
We didn’t worry about every detail of the wedding, as long as we had our family and friends with us, it was going to be a great day. And, it was. We are the last of our friends to get married, so we had a wealth of experience and couples telling us what works and what does not. {See their wedding}
From Kari on their Classic Wedding
Advice we wished we'd taken
I wish that we would have started hair and make-up earlier. We had each girl’s hair and make-up planned out to the minute; however, a gift from my groom was sent to me, the girls had a gift for me, and after several visitors, we were way off on our timing–which forced us into “rush” mode.
Advice we’re glad we took
I am so thankful that I took advice from my sister and did all of our photos before the ceremony. After the ceremony we took a trolley, filled with our wedding party, to our engagement location and took some fun photos. We were able to relax and have fun instead of worrying about photos. {See their wedding}
From Janel on their Classic Wedding
Advice we’d like to give
Relax! Enjoy the day and don’t sweat the small stuff. And, listen to everyone’s ideas even if you know you won’t apply it to your wedding. It prevents any conflicts and keeps things positive. {See their wedding}
From Christel on their Fairytale Wedding
Advice we’re glad we took
I’m a very organized and crafty gal and I do have some obsessive moments. One of my Godparents, Beatriz, told me that not every single thing would be perfect to my standards. But that whatever happens, I should always enjoy and make the best out of it! I’m so glad I followed her advice because our wedding turned out perfect!
Advice I wish we'd taken
My mom kept nagging me to take dance lessons for months before the wedding. But since my groom was recovering from a recent ankle surgery, I didn’t bother him with cool dance moves. The night before our wedding, my groom decided I should feel like a princess and that we should practice dancing. We watched some videos online and learned a few moves. It was fun and turned out quite well. But yes, I wish we had prepared a bit more and not the night before our wedding!
Advice we’d like to give
Not every detail will be perfect … so try not to worry. Enjoy every single moment. And for that moment to be preserved forever, invest in a good photographer and videographer. {See their wedding}
Mike & Samantha
Have you read Samantha & Mike’s touching story of their having to cancel their "big" wedding in lieu of Hurricane Sandy yet? Well, despite the storm, they still kept their date and had a small but meaningful ceremony. Yay!
Read their story here: Wed in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy!
What is your #1 wedding advice that you followed or are following?
