Now that it’s been a month since our wedding, I thought I’d write a post about what I loved about our wedding and what I’d do differently.
I’d like to preface this by saying that this is my personal opinion and experience. This doesn’t mean every wedding has to be this way, it’s simply what worked for Kris and I.
I’d also like to mention that I loved every single aspect of my wedding. It truly was the happiest day of my life and there’s very little I’d do differently.
What I loved (and worked for us)
Set a budget and guest list
When we first started planning our wedding, Kris was completely clueless about how expensive weddings are and how many people we could invite based on our budget.
After doing a lot of research and showing him the cost of a wedding, we finally sat down and discussed a realistic budget plan.
We also went over a guest list and quickly realized there was no way we could invite all of the 300 friends and family we wanted.
We split that list into an A and B list. The A list being the people that must be invited and the B list the people we’d love to invite but are unsure we can fit in our budget.
I know it sucks to have to leave some people out of the list, but believe me the costs add up quickly and you might not be able to afford inviting people you’ve barely talked to in the past year.
Once you have the budget and tentative guest list, the real planning can begin!
Splurge on photos and video
The one thing Kris and I decided from the beginning is that we were willing to pay a lot for a good photographer and videographer. At the end of the day, photos and videos are all you get to keep from that day.
We went with George Street Photo & Video because they had the romantic photography style that I love, plus they had a killer deal when we booked with them. Two photographers, a videographer, multiple photo albums, and DVD copies were the way to our hearts!
We got to choose between three photographers but as soon as I saw Ashley’s portfolio I fell in love with her photos and knew we had to have her as our lead photographer.
Now that I have our wedding photos back I can honestly say I do not regret a single penny we spent on it because we are absolutely obsessed with how our photos turned out.
Go with the venue you want
From the beginning I told Kris I wanted an “indoor-outdoor wedding.” This meant something outdoors but covered so I wouldn’t have to deal with the heat and mosquitoes the whole time.
We visited a few venues and I soon realized I wanted a pavilion for our reception.
We found the Lincolnshire Marriott and fell in love with the venue. It was exactly what we were looking for and they offered us great deals, including a wedding coordinator, cake from Lovin Oven, and a free hotel stay.
I’ve heard from a lot of brides that they did not like their venue. It truly breaks my heart because you want to find a place that you love and will remember with happy thoughts.
Have a photo booth
I am a huge fan of photo booths and knew I wanted one from the beginning. They’re fun for the guests and you get to keep fun memories of that night.
We went with Photo Booth Image and they had amazing props and great service.
The photo strips were custom made with our names and a picture of us and everyone got to take a copy of it.
Go with the flowers you love
My favorite flowers are peonies, but I am fully aware that they run on the expensive side.
I was very worried I would not be able to have a bouquet with peonies, but I was so glad I worked with Paula from Aberdeen’s Flowers because she managed to add a few peonies to my bouquet without breaking the bank!
I could not stop staring at my bouquet from the moment I saw it and I can honestly say that bouquet was very “me.”
Make sure you tell your florist what you love and work with them to turn it into a reality!
Alter the dress until you love it
When I purchased my dress I was a few sizes bigger than I currently am. So when the time came for my first fitting, the dress was huge!
I had a little bit of wedding dress regret and I’m not going to lie, I panicked a bit. Luckily the tailors at David’s Bridal figured out exactly what I wanted and fixed the dress until I loved it.
Don’t be afraid to ask for exactly what you want. You deserve to feel confident and look amazing.
Change into a comfier outfit
When I first tried on my dress, I knew it was going to be tough staying in it all night.
Although I loved my dress, it is heavy, hot, and would take up a lot of space on the dance floor. I kept it on for a few dances, but I am very glad I had a shorter dress to change into.
I definitely recommend having a ‘reception dress’ that you can dance in all night long. My short dress was light, comfy, allowed me to wear flats (heels get painful), all while still being cute.
Have a hair and makeup trial
Let me just say I am very happy I had a hair and makeup trial. That’s where I learned that although the hairstyle I wanted was cute, it did not work for me or the dress.
Luckily there’s this thing called Pinterest and I found a beautiful hairstyle that worked for my style and dress.
And I was also very lucky that the Tamara Makeup + Hair Artistry artists are incredibly talented and will work with you to make you feel like a princess.
Again, this is your day and you deserve to feel beautiful and confident. Try different hairstyles or makeup until you are satisfied.
Let your bridesmaids choose their dresses
From the moment I asked my bridesmaids to stand on my wedding, I knew I wanted them to be happy and confident.
I didn’t want them to wear a dress they didn’t feel happy in. For that reason I let them choose their own dress.
I gave them a fabric swatch with the color I wanted them to wear and let them choose a style that worked for each of them.
I’m glad I did that because my bridesmaids all looked stunning and felt so happy with their dresses. Which in turn, made me really happy.
Hire transportation for the bridal party
With everything going on during the wedding day, worrying about how to get places is the last thing you’ll want on your mind.
For that reason, Kris and I hired a transportation service to and from church for us and the bridal party.
We honestly had a blast in the limo. We had free drinks and got to play our own music while we celebrated our new marriage.
Include your fur baby
Kris and I have our little fur baby, Ollie. We knew we wanted to include him somehow, so he joined us for our reception pictures.
I found him an adorable tux from Chewy and he was so patient with us! We got adorable pictures with him on a bench, walking, playing with pinecones and smothering him with kisses.
I love looking back at our wedding pictures, but I especially love our pictures with Ollie.
Have a flower girl and ring bearer
At first, Kris and I didn’t know if we would be able to have a flower girl and ring bearer. The two kids we wanted were young so we didn’t know if it would work out.
Lucky for us it did! Having Derek as our ring bearer and Wynter as our flower girl added so much adorableness to our day! It also added a few laughs and unexpected moments (I guess it’s what you get with children).
We’re so happy it all worked out in the end. Nothing was cuter than seeing Derek in a small suit and Wynter in her blush pink dress.
Final note on the flower girl and ring bearer, be prepared… the baby fever gets real!
What I would do differently
Expect mosquitoes in the summer
Although I know mosquitoes are to be expected in the summertime, that thought did not cross my mind.
I think there were so many other things I was focused on that I forgot to include bug spray and after-bite in my bag.
I’m highly allergic to mosquito bites, so if you’re anything like me, this is your reminder to pack some bug spray or at least after-bite.
Do not let the stress take over your life
Planning the wedding was incredibly stressful, I’m not going to lie.
It wore me out, made me crabby, and led to a lot of arguments with Kris. Luckily, we survived the stressful times and it honestly strengthened our relationship.
With that said, don’t let stress take over your life. Even though it worked out for us in the end, it was tough. In hindsight, the stress was not necessary.
I understand it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing (ideally) but it doesn’t warrant fights, loss of sleep, and stress to the point where you get sick.
Instead, try to sit down calmly and set realistic expectations and be clear about what you want. If you feel like it’s taking over your life, take a break from wedding planning.
Focus on nourishing your relationship and worry about the napkin color later 😉.
Differentiate between a must-have and something you like
We all like nice things. Doesn’t mean we can (or need to) have all of it.
There were so many times during wedding planning where I had to catch myself wanting a lot of unrealistic things as if they were necessary.
It was important for me to realize the difference between something I wanted and a must-have.
It will help you avoid the arguments and stress mentioned above. And will allow you to stick to the budget (if you have one).
Have lots of food with you
With the anxiety, busyness, etc. I obviously was not thinking about food for the hours prior to the wedding ceremony.
Luckily, both my best friend and Kris got me Tone It Up bars. which really helped quiet my stomach (yup, I was that hungry).
I know it might not cross your mind prior to the day, but pack up some snacks and easy-to-heat-up food. The last thing you want is to say “I do” while hangry.
It’s YOUR wedding
Finally, keep in mind that it’s not easy to please every single person attending your wedding. At the end of the day, this is your day.
I think it’s fair to take your family’s opinion into consideration but don’t let that dictate your choices.
The last thing you want is to look back and realize that you didn’t love your wedding because you were too busy trying to please everyone else.
So all I have to say on this matter is: it’s your wedding day and you deserve to have the wedding of your dreams!
