Hey guys! I recently planned my whole wedding with little to no help. I am very humbled and proud to have pulled off a 200 guest wedding with minimal headaches and zero hiccups on the day of!
My husband works in healthcare in a demanding position where he is busy around the clock and often brings work home with him. I knew wedding planning would be a huge project for us, but I quickly saw that I was going to have to take the lead on wedding planning.
I started with a wedding binder. I didn’t get fussy with where I got it from as there often are so many to pick from nowadays, but I found mine in Michaels Craft Store. I used this binder until the day of the wedding, and it came in handy when we needed to refer back to a deposit, bill, contract, or to simply review meetings with vendors. I organized this binder into categories that covered everything from the florist, venue, photographer, and honeymoon idea, to the jeweler for our rings. This is hands down tip # 1: Get a Wedding Binder and Stay Organized.
The second most valuable advice I have for future brides is to remember it is a BIG party where two families are becoming together. I can not count how many times or scenarios called for this phrase, and I had it on repeat for almost every vendor meeting. Because it really is just a big party, and most brides or movies exaggerate how a bride should act or feel. I had my “bridezilla” moments, but this phrase really kept me humble and grounded when I felt family or friends trying to hype things up too much.
Third tip: Grill your venue and find out everything and anything they do! We got SO lucky finding our venue a month after being engaged, but it’s because I knew our budget, area/location, and had specific expectations. Our venue went above and beyond, not just the day of, but even before we signed! This particular venue does year round showcases to help future bride and grooms to get a taste (literally) of what your wedding day will be like! They do everything from having an escort table, dressed with a beautiful floral arrangement, to white glove welcoming, to a FULL cocktail hour, and then a mini reception with a preview of the band! We ended up going to 3 showcases (we were being a bit extra) because we wanted to really make sure we wanted to get married there. Which brings me back to “grilling” the venue. Be ready with a list of questions, such as, what happens if it rains, can we have our pets with us, when can we start photos with our photographer, can we add a gluten free or vegan option to dinner menu? All in all, come prepared with questions because at the end of the day it won’t matter how much money you spend on all the other vendors if your VENUE is disorganized or over promises. If it doesn’t have great reviews — run!
Last but not least, have fun with all of it! Planning and the big day fly by SO quickly, and all you will have left are the memories and photos. Which brings me to my last little tip. I was so self conscious about my arms that day, I legit had a code with my bridal attendant and MOH for “ BF”, aka back fat. I was overly obsessed with my arms and back fat… if I could change anything, it would have been that! DON”T OBSESS, IT’S YOUR DAY! I honestly look back and laugh. It’s just another memory for me to look back on.Like Uncle Tom sneezing in the corner, or Aunt Sally getting another shot of tequila just before jumping back on the dance floor. Have fun and get a good photographer so that you have those memories to look back on for a lifetime!
