Weddingbee Blog

So now that I’m a wedding pro (I’m just kidding, I swear!) I wanted to share some of my wedding-planning advice thus far.

*But first, a disclaimer: This advice is based on my planning experience. Everybody does their planning their own way—some hire a coordinator, some are all DIY; it’s whatever works for you.*

With that disclaimer stated—let the advice begin!

Image via Contemporary Bride

1. I’m starting with the above advice. Accept what you cannot change. This is going to include things like the weather, guests arriving late, and the traffic. Do your best to plan around these things, but don’t let them lead you to a mental breakdown.
2. Don’t ask your wedding party until the LAST POSSIBLE SECOND. We had a bit of drama in our wedding party, because let’s face it—you can’t please everybody. Plan all your wedding details so you know when you need to choose your wedding party. For example, if you plan to have your girls order dresses and then possibly have alterations, find out when they would need to order and ask your ladies a little before that point. (And like I said—my own experience here. Some people ask way in advance and have a great time, so do what is right for you!)
3. Compare, compare, compare. It’s great to find things that you like, but before you go into “MUST HAVE THIS NOW” mode, take a second to shop around. You might find that those paper straws you MUST HAVE can be found for less at another store or online. (And yes, I’m having paper straws. Just sayin’!) Same goes for vendors, dresses, etc.
4. Make a realistic budget. Sure, you may change your budget here and there to accommodate things. Maybe you care about photos, but not so much about flowers—then you can cut costs on flowers and spend more on photos; a good change! But don’t allow yourself to get sucked into the wedding world and think you have to have everything you’ve seen on Pinterest or a wedding website. You have to prioritize what is important to you and your fiancé.
5. And on that note, remember: marriage is a union. That means that, while the day is probably going to be more of what the bride wants than what the groom wants (because, let’s face it, a lot of girls know what they’d like their wedding to be long before they’re engaged), you still need to consider what the groom wants. If your groom is hands off and doesn’t care—great! But make sure you talk to your groom and find out what role he wants to play in the wedding!
6. I said compare, I said wait on asking your wedding party, but to make my point very clear—make your decisions and do your best to stick with them. Some decisions are easy to change, some aren’t. So step back, take some time, and make decisions carefully.

That’s it! For now, anyway! Married ladies—what advice would you give those of us who are currently planning?