It’s spring time which means wedding season is in full swing. This time last year, I was actively planning for my August wedding and trying not to get overwhelmed in the process. Everyone’s wedding planning experience is different but overall, mine was low-stress and low-drama. Everytime I talk to a future bride, their mouth drops when they find out I planned my wedding in just 6 months for 100 people. I know. It seems impossible but it wasn’t. My planning started even before my husband came back from Europe. I’m giving you everything I learned during my wedding planning and hope all my future brides can gain some knowledge from this! Keep reading below!
MY day, MY way. Repeat that over and over. This wedding is for you and your spouse. Not for your mom, grandmom, mother-in-law, auntie or cousin. This is YOUR wedding.
You don’t have to have a big wedding. Each head is a cost. My wedding was right around 100 people. I originally didn’t even want that many people and our original plan was a backyard BBQ wedding FOR 50 PEOPLE ha! My mom shut that down quickly. Invite those people who have supported and been there for you for years. Everyone doesn’t have to have a plus one either, unless that’s in your budget. Invite people who are going to SHOW up because we ran into that problem.
3. People will show their true colors. I didn’t really have anyone upset about not being invited (but it does happen), but we did have people who didn’t show up to the wedding. It costs money for a wedding guest, and when you don’t show up, without prior notice, it’s money going down the drain. Honestly, it’s just rude. It really made us see people for who they really were which leads me to my next lesson..
4. Make your invite list based on received RSVP cards. My biggest mistake was not going strictly by who actually RSVP’d..which led to people not showing up. Outside of our immediate family (mom, dad, siblings, grandparents), everyone should have to formally RSVP. It doesn’t matter if they live 5 minutes down the street, drop the card in the mailbox. People were added on last minute by various family members, but then didn’t show up. No RSVP, no seat at a table.
5. Something will always go wrong. Up until the day of, nothing went wrong. All the planning was thought out and organized down to every detail. Everything was going pretty seamless, until my wedding started late. 30 minutes late. A very important wedding party member was late, so we honestly couldn’t start without them. My sister attended a wedding where the photographer didn’t show up. Something will probably happen. Do not let it ruin your day though. Remember the real reason you’re doing all of this: to marry the love of your life!
6. Weddings don’t have to be stressful. There will be aspects of wedding planning that require a lot of work, but they don’t have to be stressful. The hardest part for me was making the seating charts. I found my dress on the first outing, and planned DIY centerpieces and favors with the help of my best friend. My bridal shower was hosted at my godmom’s house and my bachelorette was a weekend full of wine tastings. Don’t feel like you have to go overboard, unless you just want to. The more you try to do, the more stress you’ll bring yourself and the more money it’ll cost. With the average wedding being the cost of a year of college tuition..I’ll take economical anyday.
My wedding day was the best day of my life. From the planning to the day of, it was a memorable experience. If I can give one summarized piece of advice, I would say that the memories are priceless. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on flowers that will die, and centerpieces no one will remember. The wedding day will come and go in the blink of an eye. Don’t drive yourself crazy planning. Enjoy the journey, take it all in, and remember that the biggest day of your life is going to be amazing no matter what!
