It is almost that time when I will walk down the aisle in the prettiest dress I have ever worn to marry my best friend and I do not know where these past 4 months have gone! It feels like a lifetime ago that I got engaged but at the same time it feels like the big day will never come!!
A lot has changed since Rob and I first got engaged. Something I have come to learn about myself throughout this whole wedding process is that I cannot make decisions. No matter how big or small the decision. There have been days when I will have the whole wedding planned out and I will know what I want and envision it....and then a few hours later my whole wedding will be completely different! Thank goodness Rob, my family and my amazing bridesmaids are very patient; they have helped so much throughout this whole process thus far and I dread to think with some of the crazy ideas I came up with how the wedding would have looked!! With this in mind I am still no wedding guru/expert but here are a few tips I would give to anyone planning a wedding:
1. There are a lot of amazing wedding blogs (like this one!!) and pages out there to give you plenty of options and creative ideas for your big day. As much as this is a huge help it has also become my downfall at times as I have just felt completely spoilt for choice with so many beautiful things!! This has been the main reason why I have been so indecisive throughout this process but when every thing is so nice no matter what you choose your wedding will look amazing!
2. Another thing I have learnt and have been told throughout this whole process by my nearest and dearest is to go with the things you and your fiance want. Don't worry about what other people will think or if they will like it because at the end of the day they are guests at YOUR wedding so have the things you and your fiance want and will make you happy. You will hopefully only get married once in your life time so make sure you don't look back and have regrets!!
3. I would also highly recommend exploring all your options for ideas. Shop around because the most expensive thing isn't necessarily the best and as much as it is your special day and you want everything to be amazing it is one day of many to follow in your happily ever after and blowing your money on a crazy venue or a celebrity photographer may leave your bank accounts extremely sparse. Remember there is a life after the wedding day you need to think about too!! People always say how expensive weddings are and it isn't until you plan your own wedding and have to spend your own money on things that you realise just how expensive things are - but don't fret! Just because you are getting married it doesn't mean it HAS to cost you an arm and a leg! Be smart with your spending and pin point the things that will mean the most to you and set aside more money to spend on those things. I am very grateful to be a part of a huge family of people with many useful talents! If you know people that have talents that could prove helpful to you I would recommend taking advantage of this and putting them to good use! Also Rob and I have taken matters into our own hands with many things and have embarked on quite a lot of DIY projects for the big day which have been fun as well as providing bonding time for us as a couple! There is nothing more fun than starting a project with your other half and having the satisfaction of a job well done achieved together!
4. When I first got engaged I found myself with about 10 different wedding magazines! They are so fun to look through and are a good source of ideas! They also provide a timeline for you to work with and know what is generally booked at what time as well as reminding you of little details you may have forgotten about. However, my advice would be to work by your own timeline. Magazine timelines are good to have as a reference but seriously - who ever gets everything on their to do list done when they schedule it to be done?! No one...unless you are crazy good with to do lists ha! Don't get me wrong, I would not have got this far if it wasn't for my many hundreds of to do lists but things don't always go according to plan especially when planning a wedding - just know that eventually everything will get done at some point and don't stress if it isn't done when the magazine says it should be! But with that said, try not to procrastinate too much or else you'll be left with lots to do last minute and you do not need the added stress!!
5.It takes two people to get married so two people should be in charge of planning the wedding! Involve your fiance as much as possible!!! It is his wedding too and even if he has never thought about his wedding day before in his life it is still more fun to plan things together and have input from both of you! Marriage and a wedding is about being a team and working together so this is your time to showcase yourselves as a couple! I'm not saying you have to sign yourself up for 'Don't Tell The Bride' but give him things to be in charge of and get things done - two heads are always better than one! This period will also see some major growth for you as a couple as there will be times when you have to pull together and get through the stress by supporting each other.
6. And FINALLY! Naturally the majority of your conversations and time as a couple will be spent eating, sleeping and breathing weddings!! Make time away from the plans and do fun things!! Go on dates, meet up with friends, do something you love doing as a couple and do not talk about anything wedding related!!! It is easy to get caught up in the wedding madness and to forget that you can still have fun and hold a conversation without weddings coming into it!! Rob and I have joked a lot that we won't have anything to talk to each other about once the wedding is over as it is such a huge focus for us right now!! But as I said before, the wedding day is one of many to follow in your happily ever after so make sure you are still having fun in your relationship, appreciating the things you love about one another and enjoying the journey together!
6. And FINALLY! Naturally the majority of your conversations and time as a couple will be spent eating, sleeping and breathing weddings!! Make time away from the plans and do fun things!! Go on dates, meet up with friends, do something you love doing as a couple and do not talk about anything wedding related!!! It is easy to get caught up in the wedding madness and to forget that you can still have fun and hold a conversation without weddings coming into it!! Rob and I have joked a lot that we won't have anything to talk to each other about once the wedding is over as it is such a huge focus for us right now!! But as I said before, the wedding day is one of many to follow in your happily ever after so make sure you are still having fun in your relationship, appreciating the things you love about one another and enjoying the journey together!
