Lessons Learned

Planning the wedding of your dreams can be stressful, but in the end it will be the happiest day of your life and everything you have dreamed about. During the past 11 months of planning, I have learned several lessons. I hope that you can take what I have learned and apply it to your planning process.

1) Stay Organized- From the moment I got engaged, my first gift was a binder with tabbed dividers to stay organized. My planning binder consists of tabs for the photographer, DJ, caterer, etc. Each section contains contracts, pricing guides, and much more. In addition, I have set up folders within my email account for each vendor, and keep every email communication. Keeping all of the emails has been beneficial with the wedding plans. When my mom went to the tasting, the caterer quoted her a price, which was $20 more per person, than what he had told me. Thankfully, I kept the email and was able to provide it to my mom, who in turned showed it to the caterer and was able to honor the lower price. Lesson of the story is to stay organized and keep every communication from vendors.

2) Use a Checklist- Many wedding planning sites like The Knot and Wedding Wire offer checklists to help during the planning process. The checklist breaks down your wedding to dos from 12+ months until the day of the wedding. I have printed out the checklist and placed it in my binder. Every time a task has been completed, it gets marked off. It is a great feeling to have so many checks!

3) Ask for Help- It is ok for you and your fiancé to ask for help during the planning process. Many family and friends would be honored to help plan your wedding, so if they offer take it! The more help you have, the less stress you will have leading up to the big day. I am 1,000 miles away, from where I will be getting married and some days the stress has gotten the best of me. However, I am very grateful to have my mom and sister, who have helped tremendously with the plans. Don’t be afraid to approach family and friends for help, because everyone needs help with planning a wedding, as it puts a lot of strain on the bride and groom to be.

4) Research, Research, Research- Doing extensive research on various vendors will be beneficial to your wedding planning. Search the name of the vendor, which you are wishing to use and read the reviews. I suggest that you read reviews from multiple sites, as vendor reviews will vary. In addition to doing internet research, talk to friends, who have recently got married, find out their vendors and ask about their experience with the vendor. Your friends will be very honest with you, because if they had a poor experience, they do not want you to go through the same thing. Joining wedding message boards will offer vendor reviews in your area. Talking to other brides will help you make the right decision on choosing the perfect vendor for you!

Just keep in mind that your wedding is all about you and your fiancé. Do what makes you two happy, as this is the beginning of your lives together as Mr. and Mrs. It is ok to be stressed out and shed some tears, but keep your head up and stay positive, because your wedding will be simply beautiful.