When it comes to wedding planning… well it can easily turn into a total shitshow.
Seriously.
There’s a billion things to keep track of and then a billion people have a billion opinions and pieces of advice for you until it feels like your brain is going to explode into a billion pieces.
Aside from feeling like an actual insane person for about 72 hours pre-wedding, every single thing about our weekend went perfectly. (I can say that now that there is no risk of jinxing it.)
SERIOUSLY.
We started early, surrounded ourselves with the very best and beyond capable team of professionals, and at the end of the day knew that as long as there was booze, food and music it was all going to end up just fine.
5 Ways To Make Wedding Planning Actually Enjoyable
Do the heavy lifting way, way in advance. We got engaged right before Christmas and had a Google Doc started of a tentative guest list, list of venues + costs, potential photographers, planners and florists by December 26. Seriously. By New Year’s Day we’d booked our venue(s). It takes the stress out of the BIG decisions.
Build an army of superior professionals to handle everything. My parents will, to this day, say that our wedding planner Camille from Dream A Little Dream Events was the best thing to ever happen to our wedding. She was (is!) spectacular. She handled everything, reminded us constantly of the things we didn’t know and frankly the entire reason the day was so successful is because of her. Add to that an amazing photographer in Claire from Tia and Claire Studio, floral designer Susan Barton of Fantasy Florals and Notorious as our band and we really didn’t have to worry about… much of anything.
3. It’s OK to not have the most Pinterest-worthy wedding stationary ever. Something you learn planning a wedding? That paper is f*cking expensive. And you order a lot of paper related things - Save the Dates, Invites, Table Numbers, Escort Cards, Menu Cards, Thank You Notes, Rehearsal Dinner Invites. Planners often have promo codes to use (which we took full advantage of) and I was just fine with the fact that that we didn’t have hand-written calligraphy on an envelope most people toss in the trash the second it arrives. Also Minted.com arrives REAL QUICK. Pro Tip: Spend the extra $$ to have your envelopes pre-addressed. Save yourselves the hand cramps and potential carpal tunnel.
4. Do what you want. With something as ‘traditional’ as a wedding, everyone has an opinion on the way ‘etiquette states’ you should do things. Screw that. It’s your day. It’s your wedding. Do things exactly as you want to do them. Want to walk down the aisle with your mom and dad? I did. Don’t want the traditional processional music? Play the Beatles, ‘Here Comes the Sun’ instead. Make it meaningful and personal to you and your spouse-to-be.
5. EAT THE FOOD AND THE CAKE. No one wants a sloppy drunk bride. Take a few bites of food in between ripping tequila shots or delicately sipping champagne. Another thing that costs an obscene amount? WEDDING CAKES. I don’t even like cake. But our wedding cake from Branching Out Cakes was terrific. Vanilla Bean Cake with chocolate mousse and a vanilla buttercream. I had two slices. And I’m so happy I did. (We absolutely did not freeze a slice to eat on our Anniversary. I do not want a year-old dessert thank you very much.)
BONUS: Enjoy every single solitary second. Soak it ALL in. It’s the one time in your life that everyone who matters most to you (save for those who sent regrets and couldn’t attend - we still love you) are in one place FOR YOU. Hug everyone. Take as much time at table visits as you want. Dance your freaking face off. Make sure you take time to check in with your new spouse and take moments together - we were together most of the wedding and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Best and worst parts of wedding planning? TELL ME.
