Five Things I Learned While Planning Our Wedding

I learned a lot things the past year or so while I planned a wedding. Amidst stress and excitement, things that you never expected will happen. And things you did expect will happen too. To me, this is a list of the most realistic struggles and tips that I think at least some bride-to-be's will understand.

5. A simple and personal wedding is just as fantastic as a lavish affair. Just because you can't or don't want to spend a lot of money on your wedding day doesn't mean you won't be just as married as everyone else.

4. It's okay to start with a vision and then completely do the opposite.
    I wanted an outdoor wedding. Did I get that? Nah. I wanted to make my own dress. No way did that happen either. Don't feel like you are betraying yourself if you don't do what you've been dreaming of since you were a little girl, or since you were whatever age you started thinking about weddings (which for me was only about three years ago.)

3. Apparently colors are important? People are really intense about colors.

2. Everyone knows how you should do everything. Your engagement is long? You should have had a short one. You are going to *insert honeymoon destination here*? You HAVE to go see this and do this. You blah blah blah...it's the same old story.
    Sometimes the advice is totally welcome. And sometimes it's annoying. The thing that you have to remember is that everyone is just trying to be helpful. They don't know how much you've researched or planned, or exactly why you are waiting so long to get married, or why you aren't buying everyone a four-course dinner at the reception, etc. So, you have two options. You can A) be blunt and tell them what's what or B) smile and nod.

And the most important....

1. It's YOUR wedding. It's not your friends' wedding or your cousin's wedding or anybody else's wedding other than you and your spouse's. If you don't want something a certain way, that's fine. You don't have to please your 200 guests. That's impossible.
   Now, I'm not saying you should be a selfish bridezilla where everything simply must go your way. You should relax! But I am saying that if you really want your photo frame to be perfectly centered on a table and your step-sister's aunt says it looks better to the left....it's okay to do it your way.

What did you learn while planning your wedding?

Carrie Nichols Photography did a great job with our photos! I'm fairly, nay, supremely happy that wedding planning is over now!