5 Things I Wish I Had Known When I Was Planning My Wedding

“Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you…”

Let me start by saying I had a wonderful wedding! Aside from the birth of my child, it was truly the best day of my life. This makes me reluctant to look back, pick apart the day, and decide what I would do differently now. However, the more time that goes by and the more weddings I go to as a guest, the more I wish I could relive that planning stage and change a few things. Times do change and the wedding industry comes on leaps and bounds as quickly as you can say “I do”, so don’t stress that your wedding won’t be forever trendy – guess what, nobody’s wedding will be! The most important thing is that you and your spouse have the best day celebrating becoming one. If you’re planning your wedding for 2018/2019 then congratulations!

Enjoy this whirlwind time and take my tips as just some friendly advice from my own experience.

1. Don’t stress!

Ok, so planning anything this big an occasion is going to have its stressful times. But don’t let this take over and make you turn into a bridezilla! It will zap out all the fun for you and for loved ones around you who are hopefully there for support. One of my favourite quotes is “I want a marriage more beautiful than my wedding”, and isn’t that the truth? We’ve all seen the most lavish of nuptials in the celebrity world pale into insignificance as soon as the couple split because they actually weren’t focused on the real deal. Keep your mind on the long term value of a loving marriage. Then your wedding day will naturally become a display of affection and devotion that you and your guests will love.

2. Keep all your plans in one place!

I can’t tell you how many notebooks, scraps of paper, and post-its I had lying around everywhere! Whether it’s your initial ideas or final invoices, everything should be compiled in one place to save hassle and confusion. To help you further, websites such as Confetti.co.uk have a section that you can save your table plans, budgets, guest lists and to-do lists all on their site to keep you super organised!

3. Try on as many dresses as you can!

I completely skipped trying on dresses, in fact I didn’t try on any dresses. Not one! I just found one I liked online and ordered it which was a risky situation. Luckily for me it worked out beautifully and I miraculously ended up with a dress that fit perfectly without any alterations but this is an exception to the rule and not something I would recommend. This is your time to waltz into bridal boutiques and try on all the dresses of your dreams! By doing this you will begin to realise what kind of dress you really like and you might even be surprised which dress styles suit you best. Bear in mind some of the up-market stores require you to book an appointment, but don’t fret! You can swoon over lots of different designs here while you wait. This is your only chance to wedding dress shop, so make the most of it!

4. Be creative!

We had quite a traditional wedding with all the classic elements you’d be used to seeing. In recent years I’ve been amazed at what I’ve seen at other couple’s weddings. From gorgeous personalised stationery, to fun favours and wish boxes… there is so much to choose from! If you have the budget for these sweet extras then it would definitely be worth looking at adding them to your wish list. You and your guests are more likely to keep a favour if it’s been personalised and well designed. Something I really love the look of is a wish box or a wish tree, where guests can give marital advice or well wishes and place them either in an intricately decorated box or upon a branch of an elegant faux tree. Both would be wonderful keepsakes you can treasure forever. Beats the standard guest book! Find these and other special items at the Confetti shop.

5. Think ahead to gifts!

No, not gifts for you! Gifts for your parents, your bridesmaids or groomsmen, and anyone else who has worked hard to make your day special. I must admit in the melee of chiffon chair bows and floral fiascos I forgot to think about gifts I would give to our nearest and dearest. As someone who has now helped a loved one prepare a wedding, I realise how much effort is made by those around the bride to make sure the day is just so. I remembered to buy gifts in the end, but they could have been more thoughtful if I had the time or the foresight. There are some really fun and considerate gifts you can buy these days, from “Team Bride” t-shirts to personalised mementos there is something for every member of the wedding party to cherish.

I hope you found my tips helpful! What do you wish you had known when you were planning your wedding?

*This is a collaborative post. All thoughts, words, and advice expressed here are my own.

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