I can’t believe it’s already been one month married to my handsome man! If you are a bride to be, take it all in and enjoy every moment. It really does go by so fast! Keep reading for pre wedding day tips, tips for the day of, and a little bit about budgeting. Don’t forget to also check out my other bridal posts here xoxo <3
Photo by Jay Cassario, Twisted Oaks Studio
PRE WEDDING DAY TIPS
There are some wedding related tasks that you shouldn’t put off until the last minute … like getting your wedding bands. We waited until about a month before and I was so nervous mine wasn’t going to come in in time! Because they didn’t have my size in stock it had to be custom made. It was also made in Italy and when we ordered it, it happened to be right when they go on holiday for two weeks and close down! Luckily, it came in the week before the wedding, but you just never know! I joked that we would be exchanging silicone bands instead of our legit ones if it didn’t come in on time lol.
Take off of work for the entire week, if you can. Between lashes, nails, brows and dermaplaning, I had a different appointment each day! It was nice to space everything out, and it was all so much fun. By the week of, all of the major details will be ready to go, but you want to have time to run last minute errands and not feel pressured. One thing that helped me was keeping a running list in the notes app on my phone of everything that needed to get done.
Make sure you have everything packed and ready to go the day before. I recommend putting your shoes, jewelry, rings, and any other important details for the day of all in the same bag together so you know where they are. Make sure you have whatever toiletries you need, as well as extra clothes if you are staying out, etc. It also helps to pack up your car the night before, that way in the morning you’re good to go and don’t have to worry about forgetting anything.
TIPS FOR THE DAY OF
This is the one time in your life you get to be selfish. So be selfish. This was a bit hard for me because I’m always the one asking “are you okay, what do you need, how can I help,” etc. I eventually got used to everyone asking me these questions, as well as giving them honest answers. Even after the wedding when people ask how was it, I respond with “perfect, magical, beautiful, everything we could have asked for and more” because it was all of those things and everyone is so happy to hear it!
This goes along with begin selfish… enjoy.your.wedding. I can’t stress this enough! It’s your day! You want to have fun, be in the moment, and not spend all of your time going from table to table saying thank you to everyone #sorrynotsorry. I feel like that’s a v traditional thing to do, and I’m not that traditional per say. After introductions, dances, and speeches, we got on the mic to thank everyone, tell them we love them, and to meet us on the dance floor because we wanted to party! After the formalities and during the first course, we got to as many tables as we could, but after that it was time to eat our own meals and dance the night away!
TIPS FOR THE BRIDE
If you’re wearing your hair down, have your stylist there all day. I was so thankful to have Alex there to touch up my hair in between photos. Because we did a first look, we also did all of our bridal party and family photos before the ceremony. Alex truly saved the day by retouching my wind blown curls to make sure they were perfect for all photos and the ceremony!
Have a short, fun dress to change into! I had a couple different dress options for our after party; however, I ended up changing during the reception because I was so hot from dancing! My wedding dress also ripped from being stepped on 😕 and I didn’t want it to get any worse so changing was kind of my only option.
WEDDING CEREMONY TIPS
Now this is totally a personal decision, but I recommend having a unplugged ceremony. AKA no phones/cameras/etc. I’ll be the first to admit I’m on my phone 24/7; however, there is a time and a place and a wedding ceremony is not one of them. It’s such a special moment and everyone should be present, watching it with their own eyes, not through a screen. I also felt very strongly about not wanting anyone to post photos or videos of me walking down the aisle before we even said our vows. I want to post that first. And I want it to be a stunning photo my photographers took or a magical film from my videographer because I paid them a ton of money to capture this moment perfectly. Ya feel me?
Wedding Budgeting Tips
One question I was asked to address was how did we stay within our budget, and honestly I’m probably not the best person to ask. Everyone’s situation is totally different. We were lucky enough that both our parents were able to help us (we truly couldn’t have done it without them), but to have everything we wanted, we also had to contribute. In the beginning, we honestly didn’t sit down and say “the total amount we can spend is x and it’s this much per vendor.” There were certain vendors that were must haves from the beginning (photography, florist, hair & makeup) so whatever their price was, it was.
As far as the others go, we got lucky that we were able to book who we wanted because they were within our means. Most vendors require a deposit and then the rest is due within a month before the wedding. Some vendors accept payments in thirds which is really nice because it breaks it up. Really, we just did what we had to do to make it work. If you’re on a strict budget, I would recommend writing everything down that way you have a way to track how much you can spend where and when payments are due. I’m almost positive The Knot and Zola offer budgeting help on their apps!
While we’re talking about budgeting, I can tell you there are always more costs in the end. Bridal party gifts, tips, gift bags for the hotel, transportation, products in the bathrooms at the reception, table numbers, welcome sign, card box etc. The list goes on and there will be certain things you don’t think of until the end. This might sound like a lot, but I would allow for at least another five grand (that’s a pretty generous number) at the end, that way you know you are covered for the last minute details and you’re not stressed about money!
And finally, the wise words from my now husband, “let the woman do everything” LOL!
As always, thanks for reading! I am also sharing a super fun holiday giveaway below!!
xoxo
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