All that planning for just one day. You hear this all the time from brides, post-wedding day. Most girls put in a year’s worth of looking at color swatches, budgeting, and managing a guest list; and many of those girls would agree that the day goes by in a flash, while they hardly had a chance to stop and smell the bouquet. Although there is no way to squeeze more hours into the day, I talked with Gina, our recently married Client Services Director, who gave me some tips on how to make the process getting there more enjoyable.
– Involve your bridesmaids. Make this a year of bonding for you and your girlfriends by scheduling periodic pamper sessions. They can help with details, or just lend a sympathetic ear when you want to complain about how your brother refuses to wear a tux.
– Document the planning process. Wedding details these days can be so elaborate, that you’ll find yourself wow’d with each bit of research you do. I personally can’t get enough of looking at cakes, and gowns. Take photos, or keep a scrapbook or journal of pieces that you like, and personalities you encounter, so that later on, you can look back at the entire experience, and not just the day of. – Pace Yourself. Being organized as you plan your wedding doesn’t have to be a cliche. Count down calendars can help remind you to take care of certain elements as you go. If you give yourself room, you’ll be in the right frame of mind when you’re making important decisions, and be able to weigh your options.
– Network. With the number of wedding vendors available, it might be a little overwhelming if you’re not working with a coordinator. By talking with people, and getting their opinions on particular vendors, or just practices that have worked for them, you can really network your way through the planning process. Your florist might be able to recommend a really good cake designer, who happens to know of an amazing musician…etc.
– On your wedding Day, make sure to stop every 20-30 minutes, no matter what you’re doing, and just soak it all in. Take mental pictures of everything going on around you. Sometimes you get so caught up in the moment, that you forget to enjoy yourself, and you miss out on the wonderful details that you helped create.