wedding planning

Brian and I are going to our first wedding this Saturday to kick off the summer of weddings round 2. I've been thinking a little bit about where I was at last year with planning and being axious about the day and wishing and praying it would come faster. Here are some thoughts/tips/advice that I thought I would share to all of your soon-to-be brides!

1. Everyone says to not stress and enjoy every minute of it-- easy for them to say!-- but it really is true. You don't want to look back and remember fights you had with your fiance over silly items what don't really matter or events or days that weren't even fun because your mind was too far away in planning land. Key to this: Start a calendar of things to get done before the wedding. Break it down by month (great checklist I used was the one on Brides.com).

2. It's never too early to do anything for your wedding. The sooner you do it, the less you have to do later on. A few months before the wedding are the busiest time-- if you have most everything you can do done-- your time before the wedding will be more enjoyable.

3. Don't sweat the small stuff. 20 years from now you aren't going to care if your bride's maids had matching earrings or if one girl didn't take off her nail polish etc. It's seriously no big deal. Enjoy the time with your friends, enjoy the time with your family and with your fiance. Take a care free approach.

4. Have a friend coordinate the day of. This should be someone who doesn't already have a role in your wedding and who you trust. A few days before prep them with everything you have planned (schedule, phone #s etc.) and on the day before let them run your rehearsal and make sure everything goes smooth on the day of.

5. Don't let vendors boss you around- it's your day and you're paying them. If you don't want Sprite as a beverage at your wedding, they need to respect that you don't want the frickin' Sprite!!!!

6. Don't leave for your honeymoon the next day. BIGGEST BLESSING OF OUR WEDDING. We got married on a Saturday night and left for our honeymoon Monday morning. You are thrashed exhausted the day after and need that time to re-coop and take everything in that just happened.

7. Make sure to appreciate the people who are helping you along the way.

8. Write thank you cards as the gifts come in. Don't get behind because you'll never catch up (I still have a stack... sorry whoever you are!!!!)

9. Do things with your girls before the ceremony that makes you happy and really throughout the whole day. I woke up and felt great that morning, then my girls woke up and started making a big deal about the day and I got a super bad stomach ache. SO we calmed down, we walked to Starbucks, I had an iced tea, we came back, watched FRIENDS, packed our bags and headed out to the winery!! After we got ready we drank Diet Coke and watched FRIENDS.