I have yet to blog about it, but my wonderful partner, Dan of The Food in My Beard proposed on Sunday, November 12th of 2017.It was one of the best days of my life and I spent most of it sporadically crying of happiness and staring at my ring disbelieving of how beautiful it is.
The wedding planning process is wonderful, a tad bit stressful, and will teach you a lot about yourself, your partner, and the tiny nuanced preferences each of you never knew the other had.
Below are a few essential tips I learned from the first few months of planning our 2018 Boston wedding for the newly engaged bride.
Lean on a professional from the start. If you’re already pushing yourself to the max with family, social, and work commitments, look closely to see if you have money in the budget for a wedding planner.
While it goes without saying a day-of coordinator is essential, a wedding planner will be there with helpful suggestions throughout your journey, making sure you ask all of the pertinent questions (think venue walk-throughs, catering, lighting, and more), assuaging your concerns, and generally helping you maintain your sanity and keeping you on track.
Personalize as many details as you can. Dan and I feel incredibly fortunate to have so many of our close friends and family with us to celebrate our important day. We want to show our gratitude by personalizing parts of our ceremony and reception to honor the people that have helped us along the way.
Welcome Letters: this will need to be planned months in advance, but a brief welcome note letting each guest know how special they are to you will go a long way and serves as a touching memory of the day.
Music: When sending our “please plays” and “must plays” to our DJ, we reviewed our guest list, thinking about the memories we had amassed with each person and tried to include artists and songs that would bring smiles to their faces.
Envision your day from start to finish, and then backward. Our guests comfort is of the utmost of importance to me. From the moment they enter our ceremony space, to when they leave our reception venue for the after-party.
How will they get there? Will there be enough of a selection of craft beers? Is anyone who may be overly sensitive to loud noises seated too close to a speaker? Thinking of these things leading up to your day (months in advance) will help you stress just a bit less.
Don’t be afraid to begin early. Whether it be incorporating healthier habits into your daily routine, upping your beauty regimen, or doing venue and photography research, these steps are crucial to getting you exactly you what you want on your wedding day.
Many people will have all kinds of thoughts on your choices and timeline, but go with your gut and continue at the pace that feels right for you. Securing all major vendors and partners necessary for the culmination of your wedding day requires a lot of time, consideration, and effort by all parties.
Never let someone make you feel like you’ve booked these important people too early (they book up startlingly quick!)
Join as many wedding groups as you can. I found SO many helpful resources and tips on local and international Facebook wedding groups. When I was freaking out about not finding the right venue, someone came through with an excellent recommendation that led us to our reception site!
Not every group will be right for you, but join, listen, introduce yourself and participate in posts. The time will come where you need a bit of help and you will be surprised by the warmth and commiseration others will lend you from a town over, or even from other parts of the world.
You may even gain inspiration from the Grecian goddess that threw a luxe celebration on a private island that you can adapt for your own day (believe me!) The best part of these communities, are when brides post a photo after their big day and we all get to celebrate her and the hard work she went through to get there.
Many people will even share tips on what they wish they had done or included that will help you while still in the planning process.
Wishing you all the best in your wedding planning adventures! Though there is a schedule of wedding related posts to come, let me know if you have any pressing questions, and how I can help.
