Often Forgotten Common Sense Tips For Planning A Simple Yet Elegant Wedding

Planning your own wedding is not easy!  When you first begin, there are so many choices, decisions, and so many distractions. Don’t forget to enjoy this amazing experience, take a minute to relax and organize your thoughts. Here are some common sense tips that are often forgotten!

Establish A Budget, And Don’t Compromise

Get your budget in order before making any financial commitments. Too often, many couples start adding things only to find out they have overspent and exceeded their budget. For example, EraGem has an awesome collection of gorgeous jewelry that won’t break your bank.

Shoot for 10-15% less than your actual wedding budget, so you have some margin if something else comes up. Something always comes up. If you end up having extra, then great. Spend it in your honeymoon.

Hire Professionals

When your friend’s second cousin girlfriend volunteers to make your cake and promises a discount, it’s tempting to say yes.  However, hiring friends and family can often make things more difficult. Imagine you being in a situation where you have to fire them and they don’t deliver up to expectations.   It’s safer to hire professionals who have good recommendations and great reviews. It’s just easier if the relationship isn’t personal.

Remember To Compare Apples To Apples, Not Just Prices

Don’t just compare prices. For example, you will never find two vendors offering the exact same “package,” or quality of service. Evaluate carefully. What may initially seem more expensive can actually be a better deal when compared with others. For example, some photographers drop their prices significantly because they do not offer any photo editing or revisions to their shoots.

Dare To Be Different

Dare to add a personal side your wedding day. Forget about your friend’s wedding or another wedding you’ve attended.  Be creative, use things that mean more to you and your partner an event designer can help you navigate these decisions.  For example, you don’t have to do your makeup any differently because it your wedding. Your fiancé loves you the way you are.  just instead of a traditional guest book, maybe ask your guests to sign a table top with sharpies that you can later seal and preserve. Or maybe practice a fun choreographed first dance, and surprise your guests.

Consider writing your own vows or maybe read a special poem, or favorite bible verses. Have a talented friend sing a special song for you and your fiancé, perhaps the one that was playing the night you or he proposed? Why not walk the aisle to it and surprise your fiancé? Have you ever written a poem or love letter to your fiancé? Read it during the ceremony, or ask your officiant or friend to read it.

Surround Yourself People You Love

Your wedding party should be the people the mean the most to you.  Consider your BFFs, lifelong girlfriends, your sister.  Not people that will critique your decisions, or compete with you for attention with their own drama. You get to choose what style the bridesmaids dresses are, what foods to have and what to wear, eat and drink.\

Create A Timeline

Create a timeline for everyone to follow.  Detail all activities that need to take place on wedding day. Including roles and responsibilities of everyone, addresses of places, who needs to be where and when.

If you don’t then your wedding vendors will make their own agendas and it will get messy.

Say Yes To Others Wanting To Help

You’ll get overwhelmed at times, that’s normal. People that love you will want to help—your future mother in law, your mother, your sister, your best friend, his sister…the list goes on.  Take advantage of that. They want to be part of your big day so let them.

Just Breath!

Go on dates with your fiancé, go for walks, dream together. Just one rule —don’t talk about the wedding prep. You can go back to planning later, but enjoy the moment together. The whole point is to take a break from all the planning.