Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

Hi !
As you think back on your wedding date, there are things that you probably might have done differently, forgot, or wished you didn't put too much attention or emphasis to things that happened. I'd gather the answers (hopefully you all answer and will have tons of tips for us future brides) and I will post them in the BHB section for us, the Future Brides.
TIA!!
And hope that you provide us with things that we should probably think about, or things we should take into consideration when planning etc....
Please Post Away and Thanks.

ETA>>Also, something that you were thankful that you did on your day and something you paid attention to...etc...

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

I would have eaten something early on in the day cause once you start getting ready, theres no time to eat. I was at my hair salon at 7am and I didnt eat til like 8pm!!!

Also, bring comfy shoes. I didnt think my shoes would hurt. My BM had bought me comfy shoes just in case the morning of the wedding and thank goodness she did. I put them on right away at the reception.

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

Make sure u bring a pair of comfy slippers or bridal sneakers , no matter how comfy your shoes are your feet are going to be killing u, you are on them all day and the photographer has u posing all day.
Make time for u,no matter what they are going to still have things to say !!!
Remember it is still your day and to enjoy it!

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

There have been a ton of threads on this in recent months. I'm sure if you do a search, you'll be able to find them.

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

My absolute regrets are not giving our photographer a must have list..I wish i gave him one, and I wouldnt have stressed so bad about every little detail. Its a wedding..its one day..I focused on every little detail and thats crazy...I wish i would have had our videographer or someone video dh getting ready, I am on video dancing aorund my bridal suite with my sisters and my mom, but nothing of Dh getting ready. Thats it, those are my only regrets

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

1. When planning your day, make sure you do not have more than 2 hours b/w the church and CH/Reception. We had too much time and I got really tired

2. Make sure you eat that morning, put someone in charge of getting food for you while you are getting ready. I didnt eat till the CH, and then I got sick (a bug was going around) and wound up not being able to eat my dinner or cake.

3. Make sure you think of the people you want to have pictures taken with, I forgot to get a pic with my Grandmother, my Godfather (who passed away after the wedding), my nephew. It's good to have a list before hand, b/c on that day your brain is in a different world.

4. I'm glad I took the time to look around, and take it all in, it was such a beautiful day, the best of my life!!!

5. If there is something that you want, something that you think, hey, that would be great, but feel its too expensive. Find a way to do it for less money, or work harder to save up the extra cash and get it. You will regret it later. We opted to save money and not get a videographer, I def. regret that!!

6. Try to remember, that while this is the most important day for you, its just that; YOUR day, your FI day, so if others don't seem as excited or anxious as you, its not b/c they dont care, they do, its just not THEIR day.

7. If your guy friends dont send back the response card, its not that they dont care, they are guys, and if they dont have a GF to force them to send it back, they will sit on it and forget all about it. When you go to their house, take it from them!!! hee...

8. Above all, the best advice I recieved, and will now pass on, is this. On your wedding day, that morning, wake up, and think to yourself, 'This is it, this is the day I have been planning for, I'm about to marry my best friend'. All the little things mean nothing, the party after, is just for fun. The most important thing is this, you are getting married, let the happiness come from within and your smile will be radiant!! Take the time to sit back and take it all in.

Sorry if I got all preachy.....I LOVE weddings!!!

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

Keith and I spent some time alone together in the bridal suite right before the cocktail hour. We actually were in there for the first fifteen minutes of it, too. It was not planned. We went back there for a particular purpose - I think out videographer brought us back there for something - and after he left, we noticed that we were alone and there was a bottle of champagne, so we broke it open and spent some quite time together. In retrospect, that time is so important to me, because once we walked into the cocktail hour people were pulling us in opposite directions all night long!!

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

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Posted by MrsSchultz

1. When planning your day, make sure you do not have more than 2 hours b/w the church and CH/Reception. We had too much time and I got really tired

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i disagree with that. the best decision we made was to have our church at 1:30 and our reception at 6. we had plenty of time for pics at the church, another site, and the hall, and still made 100% of our cocktail hour. we were able to really enjoy our reception.

my only other advice is just try not to sweat the small stuff. understand what you can control and what you can't - and just let some things go.

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

Here's my list:

1. The little details do matter. No one will miss things that aren't there but they will notice the nice little touches you do to personalize the wedding.

2. Stay as close to your DH as possible. I cannot tell you how many times we got seperated for 15 & 20 minutes at a time because someone wanted 'to take a minute'. On a regular day, that's not long but on your wedding day at a 5 hour party you spend months pouring your heart and soul into - it's a lot of time.

3. Pictures. Not only should you have a must take list - include the obvious like invite with bouquet, you and DH with grandparents as well as other special pics you want taken - give the copies of the list to a couple of people to help you gather & coralle them for the shots. We had a hard time with some extended family pictures.

4. Take minute or two to look around the room and soak it all in. I happened to do this and I cannot tell you how wonderful it felt to see your friends and family having such a great time. One of my friends noticed me from across the room doing this and told me that I just looked so beautifully happy.

5. This didn't happen to us, but tell people giving speeches to keep it on the short side and not to use profanity (if you are having a video - it will be there forever). I was at one wedding where the best man told some inane story for what felt like an eternity. (This couple compounded the torture by having three other speeches & two prayers). At my cousins wedding his best man called him a pr!ck. Granted he can be, but it doesn't need to be immortalized on his wedding video.

Most of all have FUN! EAT! KISS YOUR NEW HUSBAND!! It's a wonderful day!!

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

I was going to say dont sweat the small stuff too. The limos for they guys were 45 minutes late, the florist didnt put the flowers on the cake......my wedding was still the best day of my life. His Aunt even fell down and hurt herself. We felt bad, but there are things you just cant control. Being hystrical doesnt fix anything and just ruins your make up. Soak it all in and enjoy it! It will go faster thanyou will ever imagine!

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

Spend some time together ALONE in the bridal suite

Take a look at the room with your friends and family.

I agree the details do matter and people do notice, YOU will notice.

Have a MUST HAVE photo list. Get a family member to line get the next group of poeple together for pictures while you are still taking a picture...will save a ton of time for getting poeple lined up and then goin'ooh where is grandma' everyone will just stand there for 10 minutes until gradma gets out of the bathroom.

Take some time while getting ready to thank your bridesmaids...planning your wedding has probably consumed your life for the last year and its all they have heard about from you. Thank them for their love and support and for being there standing next to you on one of the most important days of your life.

Thank your parents. You couldn't have done it without them

Don't sweat the small stuff.

Things will go wrong, take it with a grain of salt.

Remember to re-apply lipstick if you wont remember...put someone in charge of telling you when you need a touchup. I wish I did this.

If you can, walk into your reception room before other people get there. It will help ensure that every single thing you planned and prepared for is where it should be. A few things at our wedding failed to make it out to tables and such.

EAT!

HAVE FUN!

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

1) Don't separate at all from your new husband. We were at each others side the whole night!

2) You will be wearing white heels. Know where you will be taking pictures. It might be fun to get pictures on the grass, but my white heels were digging into the grass and had grass stains on the heels when we were done. If not you wearing heels, your mother, mil, sister, etc... will be.


3) Your dress will get dirty in the back quickly. Make sure your MOH brings two things- a steamer as the dress will crease and also, chalk to chalk out stains from grass and walking around.


4) Allow yourself sick amounts of time. The ride from my house to ceremony place was 45 minutes. I allowed two hours. Somone passed away on the highway that day and a traffic jam like no other- WORST I HAD EVER SEEN- ensured. It was painful. I was late for meeting the Hairdreser. I should have allowed more time.

5) Save your wedding cake and if you are Jewish, saive the glass your husband breaks. We have a cool sculpture now.

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

I wish I would've told people to grab the photographer if they wanted particular photos. My mom keeps saying I wish we would've had a photo of such and such. But truth is, I couldn't be there all the time and I wish some people would've taken a little more initiative. That said, there are a few photos that I had wanted that I missed, so it's a good idea to have a list.

I wasn't at all worried about my dress or shoes getting dirty--I was only going to wear them once. In fact at the end of the night, someone spilled a Guiness down the front of the skirt. I think you just need to PARTY!!! Dance, have fun, get dirty, eat like a pig--it's your day!!!

It's funny, but we remember mostly things that went 'wrong' During the ceremony, DH couldn't understand what the Deacon was saying when he was to repeat the part about the rings. He asked the Deacon to repeat and he did, but he still didn't understand, he thought it would be rude to ask again, so he just said what he thought he heard--'takinware' Which was really supposed to be Take and wear. No one really noticed, but we have some great photos of the ring exchange where DH has this baffled expression on his face!! Also, our unity candle just wouldn't stay lit--it went out completely and then came back. It was so funny and everyone was laughing! These are the things we couldn't have possibly planned for and they're also the things we can't wait to see on the video!

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

Make sure you eat in the morning!! We went to Colisseum Deli the week before and ordered a big basket of sandwiches and salads for the morning. It was the absolute best not worrying about running out for stuff that morning. They delivered and everyone appreciated it. We even took the basket of sandwiches on the bus to church so that the guys could eat after church. It was one of the best investments we made considering DH and I bareley got to eat at our reception!!

Also, have a must have list for the photographer. I was so mad when I saw my proofs. There were so many pictures I wanted wi8th certain people and didn't get. Things were so crazy because of a screw up with our limo that we were a bit rushed with pictures and I didn't get all I wnted.

Definiteley bring comfy shoes. I brought sneakers and slippers to the reception.

Have an emergency sewing kit on hand. My DH stepped on my train so many times that it ripped and we had to sew it back on.

Don't wear too many undergarments under the gown, it makes it so hard to go to the potty. I had to take the whole dress off to go to the bathroom. Thank God I only went once all day.

Have someone incharge of a folder that contains all your contracts. You never know who might give you a problem and having the contract to back you up is helpful.

Take a minute to go into your reception room before everyone else is in it to see how beautiful it all looks.

Take time with your DH to just soak it all in during the reception. Just look around at all the people that are there for you.

Finally, have a great time. Enjoy every minute of it, it is over before you know it. I couldn't believe how fast my day went. I didn't have a watch on, nor did any of my girls, so we never knew what time it was.

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

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Posted by karen32

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Posted by MrsSchultz

1. When planning your day, make sure you do not have more than 2 hours b/w the church and CH/Reception. We had too much time and I got really tired

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i disagree with that. the best decision we made was to have our church at 1:30 and our reception at 6. we had plenty of time for pics at the church, another site, and the hall, and still made 100% of our cocktail hour. we were able to really enjoy our reception.

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You know, I was in a state of mind that b/c I had so much time b/w the church and CH, that THAT was the reason I got sick...too tired, not enough food, but maybe I just had a virus, and no matter what I did, I would have gotten sick anyway, so there really was nothing else I could have done to prevent it. GAH!!!!

I guess then I shall edit my advice and say, make sure the length of the day is something you yourself wants and can handle.

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

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Posted by MrsSchultz



You know, I was in a state of mind that b/c I had so much time b/w the church and CH, that THAT was the reason I got sick...too tired, not enough food, but maybe I just had a virus, and no matter what I did, I would have gotten sick anyway, so there really was nothing else I could have done to prevent it. GAH!!!!

I guess then I shall edit my advice and say, make sure the length of the day is something you yourself wants and can handle.

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you don't have to edit your advice. everyone can have different opinions i know some people think i was CRAZY to have that much time in between and what were my guests supposed to do?? luckily 98% of our guests were local, so it didn't really matter. if you had a wedding that was heavily OOT's, then that much time between stuff probably isn't good.

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

Heh.....yeah, all my guests were local, and those that werent, we shacked em up at the Marriott in Uniondale, and then hired a shuttle service (through our Limo Co.) to take them back and forth, so they could get all drunk and not worry about driving. They wound up getting drunk at the hotel before the CH began...was actually quite funny....

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

the best thing we did was have a car just for the two of us taking us from the church to the reception - we just enjoyed the first moments of our marriage alone! Also, we didn't allow anyone else in the bridal room (the bridal party had their own) - so we had time after the cocktail hour and before the reception to take a breath!

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

This is Great !!!!
So many good advices..Please keep them coming !!! And thanks so much!!!!

Re: Newlyweds..Future Brides Need to Know

i would make sure you try at least a little of food i barely tried anything. try and step back and take everything in it all goes so fast and before you know it its over. make sure although you really trust and respct your vendors that you remember that you are paying them alot of money to perform a service make sure you clear on all the details and that you get exactly what you want. try and get everything written on the contract try not to do anything by verbal contract although some people consider it binding by law people wont remember and you dont need the added stress. if you dont have a day planner ask a friend or person in your family that you can rely on to be in charge of things that are most important to you. of course make sure you give them a thank you gift for all the hard work they did