The Official 2007 'Already Married Brides' Advice Thread
Original post by melbalalala
I remember printing out a bunch of threads a year or so ago with advice from past brides on do's and don'ts for planning and the wedding day and reading it on the subway ride home. It was soo extremely helpful at the time.
I figured maybe us old, married 2007 farts could continue the tradition to help the '07 and '08, etc. gals.
-GET VIDEO I am the cheapest bride alive and Im sooo glad I splurged on video. The night is such a blurr I am so looking forward to popping that DVD into the player and re-living the night. Its something you could wind up regretting for the rest of your life.
-Never leave DH's side during the reception. So many weddings we've been to, the bride and groom get pulled apart. We wouldn't let that happen.
-See each other beforehand. and get your photos done with. I know, I know 'tradition' 'the moment'. Blah, DH said he was a bundle of nerves until he saw me, and I felt the same way. I couldnt imagine not being able to have a few moments together beforehand. Walking down the aisle was still AMAZINGLY special. And, since we were able to mingle during CH, we were able to dance the night away during the reception because we got our hellos done with!
-Have faith in your vendors. They have done this a million times and you have not. I didn't really bother my vendors at all in the weeks before my wedding and didnt feel the need to. They were all exactly where they should be doing exactly what they should be doing.
-Ask your bridal salon the best 'action plan' to go to the bathroom. My dress was two pieces so they instructed me to step out of the bottom part. You dont want to pee on your dress!
-Similarly, make sure someone gets a bustle-ing lesson. Every second counts and you dont want people struggling with this while your party goes on.
-If you give your DJ a 'must play' list highlight, bold, etc. songs that absolutely MUST be played. A few on mine were skipped and one was a song I wanted to play for FMIL and I didnt realize it until the night was over.
As I think of more, I will add them. I urge other '07 already-married brides to add to this post
melbalalala
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Re: The Official 2007 'Already Married Brides' Advice Thread
Bumping to see if anyone has any last minute advice to add
Cpt2007
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Re: The Official 2007 'Already Married Brides' Advice Thread
I agree with so much that has already been posted, but do want to add a few things:
1) Invite the people that mean the most to you, regardless of what others will think. We did this, and unfortunately, some of our other guests dropped out b/c they didn't feel that we should have invited certain people. But it was our wedding and it was the best decision in the end. We had those that we cared the most for and cared the most about us there with us to celebrate.
2) Don't be afraid to have kids at your wedding!! We had about a dozen at ours between the ages of 14 months and 9 y/o. They added a vibrancy to our reception that was irreplaceable and we will never regret having them there.
3) Just b/c all the other brides on your board are making or getting things (i.e., bathroom baskets, crazy OOT guest bags, etc) doesn't mean you HAVE to too! If you are going to do DIYs, start them early, and if you get to be down to the week before your wedding and you haven't finished (or started) something, don't be afraid to let it go.
4) Keep ALL of your receipts. You may have completely unused items after the wedding and you can return them and get some of your money back.
5) Don' t be afraid to ask your friends and family for help! The girls in my office volunteered to help assemble my menus after I printed everything out and in an hour at lunch time one day, we had finished all 120 of them! I never could have finished them on time without their help.
6) If you feel a gut instinct to go with or not go with a vendor, stick with that. If you trust your instinct, it won't steer you wrong.
7) Make sure that you instruct your Best Man or whomever is tasked with holding onto the tip money the night of that they MUST get the tips to everyone on the envelopes. Ours missed our limo driver and we've never been able to get the money to him. It's the only regret we have from the entire wedding.
8) Set up a free Snapfish or Kodak Gallery group room so that your guests can upload and share their own photos on. These will be the fastest shots you get back from your wedding (your proofs may take weeks to get back and you want to see pictures NOW). These are candids that your guests take from their view of your day, and each one will be unique and special.
9) Make sure you have time to just sit back with your DH during the reception and take a look around the room and take it all in. You are not only celebrating your marriage, you are celebrating all of the hard work you have put in over the past years and months to make that day happen and come off perfectly.
GL to all future LIW Brides!
melbalalala
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Re: The Official 2007 'Already Married Brides' Advice Thread
Posted by Cpt2007
I agree with so much that has already been posted, but do want to add a few things: 8) Set up a free Snapfish or Kodak Gallery group room so that your guests can upload and share their own photos on. These will be the fastest shots you get back from your wedding (your proofs may take weeks to get back and you want to see pictures NOW). These are candids that your guests take from their view of your day, and each one will be unique and special.
GL to all future LIW Brides!
I looveee this idea... wish I had done it!
melbalalala
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Re: The Official 2007 'Already Married Brides' Advice Thread
One last bump... anyone with some advice?
songwriterchic
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Re: The Official 2007 'Already Married Brides' Advice Thread
1) Enjoy planning your wedding...I was mostly stressed out the whole time that I didn't enjoy it. I now know everything turned out OK but I spent a year and half worried about it, I wish I had enjoyed the planning more.
2) Make a budget beforehand, we didn't and I think we went overboard on some things.
3) If you have a guest book make sure you put it in a place where people will see it and sign it, like by the card box so people can sign it as they drop off their gift. Ours was in the lobby and very few stopped to sign it once they got their place card. Have the DJ make an announcement to remind everyone to sign it. Or, don't do a guest book, you can do a picture frame mat that guests can sign. We were just at a wedding that had that next to their card box and a lot of people signed it.
4) I made a 'Do Not Forget List' to have with me on my wedding day, so I would not forget stuff to take back after the ceremony and reception (extra favors, guest book, unity candle, etc). I also had on it the phone numbers of all my vendors, and I had my cell phone in my purse, but turned off, just in case I needed it.
5) Figure out who's in charge of bringing stuff from the church to the reception hall or from the RH home for you, especially since you'll probably go straight to a hotel afterwards.
6) Don't forget a bag of clothes for the next day if you're going straight to a hotel after your wedding. I had my IL's keep our bags in their car, then they gave it to us at the end of the wedding.
7) Don't agonize over your DJ play list. While it's important to pick some music you like, or have a do not play list, the night goes by so fast you'll never notice if they don't play everything on it.
8) Have extra makeup with you (at least extra powder, blush and lipstick) to touch up throughout the night.
9) Do your bustle before your first dance after you've taken pictures. That's what I did, thank goodness because I didn't want to be tripping over my train or having to carry it while dancing.
10) Get up and dance as much as you can. You're paying enough as it is for a DJ or band, so get your money's worth! I'm a bad dancer and DH hates to dance but I got him up there as much as we could. It's also the best way to interact with your guests, since it's impossible to spend a lot of time with each and every one.
11) For your photography package, when in doubt take the more expensive package. We ended up getting more pics added to our album and getting the CD that wasn't included in our original package...we may as well have just upgraded. Once you see your proofs you'll want more, trust me.
12) Get your hair & makeup done professionally - you'll be too busy and stressed to do it yourself that day.
13) I agree with everyone else about getting a video. It captures stuff that may be missing from the pictures. And it's cool to relive it whenever you want!
