**Wise Words from the Brides of 2009**

Above all, have fun. No matter what your theme -super formal or pretty casual - don't forget to stop and smile and be a guest at your own wedding!

Eat! You will be disappointed if you don't! Most girls book based on the overall look and the food so don't miss it!

Don't drink a lot! You won't be nervous after your vows! It will be the one and only time where you want to really party and dance and you won't need a few cocktails to loosen yourself up!

If you're debating having kids or not, do it. They are so much fun! I got some amazing kid shots!




Best of luck 2010 brides! It's almost your year...enjoy every second and we'll be watching!

Here are a few things I wish I had done:
- make sure you tell your photographer what photos you want taken, even if they are photos he takes all the time, don't take for granted that he will take them
- if you want photos with friends remind those friends to make sure they get a photo with you, its to crazy to think about it yourself and your photographer doesn't know who those people are, make it your friends/families responsibility
- assign someone the role of checking your makeup throughout the night, make sure its someone who is not going to get to drunk to remember
- check every single name of the flowers on your contract and make sure they are the right flowers... don't assume that the florist wrote down the correct names of flowers or you might regret it when they show up the morning of

Some things I am glad I did:
- eat the food, you spent the money on it, you picked it, even if it means walking away from someone make sure you at least sit down and eat for a few minutes, its also time you have together
- alternate water and booze
- have a change of shoes and keep them under your sweetheart table. It made it so much easier for me that I had my flip flops easily accessible and then could quickly change back for important moments.
- don't cheap out on the limo because a good limo driver can make your life SO much easier. We had an issue with timing and another wedding being there before ours, our limo driver was smart enough to get in touch with Lands End and work out a plan so we were not sitting around in the limo
- I know its a pain but do table assignments. I went to a wedding this year that didn't have them and it was a disaster, people are uncomfortable and it adds pressure to your guests to find where to sit. As a result people didn't dance, many guests left early and there were a lot of people moving chairs around.
- Walk around and see your older guests, but otherwise see your guests during a receiving line and the cocktail hour and let them come to you on the dance floor. (A trick, I also found that if I stayed on the dance floor at the end of the night less people left. The minute I stopped dancing I would get bombarded with people saying goodbye and a wave of people would exit. I watched people who would try to say goodbye to me and end up back on the dance floor having fun.)

Most important - have fun, take time and enjoy the day. It goes to fast.

I enjoyed every second of my wedding planning and I am so sad for it to be over. I love love love searching for hours on the internet on wedding boards, photog blogs, registries etc. You will never get to do this again in your life so please please enjoy all of it like the way I did, I will always have such great memories of planning.

SOME ADVICE:
do not let anyone tell you what is tacky, what is right etc. Every piece of advice my parents gave me was terrible! Its not their fault they have been out of the loop for ages and have no idea what's awesome lol I ignored them bc I have been throwing awesome parties for years :) They told me a photo booth was silly and a waste of money , HA HA , IT WAS THE BEST IDEA EVER 1000 FOR 5 HOURS WAS THE BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT, instead of favors! <--- strangers I never met at the wedding were hugging me saying how awesome the photo booth was , GET ONE!!! people who don't dance are entertained and the memories are hilarious , you get all the pics on a cd and they are priceless!

my parents tried to tell me where to sit people , they were sooo wrong , I know who meshes well I watch people at parties who they hang out with. do not sit people with strangers. make your family sit with their friends, not a brother in law they hate!!!!!! Remember ITS SIMPLE TO THROW A GREAT PARTY = GOOD FOOD, GOOd MUSIC AND SITTING PEOPLE THAT LIKE EACH OTHER TOGETHER. ignore people when they say ' tables don't matter you only are going to sit for a second '<--- not true!! it f 's up the mo jo if you put people in uncomfortable situations. do not sit your bridal party away from their date, they are someone's date for a reason in no way does it help you to have your bridal party be separated from their dates, your pics will not suffer , but I promise you your fun factor will!!!!


My parents told me not to go with a photojournalist photographer ha ha once again wrong!!! my pics are AMAZING , I have strangers at work that have seen my pics and CRY! I asked for portraits and I got them as well , all photogs can do both. just know what you want. take your time picking a photographer its so important! www.yangphoto.com dana and William 09 bride if you want to check out http://www.yangphoto.com/2009/12/douglaston-manor-wedding-dana-and-william/

If you are getting married at hall and do not have time between reception and ceremony do pics before hand so you can enjoy your wedding!! it was the best move I made, it does not take away from walking down the aisle, I promise you that. I was able to eat every course and enjoy my wedding from start to finish.

Weather woes: It rained on my day and it su&jed!! <--- yes I had the time of my life but prepare yourself mentally and physically (get pretty umbrellas etc) , I did not prepare bc I was so focused on ignoring weather bc that's what everyone told me to do.. I wish I had a cool umbrella or boots to take funny pics or a hair backup plan, my hair was so flat by the end of the night bc of my galloping in the rain hahha

Hire a good DOC if you can afford if not make someone not in your wedding party in charge of minor details, handing out programs, laying down the runner those are the 2 things that did not happen on my day. no big deal but would have been nice for my details to be carried out.

READ READ READ your contracts, I told my florist I wanted all stems exposed in the bouquets , I said it about 10 times when I signed the contract I missed the line when she made a mistake and it read wrapped bouquets for bms , when I saw them day of I FREAKED I was sooo mad (for 5 seconds) but it was all my fault so no one to blame but myself.

Email your vendors and get to know them, send them pictures of your exact dream or ideas , the more they know , themore they want to do right by you //// let them know you area liw bride and expect the best ! :)

PUT makeup in the bathroom that you will use so you can freshen up after all that dancing sweating/crying tears of joy.


MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE have fun planning your wedding wether it be with your girls , your fiance , mom dad etc surround yourself with people that like to play wedding, if you force your mom, fh etc it will SUC& and you will be stressed. ENJOY IT ALL IT GOES BY IN A FLASH!!!! please fm me for anything 10 girls i love planning so much and threw a kick a$$ party