Our wedding day was nothing but magical. Looking back at pictures, especially as we approach our second anniversary has me all giddy inside. It truly was one of the most special days of our lives. As perfect as it was, there are still a few things that I wish I had known and I wish that I had pre-planned for. I'm sharing ten things I wish that I had pre-planned for on my wedding day, and maybe this post will spark a little inspiration for you as you're planning your magical day.
One // Set out a detailed schedule
One // Set out a detailed schedule
I'm a very schedule oriented person. I schedule out every day to the max, and somehow, I failed to schedule out every little detail of my wedding. Everything in the ceremony was planned down to the minute, but the reception slipped my mind.
During rehearsal the night before, I wish I had gone over how the reception should have gone. There were some details that I failed to mention to my entire family that caused a little confusion. I wanted an announcement made during our first dance to invite our parents out to the dance floor with us, because they have been married for our whole lives and set amazing examples of marriage, (my parents have been married for 40+!), so it was supposed to be a special moment.
Well, because I didn't have an announcement made, it turned into me awkwardly waving my mom to come up, and then other people thought it was a good idea to come up, too...Oh well. At least our photographer got photos before that catastrophe. haha!
Two // Printed out playlists/timing for DJ
We didn't exactly have a DJ, we had family bring sound equipment and then friends and family were bouncing onto the mixer. I was being cheap frugal, and didn't want to hire a DJ, and looking back, I wish I has just coughed up the $1,200 or whatever it would have been to have a rockin' dance floor. It was a weird mix of running to the soundboard, I was making announcements I shouldn't have, and songs repeating since no one was really DJ'ing.
Three // Relaxed More
You can't really plan to be relaxed, but I wish I was. In all honesty, I didn't start to enjoy my wedding until I was three glasses of wine in, and could actually breathe and calm the freak down. Planning your own wedding is no joke. It's one of the most amazing, yet stressful things you will ever do. So tell yourself things are going to go wrong, but ya just have to enjoy the day anyway. After all, it is your day!
Four // Hired a Day of Coordinator
Ladies, just do it. Just hire the dang coordinator. It costs what another $500?! Suck it up and pay up. It's worth it. Literally every. single. one. of my disasters could have been avoided if I had just spent the money on a day of coordinator.
It's literally their job to make sure everything goes smoothly on your wedding day--that way you can freaking relax and enjoy it like you're supposed to.
Five // Had a special place to remember passed family members
I wish that I had two frames sitting in our venue to remember my grandparents (Dad's parents) that passed away when I was really little. It's something I didn't really think of in the moment, but I feel like it would have been a really special thing to do. I had my grandmother's (Mom's Mom) pin attached to my bouquet, and I wish I could have honored my grandparents more. Both sets of my grandparents had/have long & happy marriages, and it's so rare to have grandparents who have been married for more than 65+ years.
Six // Stuck with my gut
You know when you have a gut feeling about something, and you don't stick with it, and you over analyze it until the end of time?! Yeah, that's how I am with a few details of the wedding. I ended up DIYing all of my flowers--bouquets, centerpieces, and my floral arch.
The biggest thing I wish I had stuck with my gut on is how I wanted the arch styled. I had all greenery on it at first, and I wanted to add in roses dispersed throughout it to add some color. As I started adding in the flowers, the more I didn't like it. I wish I had taken them all off and left it with greenery, but everyone said it was perfect the way it was, so I believed them. Granted, it was gorgeous, but it's not what was in my head. My husband thinks I'm crazy (for many reasons haha!) but when I was telling him I was putting this in my post, he was like babe--it was perfect.
In the end, it was still a perfect arch, but it wasn't my vision. So I say all of this to say, trust your gut, and stick with it.
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Seven // Got more getting ready photos
My husband and groomsmen were able to get tons of photos, because they got ready at our venue, and our photographers were already there taking photos for hours. I so wish that I had the photographer send over his second shooter to our old apartment where I was getting ready, because I have literally no getting ready photos.
It's totally not my photographer's fault at all, because I told them that we could just fake shoot some getting ready photos at the venue, but you know me...I was all stressed out, and couldn't focus on anything once I got there except for everything I needed to fix. It's okay though--I have the memories in my head.
To add to this a little further, I wish that I took photos on my phone to document the morning! I have no fun selfies with my girls, husband, family--nothing. I'm always taking photos, but I didn't take any on my own wedding day. I guess Chris and I are going to have to re-live it again and take some selfies. haha--jk...kinda. I'd love any excuse to put my wedding dress on again.
Eight // DIY Flower test-run
If you're having a DIY wedding like I did, make sure you test-run everything. I so wish that I had ordered flowers to do a tester bouquet instead of an on-the-fly bouquet making moment that I had two days before the wedding.
I still love my bouquet, but I think that I would have loved it, even more, had I done a test-run and gotten all the kinks out when designing it.
Nine // Had an engagement shoot with our photographer
It's pretty normal for you to have an engagement shoot with your same wedding photographer, however, since we got married seven weeks after we got engaged, we didn't really have time for that. Our engagement shoot was a spur of the moment shoot with a friend, and he took lovely pictures, however, my whole point to taking an engagement shoot with your wedding photographer is to get comfortable with them! After all, they are photographing your wedding day for heaven's sake.
I think this would have also calmed me down a little and assured me that the photos were going to come out right--hi, I'm Kristen, and I'm slightly controlling...sorry, not sorry. But for real, it could help you calm your nerves, and your photographer can learn your best and preferred angles before your wedding day!
Ten // Made a rainy day plan
They say it's good luck if it rains on your wedding day...I guess we have tons of luck, because it rained and dropped to frigid temperatures at the end of April. It was gorgeous weather leading up to our wedding, and of course, on the morning of our wedding, the clouds came in, and it started to get windy and rainy.
I so wish that we had made a rainy day plan--heck, I didn't even have an umbrella to walk under as I walked from where I was getting ready at to the aisle! I literally held onto my Dad and covered my head as he helped me walk across the driveway--all while trying not to trip, lose my breath, and start balling, because wedding day emotions are real, friends. haha!
My in-laws thought ahead and brought a coffee maker and hot chocolate for peeps since it was freezing and wasn't supposed to be...so at least our friends and family had some yummies to warm up with.
No matter what, if you think it's going to be gorgeous weather or not, make a rainy day plan. Have an umbrella, discuss with your photographer how your photos might change if it rains, and just go with the flow. The rain threw us for a loop, but our wedding was still as perfect as ever.
Always remember, no matter what happens on your wedding day (cause believe me--crazy things will happen), it's still your wedding day, and it will be one of the greatest moments/days of your life!
What is something you wish you had pre-planned for on your wedding day?!
Always remember, no matter what happens on your wedding day (cause believe me--crazy things will happen), it's still your wedding day, and it will be one of the greatest moments/days of your life!
What is something you wish you had pre-planned for on your wedding day?!
