Real Wedding Advice
When you're newly engaged, everyone has an opinion and wants to, let’s say - help!
Your mum has ideas.
Your best friend who’s never been married, in fact, she’s been in one, short lived relationship, has recommendations.
Social media is full of trends on m models that look nothing like real humans.
And then there’s, Pinterest which convinces you that you need all the little bits and bobs which in all honesty you just don’t!
The truth?
The best wedding advice is about creating a day that genuinely feels like you and is a day that you know you’ll have fun at!
After helping hundreds of couples plan their weddings, these are the pieces of advice that you need to know…
Your wedding can be whatever you want it to be.
This might sound obvious, but it's amazing how quickly couples start planning the wedding they think they should have instead of the one they actually want.
Want an intimate ceremony with just the two of you? Go for it!
Dreaming of a huge celebration with everyone you've ever known? Amazing!
Planning on marrying at the local registry office then having a village hall wedding? Yes!
Fancy a food truck instead of a three-course meal? Walking down the aisle to your favourite movie soundtrack? Having your dog as ring bearer?
In the famous Nike words, JUST DO IT!
Remember what the day is really about.
As planning progresses, it's easy to become consumed by tiny details.
Chair covers.
Napkin folds.
Table plans.
Favours.
Stationary.
Before you know it, you're stressing over things your guests probably won't even notice. (yes, sorry I said it! No-one has ever missed a plastic wedding favor! Whenever you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself these question’s:
"Does this really matter and is it really needed?"
Usually, the answer is no.
You don't have to please everybody.
This is probably one of the hardest things for couples to keep in mind.
Families naturally have opinions because they love you. People may tell you what they did at their wedding or what they think you should do. of course, listen respectfully—but remember that you are the ones getting married.
Not every decision needs to make everybody else happy, it simply needs to feel right for the two of you.
Decide what matters most.
Every couple has different priorities.
Some dream of incredible food.
Others care most about photography.
Others simply want all of their favourite people in one room. There's no right or wrong answer.
One of the first exercises I encourage couples to do is to separately write down their top three priorities before comparing lists.
Once you know what's most important, every other decision becomes much easier and you each then have tasks and priorities to work on.
Book your dream suppliers early.
The suppliers who are brilliant at what they do and are genuinely passionate about what they do often get booked well in advance.
If you've found and connected with a supplier you love just get them booked before someone else does!
Give yourselves time.
Wedding planning doesn't have to happen overnight and it won't, everything takes time.
Start with the big decisions:
Your budget
Approximate guest numbers
Time of year
Your venue
From Yes 2 I Do helps you answer all of those questions!
Organisation really is your best friend.
I know spreadsheets aren’t particularly romantic. but you need one! It will save you countless hours, I promise!
Keep all your quotes, budgets, payment dates, supplier contacts and guest information together in one place.
Future you will be incredibly grateful.
Better still, use a dedicated planning system that keeps everything organised from the very beginning (it's exactly why I created From Yes 2 I Do).
Finally...
If there's one piece of advice I'd love every engaged couple to remember, it's this:
Don't spend months or years planning a wedding only to rush through it worrying about whether everything is perfect.
Be present in the moment, hold hands., take it all in, laugh, cry, dance and enjoy every planning meeting and appointment. .
Because years from now, you probably won't remember what colour your napkins were.
But you'll always remember how you felt during this precious time.
Need a little extra support with your wedding planning?
From Yes 2 I Do was created to make wedding planning feel exciting instead of overwhelming. Take a look, its worth every penny and more!