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Real Talk: We Asked, You Answered! Wedding Advice From Past Brides
Author: Jamie Quinn
- By Jamie Quinn
We’re lucky enough to have a wonderful following of past, current and future brides on our social media platforms. Recently, we asked our followers for their top tips when it comes to planning a wedding; here are some of the responses!
Don’t skimp on your photographer!
This tip was submitted by more than one person with varying degrees of urgency.
One bride in particular shared her personal horror story. “This is always my biggest piece of advice to engaged friends due to the horrible experience we had with our photographer. We chose to go “affordable” but paid for it later when we received our photos (8 months later, by the way!). Photos were out of focus; they didn’t capture the moments we specifically asked for, and they spoke to our guests rudely. Their online portfolio was not at all representative of their true work. Absolutely devastating because we’ll never get that day back.”
When researching your options, take your time and meet with more than one photographer in person to find out who you connect with. It’s not just about an aesthetic online portfolio; meeting your photographer in person is a great way to get a feel for their professionalism and personality, which is more important than you might think.
While a high cost doesn’t always guarantee perfect photos, it can be a good indicator of the photographer’s experience. Always check reviews and do your research before signing a vendor contract.
Shredding for the wedding is cancelled
We couldn’t agree more! There is a lot of pressure on brides to look a certain way for their wedding but remember; your fiancé loves you just as you are. They are marrying you for who you are, as you are, not for who you “could” be.
“Social media has been horrific for this. Every other girl from high school is engaged and “shredding for the wedding”. My fiancé proposed to me looking as I am, he certainly wants to marry me as I am too.”
Drastic diets leading up to your wedding can be mentally and physically dangerous and lead to bigger problems down the line. Buy a dress that you feel fantastic and confident in!
No bridal party? No problem.
The micro bridal party, or no bridal at all, is trending, with brides agreeing that it removed a significant amount of stress from their planning. While being in the bridal party is an honour, it puts financial and emotional pressure on the bridesmaid/groomsman and the bride and groom.
“After being maid of honour for my sister and watching her fall out with another bridesmaid, I decided I didn’t need the stress. Organising a bridal party is a lot of work! Trying to get 6+ adults, all at different life stages, to align their schedules, priorities, and finances is a nightmare. We chose to acknowledge and thank our favourite in other ways, but ultimately, it saved us all money and stress!”
Your wedding = Your guest list
If there’s one thing I could talk about all day, it’s about taking charge of your guest list. The guest list is a topic that is universally stress-inducing, with most brides having a nightmare story of their own to share.
“My top tip is, do not discuss your guest list with ANYONE. Even if you think they’re super supportive, just don’t do it. Keep it a secret and dodge every question. My now MIL ripped me to shreds over our guest list not being what she wanted. And ironically, the topic only came up because she was telling us how her MIL ruined her wedding!”
Check out our blog post, Navigating Guest List Politics, for more on this topic.
Prioritise food and guest comfort
There is nothing worse than bored and hungry guests. Attending a wedding generally demands a sacrifice of some sort for guests. Whether it’s travel, accommodation, or simply finding a babysitter, the least we can do to thank guests is to make sure they’re comfortable and enjoying themselves.
The easiest way to do that is to make sure there is plenty of good food, good music, and good drinks!
“My family and I attended this wedding where the couple insisted on having the ceremony outside even though it had been raining all week. They didn’t provide umbrellas for anyone so everyone was freezing cold and soaking wet. Then there wasn’t enough food for everyone. It was miserable. For my own wedding, I ordered so much food that people could take a doggy bag home; I received messages the next day saying it made for the best midnight car ride home snack. Such a relief!”
If you’d like to take part in our next question series, follow us on Instagram @myweddingmag
Photo: Kate Alexandra Photo
www.katealexandraphoto.com
We’re lucky enough to have a wonderful following of past, current and future brides on our social media platforms. Recently, we asked our followers for their top tips when it comes to planning a wedding; here are some of the responses!
Don’t skimp on your photographer!
This tip was submitted by more than one person with varying degrees of urgency.
One bride in particular shared her personal horror story. “This is always my biggest piece of advice to engaged friends due to the horrible experience we had with our photographer. We chose to go “affordable” but paid for it later when we received our photos (8 months later, by the way!). Photos were out of focus; they didn’t capture the moments we specifically asked for, and they spoke to our guests rudely. Their online portfolio was not at all representative of their true work. Absolutely devastating because we’ll never get that day back.”
When researching your options, take your time and meet with more than one photographer in person to find out who you connect with. It’s not just about an aesthetic online portfolio; meeting your photographer in person is a great way to get a feel for their professionalism and personality, which is more important than you might think.
While a high cost doesn’t always guarantee perfect photos, it can be a good indicator of the photographer’s experience. Always check reviews and do your research before signing a vendor contract.
Shredding for the wedding is cancelled
We couldn’t agree more! There is a lot of pressure on brides to look a certain way for their wedding but remember; your fiancé loves you just as you are. They are marrying you for who you are, as you are, not for who you “could” be.
“Social media has been horrific for this. Every other girl from high school is engaged and “shredding for the wedding”. My fiancé proposed to me looking as I am, he certainly wants to marry me as I am too.”
Drastic diets leading up to your wedding can be mentally and physically dangerous and lead to bigger problems down the line. Buy a dress that you feel fantastic and confident in!
No bridal party? No problem.
The micro bridal party, or no bridal at all, is trending, with brides agreeing that it removed a significant amount of stress from their planning. While being in the bridal party is an honour, it puts financial and emotional pressure on the bridesmaid/groomsman and the bride and groom.
“After being maid of honour for my sister and watching her fall out with another bridesmaid, I decided I didn’t need the stress. Organising a bridal party is a lot of work! Trying to get 6+ adults, all at different life stages, to align their schedules, priorities, and finances is a nightmare. We chose to acknowledge and thank our favourite in other ways, but ultimately, it saved us all money and stress!”
Your wedding = Your guest list
If there’s one thing I could talk about all day, it’s about taking charge of your guest list. The guest list is a topic that is universally stress-inducing, with most brides having a nightmare story of their own to share.
“My top tip is, do not discuss your guest list with ANYONE. Even if you think they’re super supportive, just don’t do it. Keep it a secret and dodge every question. My now MIL ripped me to shreds over our guest list not being what she wanted. And ironically, the topic only came up because she was telling us how her MIL ruined her wedding!”
Check out our blog post, Navigating Guest List Politics, for more on this topic.
Prioritise food and guest comfort
There is nothing worse than bored and hungry guests. Attending a wedding generally demands a sacrifice of some sort for guests. Whether it’s travel, accommodation, or simply finding a babysitter, the least we can do to thank guests is to make sure they’re comfortable and enjoying themselves.
The easiest way to do that is to make sure there is plenty of good food, good music, and good drinks!
“My family and I attended this wedding where the couple insisted on having the ceremony outside even though it had been raining all week. They didn’t provide umbrellas for anyone so everyone was freezing cold and soaking wet. Then there wasn’t enough food for everyone. It was miserable. For my own wedding, I ordered so much food that people could take a doggy bag home; I received messages the next day saying it made for the best midnight car ride home snack. Such a relief!”
If you’d like to take part in our next question series, follow us on Instagram @myweddingmag
Photo: Kate Alexandra Photo
www.katealexandraphoto.com