Recovering from Wedding Fever
Never ever let go...
Was the theme of our magical day. And I wish that my wedding day didn't slip through my fingers so quickly.
I learned a lot through my wedding planning experience, and I thought it would be best suited to explain it here on my blog. There are a lot of questions that I wish others answered for me, as I spent hours scouring the internet, trying my best to prepare for the craziness that is wedding planning. If you can think of any other questions that you want to be answered about my wedding experience or anything in regard to our relationship, leave it in the comments!
Now let’s get on with the show…
What was the scariest or most intimidating part of planning a wedding?
Honestly, the most intimidating part of planning a wedding was being a part of it all, and also not being a part of it. Let me explain that really quick - there were aspects of the wedding where the decision would rest on my shoulders solely, such as the playlist. But when it came to the wedding day, I had no control over the music.
I had to call my brothers over, or my maid-of-honor, to make sure that the wedding playlist was playing in the correct queue. And that in itself was frustrating because even though other people were watching over the playlist, there was music being played off of the playlist. Lesson learned - make sure that no one touches the playlist.
What part of your wedding journey made you fall in love with your partner most?
Garrett did not help out much with the wedding planning. But there are a couple of moments that made me fall in love with him more. When he was trying on his suit, my heart eyes were in full effect. It was so amazing to see my wedding vision come to life, as I always wanted Garrett to wear a gray suit at our wedding.
Another moment that made me fall in love with Garrett was when we were writing our vows. We were very un-traditional in the vow writing process. He wrote his vows as I was getting my nails done at the salon, and I wrote mine in the Chick-fil-a drive-thru. Romantic right?
Even though we wrote our vows on our wedding day, they were still very sentimental. Who even made the rule that vows had to be written months before the wedding? When you write your vows, it does not matter how long they are or what is said. All that matters is that the vows resonate between you and your loved one.
If you could choose one thing to change, what would you have done differently?
If I could change one thing about my wedding, it would be to have a different venue. Although we invited 130 people to the wedding, only about 80 or so actually showed up. Our venue was too big for the amount of people that attended, so we had to make up new ways to fill up the empty space in the room.
Our venue was placed in a hall around 20,000 square feet. If you know anything about measurements, that is a HUGE space. We ended up breaking the room up by rod and drape, making a partitioning effect between the different areas. Also, re-assess the budget every other month, to make sure that everyone is on track.
I should have spent more time shopping around the different venue options in our area, but I was so hard-headed that I didn’t budge from my original decision. A hotel may have been more cost-effective, but I’m still happy with how the wedding turned out.
What is one thing your wedding taught you?
The expenses pile up QUICK. It is so important to keep track of your expenses. Whether it is by spreadsheets, pictures, or written statements, the more organization, the better. I really wish that I was better with tracking expenses, as I kept getting confused with what was already spent & what was left in the budget.
The budget is another part of this expense lesson that I learn. Having a concrete budget vs. a flexible budget can really make a difference. Make sure you decide with those responsible for finances what the budget will look like.
Can you mention some tips to give someone that is planning a wedding?
#1: Make sure that you have a videographer.
Sure, photos say a thousand words. But videos are everlasting memories. There may be people that attend your wedding which you may never see again. And having their voice on the video, wishing you a happy marriage, can say a lot more than a still moment in time. Please learn from my mistake, and make sure that you either have a designated videographer, or a committed family member to go around your wedding and capture every moment.
#2: Remember that this wedding is about YOU, not the people that are invited.
I got really caught up in who was actually attending the wedding, and I ended up losing sight of what the wedding was all about - our marriage. All of these people are at your wedding for one reason or another. But you shouldn’t dwell on those small details during your big day. After all, you should be focused on the happy life you are about to begin.
#3: Plan at least 2 activities for your wedding guests during the reception.
If there are children attending your wedding, make sure that they are pre-occupied with an activity. But let’s not forget about the adults! Other than drinking and dancing, the reception can get pretty boring. Try to spice things up by having a photo booth (like I did) or some other activity to get the guests mingling with one another. I say to plan at least 2 activities because lines can form and people can get cranky. So get creative! Your guests will talk about it for years to come.
#4: If other people ask for help, take that opportunity.
I didn’t have a wedding planner to help with all the different wedding tasks. It was all on my shoulders, and boy was I stressed! If the tasks become overwhelming for you, write down all of the things needed to be done, and try to designate the smaller tasks to those that ask if you need help. Trust me, you will be happy that it’s off your plate. But also make sure that you trust the person given the assigned task. They should have your best intentions in mind.
#5: Contracts are not just a want, they are a NEED.
Have a food vendor? Write a contract. Experiencing some difficulties with a specific person? Write a contract. Catch my drift here? Having contracts written up and on file can help you down the road, especially if someone is trying to find loopholes and get out of payment or something. It’s better to have a contract and not need it than to not have a contract and need it.
I hope this wedding post has helped someone out there! Share this post to those that need to read it, or just want to get more insight on the wedding process ahead.
And as always, make sure to tune in on my social media for all things Inspired by Diane.
Special thanks to Kofi Sackey for being our wedding photographer! You can find him on Instagram.
