Identify What you and your partner value
Before you hop on Pinterest, before you talk to vendors, and even before you talk to your family, I highly suggest sitting down with your partner and identifying defining aspects of your big day. Those defining aspects could include: what style represents you and your partner, how you want to look, how you want to feel, and what you want your guests to feel. Something I wish I had done with my wedding, is not only identifying those key aspects but also writing them down to refer back to. When you invest the time to identify what you truly want, it’ll be much easier to obtain your dream wedding as opinions and beautiful Pinterest Pins are being thrown your way. We now live in a world where we have digital access to any style, any idea, and any opinion. Just because you think something is pretty, doesn’t necessarily mean it is meant for you. This was something I had to learn the hard way post-wedding. Make a clear decision on what represents you and your partner, and stick to your guns going forward. Below I have a list of questions for you to answer that you can apply to every aspect of your wedding planning.
When making a decision follow these questions:
– How do we connect?
– What represents us?
– What makes us feel alive?
– What do we want to remember most?
Plan Events Around Your Social Battery
Only you and your partner know what your social limit is. Are you a social butterfly? Maybe an intimate wedding would make you miss some guests you wished you invited. Are you typically introverted and maybe a homebody? Then likely, throwing a wedding with 100+ guests will make you feel more anxious than on top of the world. Know what you are comfortable with, and the people that love and respect your decisions will back you up on them.
Planning your wedding events around your social battery can change your entire wedding experience. This will allow you to design your wedding and be unique. Weddings no longer have to have the traditional itinerary or activities. This is where you get to be unique and customize your entire experience. If you and your partner aren’t huge on dancing, maybe host a reception activity instead of paying for a dance floor. Maybe you’d prefer to have the entire ceremony be private with you and your partner and then have a huge party after. Have fun, and don’t overextend yourself. Weddings do not have to feel like family reunions. They are a testimony to you and your partner’s love.
Schedule Moments With Your Partner
This is the biggest advice I can give to anyone planning a wedding. This is something I did not do for my wedding and I deeply, deeply regret it.
Schedule connection points with your partner throughout your wedding.
You will likely be immersed in the wedding planning world of Pinterest Pins, unlimited Facebook Ads, wedding conventions, magazines, choosing color schemes, dresses, suits, and on and on. The one thing we all can forget to do is schedule time with our partners. Think about it, when you get ready for your wedding, the ceremony, and then the reception there’s always a large group of people around you. It goes by so fast, and a lot of it is hardly ever private with the person you care about most. You as a couple are the entire reason why people are there, so why not take a private moment together to breathe.
Taking the time together can look like, getting ready together, a first look that’s more than just taking photos with your photographer, a private dinner during the reception, a private cocktail hour, or a private last dance at the end of the night. Be intentional with your time together. You’ve invested so much money and time into this day, don’t forget the biggest reason why you’re doing it all; the love of your life.
