In this experience, it is easy to get yourself worked up over small details or stressing about things that in the grand scheme of life don’t matter. That’s why I thought it would be important to share an experience, not from a wedding planner’s perspective, but from a real bride. A real bride that shares her wedding advice and what left a lasting impression from her wedding planning experience.

In the wedding planning process, the whole experience is very “noisy”. What I mean by that is you are constantly bombarded with information, tips, tricks, guides, downloads, etc. The list goes on. At the root of it all, though, is your goal for creating a day you will remember with your spouse for the rest of your lives. As you start planning your wedding, it is important to think of the destination – not just the wedding day – but the lifetime of marriage ahead of you.

As an engaged couple navigating this process, it is important to hear the truth about wedding planning. Rachel does not only happen to be a real bride but she is actually my assistant! If you decide to work with me, you will also have the opportunity to work closely with Rachel. A benefit of Rachel sharing her story with you is that I was not her wedding planner – that means her response is completely unbiased and truly focused on her experience as a bride on her wedding day.

Advice from Real Bride, Rachel

Photographer: Zelo Photography

“When it comes to planning your wedding, it’s easy to get caught up in the details. You’ve always dreamed of this, the wedding industry is telling you that, and wedding trends are changing by the minute. As a real bride, I am here to tell you a few things I learned throughout the process, and ultimately on the wedding day, that can provide some comfort and bring back some enjoyment to this exciting process (because we all can lose that if we aren’t careful). 

Your wedding day will “fly by”

“It’s all a blur”…I’m sure you have already heard this once or twice, and it’s true. Your wedding day flies by and suddenly all those details you stressed about, and the planning that went into it is gone. The colors, design, table assignments, place settings…it’s a lot. With that fact, it begs the question, was it all worth it? Of course, it was, but what I chose to stress over and the ultimate outcome of the day, I realized those didn’t stand out in my memory of our wedding.

Here’s what stood out to me…

Once you cover the big-ticket items of wedding planning (booking your planner, venue, etc.), the little details start to come into play. What kind of favor will we have? How do we want the tables (place cards, glassware, napkin folds)? What’s the lighting going to be? What are we going to do for our grand entrance? Don’t get me wrong, these are all important details, but worth losing sleep over? I can honestly say that when our wedding day came, these details weren’t a memory. Not because they weren’t to our liking or that we didn’t care, but suddenly, the little details we stressed over for so long were replaced with the faces of loved ones, all there to celebrate us. That truly filled my heart with more joy than any fancy napkin fold. So the moral of this point is, don’t sweat the small stuff…your planner will know how to make it look great, and chances are, only you will know if something wasn’t quite right, not your guests. 

Make your wedding day personalized to you!

Make it uniquely YOU. There’s a lot of tradition when it comes to weddings and expectations about what should or shouldn’t happen. While I’m a traditional gal myself, I feel there’s something special about incorporating the unique elements that make up your relationship. My husband and I had a few of these that were a “must”, but we tried to pick them wisely. For example, we love craft beer, so we found a way to get some of our favorite local brews for our guests to enjoy. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth all the effort. Highlighting the things that you enjoy as a couple is some of the best details that you can plug in anywhere, to fit any theme. These are the details that you will remember, and will be even more special when you look back on your wedding years later. 

Take a quiet moment to yourself

Ferris Bueller said it best – “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. This brings me to my final point and the most memorable moment of our wedding day. Take at least 10 minutes away with your new spouse. No questions, just do it, because odds are, everyone will be vying for your attention the rest of the day. After the ceremony, after our grand entrance, after everyone had been seated, my husband and I found a little place for ourselves and we sat. We observed we laughed, and we cried happy tears. This moment is something I will never forget because it was time for us, as husband and wife, to decompress and watch our guests celebrate the day that we had been waiting our whole lives for. If you take anything away from this, let this be the suggestion you take. You won’t regret it. 

As you continue down the road of planning, I hope this can provide some perspective when the details seem overwhelming or the stress of the day becomes too big to handle. Being an annoyingly overly detailed person myself, I understand what the weight of those little details can be. Just know that the day will be special, no matter what. Keep your eyes on the prize…you’re marrying your best friend and get to celebrate with some of your favorite people. Enjoy it and congratulations! 

– Rachel

Photographer: Zelo Photography

Venue: Carmel Mountain Ranch Estates