Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

You've heard me say this before, but it's such an important point that I have to highlight it yet again. Throughout the planning process you are going to have to make a lot decisions. From your wedding date, to your venue, your dress and everything in between. Unless you're a professional planner or have been in many weddings before, the process will be a totally new, unlike-anything-you've-ever-done-before experience. So there is a pretty big learning curve. I can't believe the kind of stuff I'm now practically a pro about that I didn't even know existed a few months ago. (It's actually kind of ridiculous, what the hell am I gonna do with this knowledge once I get married?? lol) As you near the tail end of your planning like I am, (6 weeks to go eek!!) it's hard not to look back and think of things you should have, could have or would have done differently. But alas, the past is the past and what's done is done. I had several moments when I wished I'd made a different decision, and if you asked me several months ago what I thought my wedding would look like, I'm sure the picture I painted would be very different than the reality. But in moments of regret, I simply swallowed my pride and realized that there was NO WAY to predict certain things that came up. How was I to know I'd find a cheaper vendor a few weeks after signing a contract and paying a hefty deposit on one? Sure, I could waste time beating myself up about not researching enough, and yada yada but what's the point? Realize that there will always be things that come up. When you're in the moment, in the throes of the madness that is wedding planning you just have to go with your gut (and of course your budget) and make the best decisions you can at that time. Instead of looking back and wishing you'd done this or that, focus on the PRESENT and the upcoming wedding and more importantly life that you'll share with the one you love.


Image via evvangeline.deviantart.com

Staying Sane

As our wedding date gets closer and closer I find myself getting truly crazier and crazier. Before I would roll my eyes at brides that obsessed over the small things and I am horrified to realize that slowly I am becoming one of them! Gahh how did this happen?? When did I go from mellow, level-headed bride-to-be to a detail-driven crazy lady?? Well, I suppose the first step is acceptance right? At least I see that it's happening and I'm trying to zen out and step back from some of this wedding stuff to keep my head clear. (Side note: while Googling crazy bride images, yes I'm that lazy and picked pretty much the first one that popped up but I also found this gem of a blog, written by a seamstress who deals with brides on a daily basis haha a must read! crazybridestories.blogspot.com) 

So in an effort to keep myself relatively sane, I try to limit my wedding thoughts/talk throughout the day. Crossing things of our checklist is also helping me feel more at ease. But most of all, I think it's realizing that hell I'm getting married in about 6 weeks so I think stressing is a normal part of the process. Keeping the end goal in sight and getting more and more excited each day as I think about the life I have in store with my future husband is also helping tremendously! :) So for those brides out there, I think we should quit apologizing for being "bridezillas" (I've asked friends and family they say I'm not one of them so either they're lying to me or I'm really not lol) Planning a wedding is a BIG deal, it's an extremely important day in your life that you'll remember forever, so again I think a tad bit of crazy is allowed. Just as long as you don't let it completely overwhelm you, remember to drink plenty of wine throughout the process and at some point just let things go. Whatever will be, will be — and you'll be married! :)





Image via www.jeetesh.net

What Is Your Wedding "Theme"?

There's no question I hated more during wedding planning, other than maybe "what are your wedding colors?" I'm not a very decisive person, so narrowing down some sort of theme was next to impossible. I got even more frustrated when I'd read blogs or magazines and brides would say that weddings with no set color scheme or theme were "messy" and "unorganized." Can I just make that a theme? The unorganized, slightly messy + chaotic but full of love theme. There. That's ours. Haha.

I honestly didn't realize wedding themes were a thing but apparently boy was I wrong! Google "wedding theme" and you will turn up more than 374 million results! Including some pretty interesting ones. Love Hello Kitty? Well then you'll adore this wedding:

Or Christmas theme on a beach, in Hawaii, in April (why not?!):

Luckily for me, our venue pretty much set the general idea of our wedding without me having to make any decisions. It's an old airplane hangar converted into a winery. So bam! The wine idea was born. I've steadfastly refused to put a specific label on our wedding with any sort of overwhelming theme or color palette. It's just not my thing and however it comes together, it will happen in an organic, natural way. You don't HAVE to have a super detailed down-to-every-last-detail theme, just like you don't HAVE to have a whole bunch of other things that wedding industry people say you do. Maybe a wedding theme will help you, but for me it felt like constricting my ideas into one little box and that's not something I wanted. A slightly messy combo was more up my alley :)

Image 1 via www.bridalguide.com, Image 2 info4weddings.files.wordpress.com & Image 3 via www.weddingthemes.net

Words To Live By

Image via embracingtwentysomething.typepad.com

Going Shoe CRAZY

To say I went a tad shoe crazy while searching for my wedding shoes would be an understatement. But let me back up a little bit. When I purchased my dress, my consultant told me if I found 2-inch heels I wouldn't need to hem my dress at all. No hemming=less money spent on alterations so I was definitely game!

Then the quest began. Or rather the obsessive, endless seemingly impossible quest. Us ladies know how many cute, adorable shoes there are out there. But unfortunately for me, all these "cute, adorable shoes" have a heel height of a minimum of 3 inches up to the sky-high 6-inch range. Just a bit more than what I wanted. I searched online, in department stores, thrift stores, and literally anywhere else I could think of that sold shoes. My endless quest sent me into a tailspin and a momentary lapse of monetary sanity after I purchased a very expensive pair of shoes that I decided I just "had to have." Thankfully, the overpriced pair was a) not 2 inches as advertised and b) not comfortable in the slightest.

In the end, much to my surprise but also relief I chose a pair that I already owned and can comfortably dance the night away in. The heel height wasn't exactly 2 inches but when tried on with my dress worked perfectly. It goes to show you, sometimes you don't have to look further than your own closet. Just because it's your wedding doesn't mean you can't stick to something that you already own and love! :)


Photo via shoeloving.files.wordpress.com

Nixing Traditions And Making Your Own

A touching "first look" of a bride & groom

During wedding planning you often hear the phrase "because that's how it's done" or "every wedding has to have this." I questioned this line of thinking from the very beginning? Why do I HAVE to have a "surprise" bridal shower? Or have to do a bouquet toss and garter throw, or any other "tradition" associated with weddings. When did these so-called rules come into place and most importantly by who?? Ask an average person and they'll have no clue as to why showers have to be surprises or brides have to have "something blue" and any other tradition that wedding sites + magazines tell you are essential. Do what works best for your wedding. If a father-daughter dance or mother-son dance isn't your cup of tea? Skip it. If you'd rather see your groom before the ceremony rather than waiting till right before you get married, then do a first look. I chose to do some things differently and I'm a happier bride because of it. (I helped with my bridal shower planning and the world did.not.end. Imagine that?) Screw what people think. And yes some people will think you're being controlling or bossy so remember the saying "those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter." Though we are including many "traditions" into our wedding, we are doing so because we want to not because of the pressures of the wedding industry. So do things your way, everyone's got an opinion and you'll never please everyone. So why not make the most important people happy on your wedding day? You and your partner! :)


Photo via Simply Bloom Photography

Just Because

 

♥

Photo by Delbarr Moradi

The Clock Is Ticking

Our wedding is only t-minus 66 days away!! Cannot believe how fast the time has flown. And what everyone says is true, the last few weeks really are crunch time. Guess I better enjoy my last few weeks as a Ms. and pull everything together in time to say "I do." :)