Good Reminders While Planning Your Wedding

Getting married this year was nothing like I thought it would be.  I seriously was not prepared for what was in store for us and looking back I wish I would've reminded myself of a few things.  Also, if you asked me a few questions about weddings I addressed most issues  here.

1. Don't get lost in the planning.  I regret not spending more time on the most important part: the ceremony.  Everything else is pish posh.  We did a rehearsal and realized quickly that quite a few

   

   shark in fountain @ceremony

   small details were missing.
2. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean you have to do it.  My husband and I fought over having a photobooth at our wedding.  I really wanted one...he didn't. He thought it was more appropriate for a birthday party.  I let it become pinnacle to me and felt like something was going to be missing alas it was all fine the day of.
3. Everyone has an opinion that they will express and you can't satisfy everyone.  Shane and I are EXTREMELY laid
   back people.  We also have odd schedules and hardly get a chance to sit down and spend quality time with each other.  So granted when we had a chance to discuss wedding/honeymoon plans we were on a time crunch. It was hard to focus with everyone putting in their two cents and we did lose sight of what we wanted a few times.  This made us go in circles and made it harder for us to make important decisions.  Cut out the middle people think about what you TWO truly like and want and go for that.
4. Ask for help when you need it.  As mentioned earlier, we have hectic schedules.  Problem is- I'm a
   
   micro manager so I want my hands in everything.  I needed help so much sooner than I thought.  I put it on the back burner because I thought I could handle making gift tags, bouquets, centerpieces.  I bit off more than I could chew and it ate into my time schedule.  It's okay to delegate tasks to willing participants.  If you are doing a lot of DIY, do a trial run of what you are making.  Time it.  Then when its time to make the rest: block off time and get your helpers involved.  Things will go so much better.  Lucky for me- my sister and best friend came in town early to help!!
5. Be extremely specific when planning things with your vendors.  Extremely.  I felt like I dropped the ball here the most. My reception was stellar but everything else not so much.  For instance, every photographer will ask you what must have shots you want.  Be sure you reiterate even the ones that you think are a no brainer for the photographer to take.  Trust me.  We also failed to tell the bakery to have a smooth edge for the groom's cake and came out with an odd looking cell phone cake with swirls.  Like I said... be extremely specific.
6. Tradition?  So I come from a Latino background and my husband is Southern.  There are tons of traditions that we could've gone for.  Thing is... we are awkward people.  We agreed that we didn't want to do a garter/bouquet toss.  Funny thing is we didn't tell anyone.  At the end of my wedding a
   
   guest mentioned "you guys didn't do a toss"... I acted surprised like I forgot (I'm mischievous).  So maybe our wedding was boring but it was perfect for us.  I did want to do a second line but Shane cringed at the thought of it.
7. Not everything will come out as planned.   Okay, so all I wanted was a sparkler exit.  That's all.  Well,  the sparklers were supposed to come a week before the wedding and they didn't come until a week after.  I was heartbroken.  Again, things like that should be ordered two months out so it was our fault.  Don't always trust online order timelines.