hello, loves!!!
well, it looks like wedding wednesdays will continue around here...
for a couple reasons*:
#1 - i have SO much to share about my own wedding & overall experience
#2 - i loved the experience so much {even the madness of it all} i am ready to plan another one!!! {don't worry, not my own...ha!...i am planning for my brother in law's & his fiancée!
so i need to keep on the up & up!}
*as if i really need a reason to talk weddings ;)
{instagram shot by my friend mina: cheering all the way down the recessional!}
i'll be sharing what few photos i currently have along the way...
the professional photos won't be available for another few weeks
& i swear that everyone else is holding photos hostage and are only leaking a few at a time!
{grrr...don't worry, i'll do whatever it takes to get ahold of them!}
okay...so now that i am all the wiser...being post-bridal & all ;)
i thought that i would share a few pearls {while it's all still fresh in my mind}
for future brides out there...
pearl no.1
you probably won't be able to help but stress over all of the details before the wedding... it's true
{especially if you are anything like me: very into the details!}
***BUT, you have to know #1 when to ask for help & #2 when to let go***
#1 was something i learned a little late in the game, but it ended up saving me a lot of extra stress
#2 came easier than i thought...there were a few major things that went wrong prior to the wedding...
one example: long story short, i had been collecting vintage milk glass for table decor for well over a year - maybe even close to 2 - well, being that our wedding was a destination event, i had to ship all of the glass to my florist...less than half of it survived the journey. {side tip - NEVER ship your fragile valuables via the USPS} i was lucky to have the best florist ever! she snapped photos of the condition of the boxes upon arrival {which i had written 'FRAGILE' on every side of every box w/ a red sharpie} to her po box & she did a count of how many broken pieces there were so that we had all the details to make a case with the post office...let's just say that it looked like these boxes had been maliciously thrown across the room - some of them had glass spilling out the sides. when my florist informed me of this, my heart sunk to my stomach...i won't lie - there were tears of anger & frustration...BUT i had to realize that at that moment, it was what it was and there was really nothing i could do about it...these were vintage pieces took a lot of time to collect & could not be replaced overnight... again, i was the luckiest girl to have the best florist...she just so happened to have milk glass pieces available - normally for rent, but she was kind enough to just lend them to us for the wedding. AMAZING!
{you see, everything always has a way of sorting itself out :)}
{p.s. if you are looking for an amazing florist in the central california coast area,
April of April Flowers is your girl!}
this leads me to...
pearl no.2
do your homework - choose the right vendors
read their reviews, ask your venue or coordinator what kind of a reputation
they {florist, caterer, etc.} have...has the venue/coordinator worked with them before?
i can't stress enough how important this is!!!
you are relying on these people to help make your day perfect... you need people who are on your side & understand your needs & your vision for the day {side tip - communication is KEY - the more you communicate with your vendors, the better they understand your needs & vision}
we truly worked with the crème de la crème of vendors...every single one was absolutely amazing... this helped in setting me at ease {making pearl no.1 even more possible}...these are also the people that are taking care of any of the little mishaps that might will pop up the day of...& if you have chosen wisely, you won't know a thing about those mishaps the day of. quick example - another glass situation ;) - i had also collected vintage champagne glasses in pink, yellow & green...well, apparently a box was knocked over the day of the wedding & a handful of glasses broke...my INCREDIBLE on-site coordinator sent someone to an antique store in town and found replacements - not exact of course, but went so perfectly with the assortment i had collected! all the while, i had NO IDEA of any of it until the next day when my coordinator was explaining why i would see some unfamiliar glasses in my collection...i have to say, it was so much fun when i was unwrapping them all at home to find some new gems in my vintage glassware assortment :)
pearl no.3
this one probably should be no.1, but this list is really in no order of importance...
as they are all important!
ready for this??...when it all comes down to it, the day is really about
YOU & YOUR FIANCÉ
yep, it's that simple & that true...
all of the other stuff is great & important to create the ambiance and whatnot,
but don't let it consume you so much that you forget what this day is truly for :)
pearl no.4
take it all in...& remember NOW
i have the greatest uncle in the world :)
he pulled each of us {my husband & me} aside, separately, a couple of times during the reception...
he would remind us to take in the moment...
he would say...'look at your mom laughing over there...your friends dancing over there...feel the breeze, smell the air, listen to the music'... this was one of the most incredible experiences & truly made so much of it all the more memorable...
my husband has the greatest aunt in the world :)
she texted us the day before the wedding with the same advice...
reminding us to remember NOW...
i can't emphasize enough how much this little awareness will enhance your whole experience :)
{side tip - this includes eating!!! your dinner & your cake/dessert!!!
i enjoyed it all! & even had seconds ;)}
i can definitely think of a few more pearls, but i will leave you all with these for today
& save the others for later :)
i hope that some of these may help you future brides out there...
for those of you who have been a bride, can you relate to any of the above?
or do you have any tips to add?
i would love to hear your experiences :)
have a lovely day!
XO
brynn
