Wedding Tips From REAL Brides
As a photographer, I am often the go-to person for any and all wedding advice. For most brides, this is their first time stepping into the wedding world and it can be overwhelming. Considering I spend many weekends at weddings, I’ve learned a lot over the years and try to share that wisdom. However, nothing is better than having advice from REAL life brides who have been in your exact shoes. With that said, I wanted to pull together all the advice I could get so you had it all at your finger tips. Naturally, I took to social media and asked bride’s to chime in their thoughts. Here are their responses.
What advice would you give someone planning a wedding?
Make it YOUR dream not everyone else’s!
Only do things because they will be important to YOU and not because it’s tradition.
I’d suggest choosing your top 3 priorities to invest in and then committing to not stressing about anything else.
It’s your big day, so don’t worry about pleasing everyone else.
Keep it simple.
Destination 100%
Start planning early so you aren’t stressed in the last few weeks.
Figure out a budget ASAP.
Get the big stuff out of the way first - venue, DJ, photographer, etc.
Hire a planner!
Don’t feel like you have to invite every single family member, especially if they are distant.
Make it YOURS. Don’t live to please everyone (parents, etc).
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Elope and use the extra money to travel or buy a house.
You don't have to impress people with a lavish wedding if you just want to keep it simple or on a small budget.
Enjoy it as it really does fly by.
Go big or go home. It’s only one day. Make it memorable.
Expect it to not always go as you originally planned.
Celebrate little victories like picking your cake or stationary. Enjoy it all.
BREATHE. It will all work out.
Find vendors YOU enjoy.
Just have a bomb ass elopement … <hahah love this response>
What part of your wedding are you GLAD you made a PRIORITY?
Destination wedding with less than 15 people.
I liked that we made time for us the morning of. We took the time to eat breakfast, got ready, and relaxed. We made ourselves the priority.
Photos! It’s one day and you want the photos to cherish for a lifetime.
Praying with my dad before walking down the aisle.
Having an officiant that we actually knew and loved.
The “dollar dance.” I was able to have a minute with so many guests, one on one.
PHOTOGRAPHY x 10 ( I probably had this response the most which makes me sooo happy).
F o o o o o d
The wedding location. I wanted an outdoor wedding!
Keeping it small. It was so important that it was a small gathering of people I love.
Our first touch since we didn’t do a first look.
Photographer/videographer.
Having only 70 guests and not having a wedding party.
Spend the money on good food and good cake.
OPEN BAR!
If you could do ONE thing differently, what would it of been?
ELOPE.
Only inviting guests I knew were going to show up.
Destination wedding instead of traditional wedding.
To elope.
I would have done a first look!
I wish we would have eloped sometimes.
Different DJ!
Spent more time writing our vows instead of standard vows.
I would do a different location for the reception and get a better photographer.
I wish I would’ve gotten my makeup professionally done.
Elope.
A better photographer. I love my brother in law but there was so much more I wanted.
MORE TIME for photos. Everything was so rushed and we didn’t get a whole lot.
I would have had a destination wedding.
I would have chosen a different photographer and had a videographer.
Taken a honeymoon. You need time to relax and enjoy each other.
I’d cut the guest list in half.
Giving myself more time to decorate and get ready. Your wedding day flies by! The whole day felt like 3 hours long.
If I could do it over, I would have researched photographers. I didn’t know anything about photography, and ours are not bad in any way, but I think they could have been way better!
More cake. <hahah I applaud this answer>
There ya have it folks, REAL life brides giving you REAL life wedding advice. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of response to hiring a photographer you love + eloping. You all are speaking straight to my heart!
At the end of the day, it’s all about the love you two share and creating a day that truly resembles your personalities. Whether that is eloping in a backyard, celebrating with 250+ people, or hitching a plane ride to Hawaii. Either way, let’s GET YA MARRIED.
