As I close out my experience with each of my couples, knowing about & hearing about their experience in planning their weddings as well as their experience with me is BEYOND important to me & my business. Knowing that wedding planning is always a challenge for couples, one of the questions I make sure to ask is: “What is your most valuable piece of advice you can share with future couples?” Here’s a list of some of the best wedding planning advice that I’ve gotten from past SJP couples.
Start Your Planning Early
“Long engagements make planning less stressful. We’ve been able to be pretty laid back about it.”- Mattie & Ryan
“Start planning as soon as possible!!! Enjoy every moment of planning & the day of!”- Jenna & Alex
With my background in event planning and management, I LOVE this piece of advice for couples. Having a long engagement or even planning your wedding day before your engagement has a LOT of advantages! Typically, the earlier you begin planning your wedding, the less stress you will have throughout the process. So whether this means planning to have a long engagement or planning before you make the engagement official, starting the planning process early should be a priority.
If you & your partner talk openly about your future wedding, snag a venue, start a bank account just for saving for your day, & begin following wedding vendors on Instagram. When you start the planning process, the sooner you start planning the more time you’ll have to put everything together, and the easier it will be to make decisions regarding your day. I HIGHLY recommend to each of my couples to take this wedding planning advice and start your planning early.
Set Aside Time to be With Each Other
“Don’t sweat the small stuff & don’t forget to take time to have fun with each other!”- Paiton & Nate
It’s easy to get caught up in the craziness of the wedding day. There are so many details, people, & planning that went into this day. As a result, you’re going to feel like you want to plan an event into every single second of it! Paiton & Nate made sure to set aside time for themselves on their wedding day. They love spending time with one another, & made sure to prioritize alone time together on their wedding day. Alone time can look like a first look, a last dance, a private drink, or even a private vow exchange. The advice of planning a little bit of time for yourself & your partner can go a long way on your wedding day.
Know Your Relationship
“Communication is key & to always have important conversations when both of you are close to your baseline as you can be.”- Kathryn & Matt
This wedding planning advice is incredibly individual & will apply to everyone differently since every relationship is different. When planning your wedding, make the decisions about your day on days when you are both on the same page. If one of you had a stressful day at work it might not be the best idea to try & narrow down your wedding vendors that night. Plan ahead! Choose a few dates where both of you are free & make a date night specifically for planning! Head to your favorite coffee shop or bar & dream about what your wedding will be like. As your wedding day gets closer, sprinkle in more of these dates so that you can make your decisions together and make your wedding planning something you look forward to.
Make a Wedding Day for You
“It is your wedding, no one else. Make sure that everything you do is what YOU want, no one else.”- Lauren & Brad
Yes, family & friends might be important to you, but at the end of the day, you call the shots on what you want your wedding day experience to be like. Ask for help & assistance where you need it, & if you want someone’s opinion or help, be sure to set boundaries with them so they know that they aren’t ultimately calling the shots, you are. Setting these boundaries is important so that whoever is helping you knows that you’re the one that will be making the final decisions, & they have to be ok with that. There’s a ton of planning that goes into a wedding, asking for others’ advice & assistance can be helpful but don’t let it change what you want your day to be.
Keep Things In Perspective
“Don’t get caught up in all the details. The most important thing is that you’re celebrating getting to spend the rest of your life with the person you love the most… no one is really going to notice if something is out of place” – Kate & Nate
There are so many moving parts to a wedding day, but at the end of the day remember why you’re really there. Don’t stress if something doesn’t go quite exactly as planned, celebrating your love for one another is much more important than any small detail that you’ll put into your wedding day. That’s not to say you shouldn’t care about what happens on your wedding day or that you shouldn’t put effort into it, just keep things in perspective. I love this planning advice for your wedding because at the end of the day, your love for each other & celebrating that love is what’s most important!
Choose the Right Photographer
“Get a good photographer & don’t stress 😉 so far I’m doing well lol”- Josie & Colton
Probably my favorite planning advice, although I’m a little biased, finding a photographer that will fit into your wedding day is SO important. Not only do you need someone that can document your day the way you hope to see it, but you also need someone to help you create the experience you want for your wedding day. Your wedding photographer spends SO much time with you on your wedding day so be sure that you not only enjoy their work but also their company! Your photographer will add to your wedding day experience instead of only capturing it & lead you to have a less stressful & more enjoyable day overall!
When it comes to planning your wedding, having advice from real couples is something that I feel is so valuable. Your wedding day is something that you don’t often have first-hand experience with. Getting that inside perspective will give you more clarity when it comes to your planning & get you on the right track to creating your perfect day! For more wedding planning tips check out my Instagram, & if you need a photographer for your wedding day head over to my contact page here!
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