Words of Advice

So I promised that I would post about my wedding planning stuff and that I'd lend some advice for you diligent wedding planners out there. Now keep in mind that these are MY opinions based on MY experiences. They may not apply to everything or anything you're dealing with. So bare with me here.

First off, let's get things straight. A MARRIAGE is when a man and woman lawfully agree to be husband and wife. They create this bond together.

Now, a WEDDING... is for everyone else.

The sooner you realize that, the better you'll feel :).

Now, don't get me wrong, I loved the reception part of my wedding! It was fun. I loved dancing and seeing family and friends. But that's where all the "planning" in "Wedding Planning" comes in.

The marriage takes like ten minutes then you're done. YAY you're husband and wife! Now what? Oh yeah, the rest of the "wedding" a.k.a. the reception. So essentially, you're planning a party. So let's call it Party Planning instead of Wedding Planning.

Planning a party makes it seem WAY LESS stressful. But you can't forget all the "party" activities, like:

• First dance
• Father-daughter dance
• Mother-son dance
• Any other special dances or entertainment
• Throwing garter
• Throwing bouquet
• Cutting the cake
• Toast and speeches
• Opening presents
• The send off
• Anything else you've dreamed of having

That's not it. Then the little details that associated with this particular "party"

• Guest book
• Advice table
• Thank you/Goodbye gifts
• Etc.

Yeah, still not done, then you got to think about inviting all these people to it. Parties aren't fun without guests. So you'd better think about invitations. Send them out asap! Once you have the head count, then... Food. What do you want? How will you serve it? How will you set it up? Also decorations. What kinds? Where? You'll also need tables and chairs for people to sit. And if you want dancing, you'll need room for the dance floor and a DJ and tell him about the kind of music you'd like to be played. But where is this all going to happen?? You'll need a venue! And what will you all wear? How are you going to afford all of this?

Feeling stressed yet?

Just calm your nerves. Remember why you're doing this. You're doing it because you're ready to spend your life with the person you love and build a new life with them. And you want this "party" because you want your family and people you love to feel a part of it too.

1. Don't be afraid to ask your family for advice and help. They are MORE than happy to help.
2. Breathe.
3. If you don't want the big reception and you just want to elope, there's seriously NOTHING wrong with that!! This is for you two anyway, so you can start that way too. :)
4. Do what you can at that moment. If you can't schedule the DJ until next week, then don't bother stressing about it now. Work on what you can right now. Even if it's little.
5. Laugh.
6. Include your fiancé(e). Ask them for their opinion.
7. Take breaks! It's okay, in fact it's needed.
8. Don't feel like you need to please everyone. This is YOUR day. You get what you want.
9. Make assignments for those who are willing to help. Let them take a task and run with it, leaving you less to worry about. In other words, delegate.
10. Lastly, if you have the means, and you don't mind... Then hire a professional to this for you and you won't need to worry about a thing. Haha! :) 

I want you to know that I planned a wedding on a very, very, VERY small budget. And it worked out. It'll work out for you. And I loved how it turned out. If you have any other questions or if you feel I left something out, then comment me :).

Keep it up peeps! You'll get there. And it'll be worth every second.