by Terri Pous, BRIDES
Photo: Diane Fields/Courtesy of CNP Montrose
It's an unfortunate, but often inevitable, part of planning a wedding that there are just some things you won't know or realize until after the big day is over. Sure, you may have a planner or wise family and friends to open your eyes to what's really worth stressing about or what guests will actually notice, but most of the time, those things don't dawn on you until later. The best resource for this kind of advice is real brides, so we asked some on the BRIDES Facebook page to share their time-honored insights. Here, some of the best tips:
"Make a list of all the most important photos you want taken on your wedding day, give it to your photographer, but make sure you have a copy of it with you so that nobody misses anything. You'll never get those moments back to get those pictures that you missed that day." --Dawn Cavaluzzo Cooper
"It's your day! Don't be so busy appeasing others that you don't make yourself and you future spouse happy in the process." --Ashlyn Beierle
"It takes approximately 250 hours to plan a wedding... Make sure you have good people by your side. Also, don't be afraid to ask a professional for help! Whether it is hiring a wedding planner or just having a consultation to figure out a couple things you are stuck on. Most of all, try to relax and don't take everything so seriously. Understand that things are bound to go wrong, but there are always other options." --Kailey-Lynn Hatfield
"Everything will turn out okay and that no matter what goes wrong during the wedding, there's always a way to keep the atmosphere positive." --Ashley Kenny
"Things will not go perfect on your wedding day, but you will be the only person to notice it. Don't stress yourself out when you see the little hiccups and enjoy your day." --Paulina Cotsaris
"Save, save, save money! Weddings are so expensive. I can't believe how much money my wedding has added up to be. Plan a budget!" --Iesha Palmer
"Do not start planning the second you get engaged because you will change your mind on lots of things and have to redo them. I was so excited that I just started planning anything and everything I could. I wish I would have just let getting engaged sink in for a few weeks or months, and then started slow."-- Kayla Lynn
"Allow at least a week, and possibly two, to call people that were sent an invitation but didn't respond." --Angela Pileggi Pelekanos
"I wish I had known more about cultural traditions. I could have incorporated one or two to put a unique stamp on my wedding." --Taylor Williamson Hebenstreit
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