What I would and wouldn't do again...

[jackshayne0123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironman 
 

Do you have any girlfriends or bridesmaids you could have share a room with you the night before? Maybe they traveled there alone, or they have a room with two beds and your groom is friends with their husband/partner? Your groom could swap rooms and stay in their room instead?

Yes a couple of my b-maids have said I can crash with them...I'll have to talk with my fiance more about this and come to a decision. I'm sure we can figure it out when we get there but it's probably good to discuss now before there are tears the night before LOL

[psquared]

I just finished reading all 82 pages. It is one of the best threads I've come across. Thanks for all the helpful info ladies!

[kellisbaby]

This thread is amazing!  I spent the last 24 hours reading all 83 pages.  I'd love it if newer brides would come back to post!!

[jackshayne0123]

We just got married Jan 23rd, we had the wedding of our dreams, and the trip of a lifetime!

 

What I would do again:

-EVERYTHING! I loved every minute of our trip and wedding day. (ok with maybe a few exceptions)

 

-pick a destination wedding. SO much easier, less stress, and cheaper than a wedding at home! Everyone gets a vacation, and we got to spend quality time with family and friends all week, not just for one night

 

-stay at extra week after everyone left, switch resorts, and have a honeymoon. We loved having so many friends and family come celebrate with us, we have memories to last forever, but we were so tired and worn out! It was so nice to chill and relax and spend time together, just unwind and do nothing.

 

-buy my big fancy dress. I LOVED it, I felt like the most beautiful bride in the world. No matter the cost, the alterations, the worry of it getting squished on the plane, it doesn't compare to how I felt, how I looked, and how much my husband loved it. I wish I could wear it everyday!

 

-do a TTD session! I was very hesitant at first, I didn't want to ruin my beautiful expensive perfect dress. But after talking to other brides, I realized it's only water, it will be dry cleaned and will come out looking as good as new, so why not? We had the best time ever! It was so much fun, we not only have amazing photos, but we have a fun experience that neither of us will forget. I am so glad we went for it!

 

What I wouldn't do again:

-worry so much. I know LOL, right? A bride, not worry? Keep dreaming! I had never been to a destination wedding before, this was new territory for me. I didn't know what I was doing, where to look, how to plan, how can you trust your WC thousands of miles away to plan YOUR big, perfect day? How can they possibly know every detail you have always dreamed of, how can you be sure it will go off without a hitch? The resorts and wedding planners, photographers, every vendor, they do this for a living, they are the professionals, they do this every day! And if you think you're a crazy psycho bride, there is probably another one out there who is worse than you, so don't sweat it! They have seen it all. They are there to help you, and the point of a DW is to take the stress out of the equation, right? Once I got down there and met with my WC I felt so at ease, she knew what she was doing, and it's like a lightbulb went off, as soon as I got there I felt relaxed, go with the flow, all I cared about was family, friends, and the fact that we were getting married, we were going to be husband and wife. Everything else will take care of itself, and there are people who will do things for you, so sit back and relax. And don't be afraid to delegate! Do you have bridesmaids/groomsmen? Put them to work! I must admit it felt so good to be pampered and not to have to lift a finger!

 

-OOT bags. I loved my bags, I loved the things I put in them, I just don't know if they were used. So I am on the fence about them. I know some people will keep them as keepsakes, and a few people said they will use the golf tees, the kids used the lip gloss, I just don't know if everyone used everything. So I guess I am glad I did it, but maybe I didn't need to put as much in them as I did.

 

-I don't think there is anything else I wouldn't do again. My flowers weren't right, I didn't like them, and they weren't fixed on time, but that was out of my control. The notary was also 30 minutes late for the ceremony, but again, out of my control. I wish I was more calm and relaxed, and more go with the flow in that moment, but other than that, our day was amazing!

 

Every detail that I thought would matter, in the end, didn't matter. The details are nice, it's great to have perfection, but there was so much going on, I was so focused on the positives.  It was about love, me and my husband, getting married, and celebrating with family and friends. Our cake didn't taste that great, my flowers weren't what I wanted, I forgot to get some pictures with certain people - but did that ruin our day? No. Did it make a difference, did our guests notice? No. It all went smoothly, we laughed, cried, danced, we smiled ALL day. It was amazing and I would do it all over in a heartbeat.

 

I hope all you brides have the wedding of your dreams too!

[beckys98]

Oh wow! I just found this thread and it is so helpful! Looks like it lost its momentum about a year ago, but worth going back and reading some posts for those of us in the thick of planning. Things I noted:

 

-Have water at the ceremony site!

-Have a handkerchief to dab sweat during ceremony and pictures

-Have a compact mirror for makeup touch-ups

-Need a mic for the ceremony is a must (was trying to avoid getting a sound system)

-Definitely make a list of must-have pictures and put a friend in charge of rounding people up

[calgarybride2015]

 

 

Every detail that I thought would matter, in the end, didn't matter. The details are nice, it's great to have perfection, but there was so much going on, I was so focused on the positives.  It was about love, me and my husband, getting married, and celebrating with family and friends. Our cake didn't taste that great, my flowers weren't what I wanted, I forgot to get some pictures with certain people - but did that ruin our day? No. Did it make a difference, did our guests notice? No. It all went smoothly, we laughed, cried, danced, we smiled ALL day. It was amazing and I would do it all over in a heartbeat.

 

 

 

Agree 100%.  I sat at the head table and thought that to myself. All the little things I thought were a big deal, weren't. I do realize we all have an idea of what is a big deal and what isn't - for me it was all the stressing over frames and vases, etc.

 

Oh wow! I just found this thread and it is so helpful! Looks like it lost its momentum about a year ago, but worth going back and reading some posts for those of us in the thick of planning. Things I noted:

 

-Have water at the ceremony site!

-Have a handkerchief to dab sweat during ceremony and pictures

-Have a compact mirror for makeup touch-ups

-Need a mic for the ceremony is a must (was trying to avoid getting a sound system)

-Definitely make a list of must-have pictures and put a friend in charge of rounding people up

 

haha I brought blotting cloths and I brought a compact, I totally forgot I had them!  At the reception I used a napkin to dab my face! 

 

I met with the photog the night before and she suggested I put together a list of all my must have family/group photos and any else.  Thankfully I did and I gave it to my MC (he was a fill in as the original MC lost his voice lol). OMG he rawked - he was wrangling people and calling out names and it made everything go so much smoother and quicker! He did awesome the whole night. I didn't even really have a plan for the reception and he made it all happen - entrance, speeches, guests introduced themselves, etc. It wouldn't have been the same without him. 

Edited January 28, 2015 by calgarybride2015

[beckys98]

This makes me feel a lot better. All my friends are doing "pinterest perfect" baby showers and kid's birthday parties that it makes me feel like I should do more. So far I've resisted anything too crazy but reminders like this are helpful. Realistically I just don't have the free time to pull it all off anyway! Why set myself up for failure?

 

Agree 100%.  I sat at the head table and thought that to myself. All the little things I thought were a big deal, weren't. I do realize we all have an idea of what is a big deal and what isn't - for me it was all the stressing over frames and vases, etc.

 

 

haha I brought blotting cloths and I brought a compact, I totally forgot I had them!  At the reception I used a napkin to dab my face! 

 

I met with the photog the night before and she suggested I put together a list of all my must have family/group photos and any else.  Thankfully I did and I gave it to my MC (he was a fill in as the original MC lost his voice lol). OMG he rawked - he was wrangling people and calling out names and it made everything go so much smoother and quicker! He did awesome the whole night. I didn't even really have a plan for the reception and he made it all happen - entrance, speeches, guests introduced themselves, etc. It wouldn't have been the same without him. 

[nattiegams325]

Bump!

[Msmimi]

Wonderful tips, thanks.

[IzzyDeee]

This is an awesome thread!! Is there anything recent brides could it can add to this thread?? Lots of great ideas

 

BUMP!!

 

 

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