November, 22 2020

Being newly engaged, I have been completely and totally immersed in everything wedding related! I am in love with being a soon-to-be-Mrs and the romance and fairytale of being engaged is overwhelmingly FUN! One of the big responsibilities of a typical bride is to be the go-to authority on the wedding.

So what happens when you’re planning your wedding??

Well, you can start to feel a little under pressure when the planning process gets started. I’m pretty good at keeping a cool head and being organized but planning a wedding is a big task! Not to mention that you want this to be a “perfect” day and for every little detail to be perfect too. Before things get too crazy or overwhelming, there are a few things that I remind myself to help re-center and remember to take things slow and enjoy the process.

1. You don’t have to know the answers all the time!

There are a lot of people who ask a lot of questions when you are engaged and during the wedding planning. “When is the wedding date? Did you find your dress yet? Who are your bridesmaids? Where’s your venue? What are your wedding colors?” Sometimes all the questions can be too much! Whenever the inquiries pile up, I remind myself that it’s OKAY not to know yet! In a situation where someone else is stressing me out with their questions, I politely but confidently respond with a smile and by saying “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out I’m sure.” It can throw the other person off guard when you show you’re confident about not knowing, but it reminds them too that it’s NOT an overnight project. The wedding planning is a PROCESS and it doesn’t come with an answer guide in the back of the book. Don’t let nosy people make you lose your enjoyment of taking things slow.

2. Every bride has her own dream, and you shouldn’t try to compare.

It can be tempting to compare timelines, dresses, flowers, etc. with other brides. It can also be fun! But remember that every bride wants to be the most beautiful and have best, most memorably perfect day. Don’t get trapped into thinking that your day has to compare to anyone else’s! A wedding is really all about YOU and your partner – not your friends, not your family, not your neighbor, not your coworkers. This is an event that is meant to celebrate your love and commitment to the person you adore more than anything. Don’t get distracted by competing with other brides, it will only disrupt your own vision and make the event about showing off rather than celebrating your love. This is YOUR wedding. You do YOU!

3. Talk to your significant other throughout the planning process and remember to communicate on EVERYTHING.

I will admit, there have been a few surprise moments where Chris and I weren’t on the same page with our wedding vision and it caused an issue. Whenever I come across an element of the wedding that we haven’t discussed together before, I talk to Chris about it before making any decisions. Even just having the opportunity to talk it out and find inspiration from each other means that we are creating a day that will be a fairytale for the both of us! By communicating, we get to know the other person’s vision and avoid any surprise let-downs. I didn’t know that Chris wants to wear a Navy suit – and I love that idea! He figured out I want a “first look” before the ceremony- even though he’d never heard of it before, he’s on board now! It’s alllll about communicating, baby!

Hope this helps you and your partner find joy and excitement in the wedding planning stage!

With love,

Ashley Jo