Ten Tips for the Bride to Be
My dear friend Allison recently asked me do a guest post for her blog and I graciously obliged.
Considering I am getting married in ohhh less than a MONTH or 29 days to be exact, it seems fitting to do my post on being a bride-- defined as: "A woman who is about to be married or has recently been married."
Source
Tip number one:
"Keep calm and carry on." The saying originates from the British government to strengthen morale during the World War II. Although being a bride isn't nearly as trying as being a soldier or peasant during the 1930's, it is stressful. All you can do is keep breathing and know that it'll be over before you know it. That leads me to my next tip...
Two:
Enjoy every second of it! Have fun. Take it all in. This is a once in a lifetime experience and do not let all your emotions and stress get the best of you. When will you ever be able to try on wedding dresses again? Never. Have a drink, take some pictures, try on hundreds of dresses just because you can, and laugh with your girls over the ones that would never in a million years make the cut. Like this one:
this would certainly be a 'what was i thinking?' moment twenty years from now...
my co-workers threw me a surprise shower and dressed me up in TP.
Three:
It's never too early to plan. And I mean never. Even if you aren't engaged yet, even if you don't even have a boyfriend yet, start planning your dream day. Because the second you do get that ring on your finger you will be thankful that you know exactly what you want and what you don't want. In my opinion, an undecisive bride could possibly be worst than a bridezilla. Nothing gets done! And that is a serious tragedy when it comes to weddings.
Four:
Save, save, SAVE starting right NOW. Did you just find your dream dress for 40% off?! What a steal. I suggest you put that extra 60% you would have paid (because we all know you would have paid full price for your dream dress) into a savings account stat. Preferably a savings account you can't see or touch. I suggest ING. Higher interest rates and difficult access to funds.
Five:
Organization is key. Folders with inspirational pics. Folders with inspirational music. Excel worksheet for your budget. The first thing I did to keep track of all my ideas and to get opinions/inspiration was starting a wedding blog. Highly recommended. I also had lists of questions in my handy-dandy wedding binder sectioned off in categories like "entertainment" or "photography." To see my twenty questions I asked my venue click here.
Six:
The internet will be your best friend. I use ebay, weddingfactorydirect, amazon, pinterest, theknot, stylemepretty, and good old google quite often. Facebook is also helpful to collect addresses and pester people about getting their responses in.
Seven:
Be upfront with everyone. Set expectations from the get go. If you expect your wedding party to pay for their dresses/suits make sure they know this and don't just assume that they can afford it. Ask. Who is paying for the honeymoon, the venue, the dress, the dj? If it's not you then sit down with the person who is and let them know the exact amount you hope they can help you with and a deadline for when you need to collect the money. Stay on top of this. Remember, just because it's the most important day of your life doesn't mean it's too important to them. So remind them, constantly.
Eight:
Avoid the bridal shows and expos. It's just a whole bunch of annoying brides and pushy vendors trying way too hard to get your business. I wish I had known earlier how useless those shows are. And about the scams...I really got my hopes up when I received the call in the middle of Mugar library about winning a 5-day vacation *no strings attatched*. I nearly peed my pants. Little did I know that those no strings included purchasing about $500 in cookwear and vouchers that would pay for a stay in a 3 star hotel during off season times and did not include airfare.
Nine:
Please watch the movie Bridesmaids. Hopefully with your girls (we are going to watch it the night before the wedding in my bridal sweet :). It is highly entertaining.
Ten:
Never forget what this wedding is really about. The incredible love you and your fiance share. The bond that is soon to be a forever committment. It is special and sacred. Make this wedding about you and him and make it show.
Happy planning :D I'm sure going to miss it.
Considering I am getting married in ohhh less than a MONTH or 29 days to be exact, it seems fitting to do my post on being a bride-- defined as: "A woman who is about to be married or has recently been married."
Source
Tip number one:
"Keep calm and carry on." The saying originates from the British government to strengthen morale during the World War II. Although being a bride isn't nearly as trying as being a soldier or peasant during the 1930's, it is stressful. All you can do is keep breathing and know that it'll be over before you know it. That leads me to my next tip...
Two:
Enjoy every second of it! Have fun. Take it all in. This is a once in a lifetime experience and do not let all your emotions and stress get the best of you. When will you ever be able to try on wedding dresses again? Never. Have a drink, take some pictures, try on hundreds of dresses just because you can, and laugh with your girls over the ones that would never in a million years make the cut. Like this one:
Three:
It's never too early to plan. And I mean never. Even if you aren't engaged yet, even if you don't even have a boyfriend yet, start planning your dream day. Because the second you do get that ring on your finger you will be thankful that you know exactly what you want and what you don't want. In my opinion, an undecisive bride could possibly be worst than a bridezilla. Nothing gets done! And that is a serious tragedy when it comes to weddings.
Four:
Save, save, SAVE starting right NOW. Did you just find your dream dress for 40% off?! What a steal. I suggest you put that extra 60% you would have paid (because we all know you would have paid full price for your dream dress) into a savings account stat. Preferably a savings account you can't see or touch. I suggest ING. Higher interest rates and difficult access to funds.
Five:
Organization is key. Folders with inspirational pics. Folders with inspirational music. Excel worksheet for your budget. The first thing I did to keep track of all my ideas and to get opinions/inspiration was starting a wedding blog. Highly recommended. I also had lists of questions in my handy-dandy wedding binder sectioned off in categories like "entertainment" or "photography." To see my twenty questions I asked my venue click here.
Six:
The internet will be your best friend. I use ebay, weddingfactorydirect, amazon, pinterest, theknot, stylemepretty, and good old google quite often. Facebook is also helpful to collect addresses and pester people about getting their responses in.
Seven:
Be upfront with everyone. Set expectations from the get go. If you expect your wedding party to pay for their dresses/suits make sure they know this and don't just assume that they can afford it. Ask. Who is paying for the honeymoon, the venue, the dress, the dj? If it's not you then sit down with the person who is and let them know the exact amount you hope they can help you with and a deadline for when you need to collect the money. Stay on top of this. Remember, just because it's the most important day of your life doesn't mean it's too important to them. So remind them, constantly.
Eight:
Avoid the bridal shows and expos. It's just a whole bunch of annoying brides and pushy vendors trying way too hard to get your business. I wish I had known earlier how useless those shows are. And about the scams...I really got my hopes up when I received the call in the middle of Mugar library about winning a 5-day vacation *no strings attatched*. I nearly peed my pants. Little did I know that those no strings included purchasing about $500 in cookwear and vouchers that would pay for a stay in a 3 star hotel during off season times and did not include airfare.
Nine:
Please watch the movie Bridesmaids. Hopefully with your girls (we are going to watch it the night before the wedding in my bridal sweet :). It is highly entertaining.
Ten:
Never forget what this wedding is really about. The incredible love you and your fiance share. The bond that is soon to be a forever committment. It is special and sacred. Make this wedding about you and him and make it show.
Happy planning :D I'm sure going to miss it.
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