Since we are in the midst of proposal season, I thought I’d offer up some advice to all of you newly engaged gals. Except it’s not my advice per se. It’s straight from those brides who have already been there. From staying calm and being yourself to scheduling your hair trial the day of your dress fitting, this year’s brides had a lot to say. To wrap up this Best of 2015 series, let’s revisit the best tips, tricks, and ideas from those who were featured on the blog!
Jessica
Our best pieces of advice for future brides and grooms would be to relax, EAT, and don’t follow tradition if it’s not you! Brian and I did a first look and decided to forgo the formal bridal party introductions, cake cutting, and bouquet and garter tosses. We also made it a point to sit down through the entire dinner and eat with our wedding party. Having that time allowed us both to relax and enjoy ourselves. Everyone kept commenting on how calm the bride and groom were, and to them we would say, “Shouldn’t we be? It’s the happiest day of our lives!”
Molly
Be creative. Pittsburgh has A LOT to offer! Start by figuring out what is important to you and build upon those ideas. We wanted a party so we started with the concept of a cocktail reception rather than a sit down dinner and went from there.
Erika
The best advice I can give is to just be you. Corny, I know, but so true! It feels wonderful looking back on our wedding knowing that Mike and I decided on details regardless of what the “norm” was or the heart attack we may have induced in our mothers.
Kelly
If you’re planning to do an engagement shoot, try to schedule your makeup practice run the same day. The practice run is often the same cost as the real one, so why not get something out of it? I did this, and it was such a great call. I got to have beautiful, professionally-done makeup for my engagement photos and I also got to see how it photographed to decide if I needed to tweak anything before the wedding.
Try to schedule your practice hair appointment the same day as one of your dress fittings. This way you get to see the whole look put together before the big day.
Rachel
Let others help you! I couldn’t have done all the decorating and planning without my mom and bridesmaids.
And don’t stress about EVERY detail that day. As long as you have each other and someone to marry you – everything else could go wrong and that’s all that matters!
Aubrey
My advice to other brides is to try to stay calm! Things are going to happen during the planning. Our church music director quit days before the wedding, then our honeymoon had to be canceled 10 days before because of a hurricane. We then had to book a new trip even though we couldn’t get refunded for the original one for 10 days…and lots of other little things along the way. Just stay calm and everything will work out!
Lauren
I would tell future brides to definitely talk with their fiance and get a clear idea of what they both want for the wedding and reception. Find a few things that are important to both people and focus on those first. I would also tell brides to not let the opinions of other people influence how the wedding day will be. This is your and your fiance’s day and you should plan it together.
Heather
Planning a wedding is like planning your own Christmas but better! Don’t worry about what you think other people expect from or want for you! The day is about you, your husband, and the beginning of your forever. Trust me, once everything comes together, NO ONE will leave saying “I wish she would have….” There is no other time in your life when you can have a day ALL ABOUT YOU! Embrace every second of it!
Christen
It doesn’t take money to make it nice! Save your money for the important stuff (house, savings, etc.!). There are plenty of ways to make your day special without splurging. And don’t fret about the guest list. It’s a day between you, your significant other, and God!
Janae
Everyone always told me not to sweat the small things and not to stress, that everything would fall into place. Of course, being a crazy bride, I thought this was the worst advice ever and that no one knew what they were talking about! Sure enough, they did! The night goes by so fast; those details that you stressed over day in and day out aren’t going to matter. Your wedding is going to be perfect, even if the napkins aren’t centered or someone forgets to include something. The fact that you and your hubby, family, and friends are together is all that matters.
Lastly, consider a sweetheart table. We integrated our bridal party in with the guests so those with significant others or dates weren’t stuck at a table with no one they knew. We had our sweetheart table, just the two of us, on top of the staircase. We were able to enjoy the food and really spend time together. The rest of the night, we were apart from each other, so I’m thankful for that dinner and the time to talk without interruptions other than the clanking of glasses.
What was the most helpful piece of advice you read on Burgh Brides this year? Have any of your own advice to offer? Comment below!
Don’t miss my other Best of 2015 picks!
P.S. Things will be a bit quiet on the blog until the new year! You’ll see a fun post on Monday and some social media activity. Other than that, the next week and a half will be filled with Christmas movies, baking, yoga pants, dirty hair, dog cuddling, and QT with family. I hope everyone has a FABULOUS holiday! 2016 is shaping up to be a BIG year! I can’t wait to see you then! 🙂
