The Importance of a Honeymoon

After your wedding you will 100% require a break...whether it be in a hot place or just a week off at home YOU WILL NEED THE TIME OFF!!! You will likely get sick or at the very least have some sort of emotional breakdown. Wedding planning is hard work and the wedding day is loooooong...you deserve a break with your hubby. Take the time to relax, open & organize gifts, write some thank-you cards (that are to be done within 6 weeks of your big day), and sleep A LOT. Just take the time to get ready for the realities of married life!

My Wedding Day

Well, it's over! The day was perfect, most things went off without a hitch and the things that didn't went unnoticed.
I'm so happy to be married to Adam and the day was packed with love!
The morning was fun and a little nerve-wracking and the drive to the church was the craziest that I've ever felt...but when those church doors opened and I saw the love of my life standing at the altar waiting for me and all our friends and family standing in the congregation i immediately calmed down and got so excited for the amazing day ahead.
The reception was a blast - the food was delicious, the drinks were fabulous and the company was the best.
We couldn't have asked for a better day!

Wedding Day Tips!

Here are some things that no one told me to consider before the big day and I ended up kicking myself for them!

1. BUY COMFORTABLE SHOES - you'll be in them for at least 10 hours...walking down the aisle in them, standing at the altar in them, dancing in them....so practice, practice, practice in them a bunch beforehand!

2. You'll need to ensure that you leave plenty of time to get in to your dress et. al. the morning of, I recommend leaving at least 45 minutes to do so. I did not do this as I didn't even consider this and it threw off our hair and make-up schedule. Plus - the photographer wants to get pictures of this process and this takes time also!

3. Drink a lot of water. Hydration is key on the big day - your nerves and all the talking you'll be doing will thank you.

4. Have breath mints at your disposal. I've never hugged and kissed so many people in one day...pop in a mint for good measure.

5. Enlist the help of one of your bmaids to be in charge of your purse, copy of your speech, garter etc...so that they are under your head table chair before you enter the room.

6. Practice hugging in you veil...people will yank it accidentally, but if you have a proactive hugging procedure in place you could avoid whip-lash.

7. Have a camera of your own there...have a friend not at the head table be casually responsible for taking pictures on your behalf.

Ahhhhh...It's Over...

When all is said and done, breath for the first time since your engagement! You may feel some post-wedding anxiety disorder...this is normal. For so long every free moment you have had has been spent planning your one big day. It is a bizarre feeling not having to do this anymore. For the first time in a year and a half, I sat down and watched t.v. I kept feeling like I should be doing something other than nothing. This led me to slight anxiety issues as I no longer had anything to do to fill my free time. Enjoy this time as thank-you cards are the next step and boy, are these tedious!

One Week To Go....Last Minute Tips!

O.K. - will one week to go until the wedding day,(wow - time flies!!)...I have some suggestions on what you can do in the home stretch.
1. Call or e-mail all of your vendors and make sure everything is accurate and ready to go - have your contracts out to review with them and make sure you're on top of the payments!
2. Practice dancing the first dance with your groom.
3. Practice your vows with your groom!
4. Walk around your home in your wedding shoes...are they comfy? If not, buy the appropriate inserts!
5. Make lists...they make you feel better!!!
6. Get and review your marriage license - ensure all fields are filled out correctly or your marriage isn't legal!!
7. Sleep lots.
8. Practice your speech.
9. Make sure your bmaids are updated on everything and see whether they have any questions.
10. Ensure all people involved in your ceremony and reception have a printed out itinerary of the day.

Have fun!!!!

Pre-Wedding Honeymoon...

In my last post I discussed taking some time to yourselves (groom & bride) to relieve any stress in your wedding-planning lives...well...I recommend something more extreme now. I just got back from five days in Hawaii with my fiancee - a trip I came so close to not attending! (Adam qualified for this trip through his work, otherwise Hawaii wouldn't have been an option). It was so relaxing, hot and far, far away from wedding-planning mayhem! Obviously Hawaii is a stretch due to the incredible expense that flights and accommodations cost there, but if you can find a way to go somewhere sunny and warm for a week a month before your big day, you'll be so thankful that you took my advice. You'll come home relaxed and ready to wed! We practiced our vows there and just talked about all of our thoughts and concerns regarding the big day. It's so easy to lose focus when wedding planning - often times the bride can put too much time and energy in to the details of the day instead of cherishing the reasons why you're getting married in the first place. You have to enjoy the day and in order to do that you need to stay connected to your groom. I found that really getting away was the best thing for us and we're more ready than ever to get married!

Relax!

The countdown is on...in 5 weeks I will be a married woman! Although the majority of the wedding details are booked and ready to go, there are a million little things to do...I'm finding this to be more intense than the big stuff. Here's some advice for you - take a time out! Take a day (or two) to yourself to get your mind off the wedding work so that you can attack your 'to do' list in a refreshed manner. Go to the spa, have a movie day, go to dinner, take a weekend away - anything that you enjoy doing that will be distracting enough for you to 'forget' everything that needs to be done so that you can relax! Believe me - you'll be a happy girl if you take this advice!

Get the Groom Involved!

If your husband-to-be is anything like mine, he has no idea what goes in to wedding planning. Although he always asks how he can help with the process, other than keeping me sane, (which is a huge task!), there's nothing much he can do on his own . If your groom wants to be involved, here are some things he can do to be a part of planning the big day!

1. The D.J and the music! Adam and I went together to pick the D.J. and he was a huge help. He negotiated prices/packages to ensure that we were getting the best deal possible. Also, ask your groom to make a list of songs that he wants to hear at the wedding (tell him to pick about 10 as there is usually only 3 hours for dancing after dinner and you have to think of yourself and your guests as well).

2. The tux! Your groom's tux and those of the groomsmen are important to the overall wedding party attire flow of the day. The boys also have to be comfortable in their clothes, so have the groom find and try-on some options that he likes. You should be there if you can because when we went I found out that Adam liked all white suits...and that just wasn't going to be a good thing! We found ways to tie in his interests though and ended up with a lovely, comfortable tux for him and his men.

3. The Marriage License! This is something he can do on his own. It's simple and non-negotiable. Have him pick it up or download it. Adam really felt like he had accomplished something great when he completed this task and it was very cute.

4. Run Errands! Although this is not their favorite thing to do, they still feel like they've contributed when they do so. For instance, when wedding gifts start arriving for you and need to be picked up from the place that you are registered at, tell the groom to go get it!

5. The Wedding Band! The groom needs to be as happy with his band as you are with yours. Tell him to look on-line or browse jewellery stores for styles that he likes. He may want some help picking the final design out, but don't pick his style for him...you want him to keep the ring on, don't you? Adam and I went to a couple different places and although our styles are different, they are made of the same material so that they look somewhat similar.

6. The Food! This was Adam's favorite part, (go figure). Go to your venue closer to the wedding day and try several different options. It's important to get his perspective on this piece as he may be speaking on behalf of a lot of men on the wedding day! Food is the thing that stands out most to Adam from weddings that we've been to...so I assume that's the same for a lot of guys!

7. Pictures! Your photographer will likely ask you who you 100% need pics of on the wedding day, so ask your groom to make a small list of these people. I gave Adam the guest list to look at so he could list everyone he wanted.

8. Wedding Party Pairs! Together, go over the groomsmen and bridesmaids to come up with the appropriate pairings of the day. We had fun with this part and we're eager to see what comes of it!!!

9. The Master of Ceremonies! This should be someone that you both feel a connection to, unless one of you has a particularily special person in mind and the other doesn't! Adam had a lot of input on this piece and we settled on a good friend of his who is very close to both of us now. Adam had a hard time picking groomsmen as he wanted more than reasonable (26!)...so he thought it would be nice to pick one of those guys who didn't 'make the cut' as Adam puts it.

10. Personal Grooming! It's important for him to feel good that day...although he may not know it, feeling good has a lot to do with looking good that day (all eyes are on the two of you!). Ask him what some things are he would like to have done that he wouldn't usually do to get prepared. This could be something simple like getting a foam shave and/or a manicure. In our case, Adam decided it was finally time to return to the dentist for a cleaning!

Words of Advice for the Traditional Wedding-Planner Beginner!

There is no 'Wedding-Planning for Dummies' instruction guide...from one bride to another - here are my top 6 recommendations for you to follow when decision making regarding your traditional big day!

1. Draw up a rough guest list of 'must be there' people - this will give you a rough idea of the number of guests to attend your wedding, (don't forget that all single or un-married adults count for two as you invite them plus their guest!)....the guest list is the single most important part as all other pieces flow from there. When you've settled on a guest list, run it by your parents and in-laws to see of any other necessary additions on their end!

2. The budget is influenced by the guest list, but shouldn't be the ultimate decsion-maker regarding who you invite. The guests are so essential to your day - don't leave anyone important out if you can't afford to have them there...just think of other alternatives to stay within budget. You can have a perfect, beautiful day on a budget. Come up with an affordable number...don't break the bank as after the day is over you want to enjoy being together instead of worrying about how to pay off wedding debts! There are a lot of little things that you cannot budget for, so leave a reserve amount in your budget for "other wedding expenses".

3. The venue for the day is such an important element as nothing else can be accomplished until you have those items settled. The venue dictates the tone of the wedding...everything from location, (will guests need hotel rooms?), to colour scheme. This all may seem nuts right now, but you'll soon learn how important these details are! The venue can consist of multiple sites as well, so keep distances between these sites in mind, (such as church and reception hall).

4. THINK ABOUT YOUR WEDDING PARTY IN DEPTH! First, tell your spouse not to ask people right away (aside from the obvious siblings) to be in his/her wedding party as their numbers help determine yours (and if they prematurely ask people there's no diplomatic way to retract their role...trust me!). These people will be in your pictures forever and in the memories of your wedding forever...think long and hard about who you want to remember! Think also of friends/family that will be able or willing to help out when you need an extra hand...believe me...you'll need some help!

5. Think about a date! People will ask you constantly when the day is and it can get pretty annoying (although it's sweet that people care!). Think about seasons of choice as the cost of your wedding will fluctuate accordingly. Typically, venues and vendors will have high-season and low-season rates.

6. Don't let anyone influence your decision-making process other than your soon-to-be spouse! The day should reflect the two of you and your personalities...trust me, everyone has an opinion on how your day should look!