Most couples‘ weddings are their first. Other than occasionally attending a cousin’s wedding or being a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding, most have very little experience with how weddings go down. This is a whole new life experience and can definitely be scary to jump into! With whole new emotions, a luxury event, being the center of attention; there’s a lot to consider! That’s why I asked my past clients and married friends for advice to give to future brides and grooms.

• “Focus on sentimental touches. We wrote our own vows, our cocktail drinks were funny things with stories behind them, and I had my grandmother’s ring tied to my bouquet” – Stephanie

• “Not everything will be perfectly how you planned and that’s ok. Dont sweat the small things you cant control” – Alex

• “Don’t rush. The day can’t happen without you being there. Take the time for the extra picture or a minute alone together. That’s what you remember” – Tammy

• “Don’t try to cut through the cardboard in your wedding cake during cake cutting lol”

• “Take the time to visit with your important guests! I was so focused on being a “host” I didn’t get to spend time with important people and I think about that all the time.” – Katie

• “TELL PEOPLE TO EFF OFF. Literally, make sure to give yourself a solid like 30 minutes of not making the rounds and sit down to eat the exorbitantly priced food you paid for. “ – Taylor

• “Take a moment and spend time just the two of you. No one else around…. One of our favorite moments was after the ceremony, after all the pictures, before the reception we sent the photographer and videographer on break and me and my husbond sat alone in the closed zoo on a bench. Just me and him. We dont have any pictures or videos of this moment, but its the moment we remember most.” – Shari

• “Make sure to get fun shots as well when doing your “formal” photos. My two favorite wedding photos are the ones that I just got silly.” – Aaron

• “The day will go by insanely fast – take a minute to sneak away with your new husband to take it all in. also things will go wrong, it is what it is just roll with it.” – Jessica

• “Invest in your attire and your photography. And quality over quantity in everything.” – Jana

• “Get a hair/makeup artist because what you think looks good probably won’t photograph well. Trust the professionals so you don’t regret it later” – Elisebeth

• “Take the time to really research your vendors. I took the time to choose mine and I’m so glad I did because they were all AMAZING! Also, spend any extra money on your honeymoon. No one remembers the details of your wedding besides you. Wouldn’t you rather remember an amazing adventure with your new husband/wife?” – Sarah

• “Give yourself plenty of time to get ready and take pictures! We felt so rushed the whole day!” – Mackenzie

• “Take time to eat all the food you spent months picking out!” – Caitlyn

• “Do the whole wedding the way YOU want to if you’re paying for it. Don’t sacrifice what’s important to you because somebody thinks you’re doing it wrong.” – Danyel

• “Come up with a couple different responses for people when you’re done socializing with them “I’ll see you on the dance floor later” things like that. Also mingle when you can, but as soon as you see one of the courses on your table go and eat it. Get up mingle some more and then once you see the next course go back to your table and eat it, etc. Enjoy the food you’re paying for!!! And lastly if you’re not opposed to a “first look” DO IT. Get all those bridal party pictures done FIRST. Then you can go to your cocktail hour and mingle with guests then! It was so much less stressful.” – Kristin

• “Take the time you need. Have a long engagement if you want. There’s no rush. Oh oh also… do EVERYTHING your way. No matter what. Listen to no one. 😂” – Kailey

• “Cut your wedding cake with a sword 10/10 would do again.” – Kaitrin

• “Know what’s important to you going in and don’t stress about other stuff. I wanted food I really liked but didn’t care so much about music so I let other people take charge of playlists while I focused on getting my perfect taco bar” – Katie

• “Take a few minutes to look around the room and really absorb the moment” – Kayla

• “As long as you both show up, nothing is worth the stress!” – Lacey

• “Remember that it’s not about the wedding, it’s about the life commitment to each other.” – Vannessa