This might be a tad long, but I feel it is great advice for your wedding day
1- First and foremost, remember that it is a celebration. It is meant to be fun, exciting, romantic, outstanding and memorable.
2- Stress free. Plan everything in advance. Don’t leave decisions for “day of.” You, your new family and friends are there to celebrate and be “in the moment” not worrying about the food, music, flowers, coordinating or whatever.
3- Make it YOUR day. Getting ideas and input from everyone is good. Great ideas come from everywhere, but at the end of the day, 30 years from now, you want to remember that you got exactly what you wanted down to the pink and purple wedding cake! (Just an example, I have never seen one )
4- You don’t have to invite everyone. Weddings can be expensive and it is hard to know who and who not to invite. Picking friends and family to be with you on your special day can be a chore. Having 75 close personal friends will make your day much more relaxed and enjoyable than having 200 acquaintances you felt obligated to invite.
5- Don’t overstay your welcome. By this I mean when it comes to overtime, really decide if it is necessary. There will always be a few people who will want to stay and party until the cows come home. But having an amazing ending to put a cap on the beautiful day will be remembered more fondly than the party that just kind of fizzled out at the end.
6- EAT! I see this all the time when people get so caught up in talking to everyone, that at dinnertime they fail to eat a decent meal. Remember that this is going to be a long day for you both. I suggest to people to have a “Sweetheart” table just for you two so you have a little privacy for your first meal together as a married couple.
7- Decide what is important to you. This will be different for everyone. To some, the food may be the most important thing. Others, the venue, or the DJ, the band, or the photographer. To some it’s the flowers. You can cut corners on some things to save money for the one thing that is most important to you. A few dollars saved will make a huge difference when put towards that one special thing instead.
8- Remember that this is YOUR day, but also it is for all your friends and family that are coming to be a part of it. It’s hard to plan for everyone’s taste in food, music, venue and so on, but do remember that they are coming to be with you. Some take days off of work or travel great distances to be with you. Make it fun for them also.
9- Get help but do not plan on having Mom, a sister or a close friend be in charge of coordinating, cooking, playing the music or whatever. Remember they are there to celebrate your day also. Let them.
10- Hire professionals. This will help with the whole list I have just made. Stress free, relaxed, let your professional event specialists guide you through your day. Remember the people that you hire have done more events than you have. Trust them. It is YOUR day but listen to your wedding staff. Your Planner/Coordinator, DJ, caterer, florist, photographer, videographer, venue manager, stylist and so on. Together they have years of experience and can help you achieve the day of your dreams.
