Modern Twists on Tradition

From the time early man started drawing on cave walls, cultures have had traditions that connect us to both the past and the future. But traditions evolve along with society — fortunately, throwing raw eggs at brides to promote fertility went out of fashion a few centuries back — so it’s perfectly acceptable to put your own twist on tradition to personalize your wedding ceremony and reception.

The Cake

One of the more iconic traditions in American culture is the multi-tiered wedding cake. But deliciousness notwithstanding, many couples are opting to serve a selection of smaller cakes — even cupcakes — either as part of a dessert spread or as centerpieces. Some receptions forego the cake completely in favor of a dessert preferred by the couple. And really, why spend a small fortune on a dessert you really don’t like. These days everything from ice cream sundaes to cheesecake to apple pie is on the table. And those worried no wedding cake means a lost photo opp, sharing ice cream or slicing a pie can provide a just-as-memorable Kodak moment.

The Bouquet Toss

A growing number of brides are also foregoing the traditional tossing of the bouquet. Not all their single friends necessarily want to participate, and in some cases the bride ends up throwing the bouquet to a bunch of teens and tweens. A new twist has the bride choosing a special friend or family member to receive the bouquet as acknowledgment of their affection. Some give the bouquet to the couple in attendance who has been married the longest, in recognition of their years of togetherness. For the youngsters in the crowd, toss a cute stuffed animal for them to catch.

Other Traditions

In a more socially conservative time, the bride and groom — eager to get started on the honeymoon — would spend some time at the reception then be the first ones out the door, leaving their guests to dance, drink, and party the night away. A growing number of couples, many of whom have already been living together for some time prior to getting married, are choosing to stay until the end of the evening to participate in the festivities with family and friends.

The first dance of the evening has traditionally been a slow dance, but some more extroverted — and coordinated — couples take to the floor with a lively salsa or sensual tango. Again, the idea is to have a wedding and reception that reflects your personality and preferences.

A new trend that is turning into a fun tradition is the signature cocktail. This is where the couple chooses a special drink to be served prior to the wedding during a cocktail hour — witty name optional. The drinks can also integrate the bride’s color scheme.

Lastly, while many brides still opt to have their father or father figure “give them away,” more brides are choosing to have both parents accompany her down the aisle.

Remember, the wedding ceremony and reception is designed to be enjoyed by everyone, but in the end, it’s all about you. Put your personal stamp on time-honored traditions or start one of your own to make your special day truly your own.

Making Dress Buying an Enjoyable Journey

Buying a designer wedding dress isn’t a shopping excursion; it is a process. Taking the time to work out a simple strategy before you ever step foot in a bridal shop will save you time, stress, frustration, and even money.

Before Beginning

Before you ever open a wedding gown magazine, you should decide on the location of your wedding. If you want a beach ceremony in the middle of summer, a heavy floor-length gown with a long train may not be the best choice. If you plan a church wedding, that sexy red wedding dress with the plunging neckline may be considered a tad inappropriate. Nailing down the location and the date of the ceremony first will prevent discomfort or costly alterations later.

Likewise, determine your wedding color scheme before shopping so you can coordinate dress color or embellishments accordingly. There are numerous online sites where you can check out colors, and color combinations, that appeal to you.

What Kind of Gown is Right for You?

The best wedding gowns look seamless. But beneath that appearance of effortlessness is a lot of elements coming together just right. So familiarize yourself with the various elements that must complement each other and the bride. For example, the silhouette, or shape, of the gown needs to work for the bride’s height and weight. A very short woman may get lost in the dress if it has a huge hoop skirt. Also, the various available waistline styles (Basque, dropped, empire, or A-line) need to flatter a bride’s physique.

If you’re a traditionalist, you may want the iconic white gown. But wedding dresses now come in a variety of colors, from ombre and pastels to bold reds. This enables brides to choose the dress that best fits their personality. Once you’ve narrowed down the styles of dresses you’d like to shop for, it is wise to know what your budget is. And remember that budget also needs to cover any needed alterations, a veil if desired, added embroidery, and shoes.

The Shopping Process

Now that your prep work is done, it’s time to hit the boutiques, bridal fairs, and trunk shows. The earlier you start looking, the better — ideally at least six months prior to the ceremony. This way you have the time to explore your options and not feel rushed into buying a dress you may not be completely wild about. Try on a lot of dresses, because a wedding gown doesn’t truly express its personality until it is worn. And the more dresses you try on, the better idea you’ll get of what feels right for you. Also, don’t freak out that you’ve gained unexpected weight when they bring out a larger size than what you wear in day clothes. Generally speaking, wedding gowns run small, so taking proper measurements is important — they are supposed to be comfortable and let you move comfortably. So invest in a good alteration so you don’t feel constricted on your big day.

Lastly, do not go by yourself to try on wedding dresses. Take along a close friend who will give you an honest appraisal of the dress and who will also make the process fun and less stressful. Once you narrow your choices down to one or two, you may want the input of other friends or family. Just remember, the final choice is yours, so follow your heart’s — and personal fashion sense’s — desire.

The Recessionista Bride: Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Day

When your pocketbook seems to take on a life of its own and starts bleeding money, you’ve got to get creative when it comes to funding the wedding of your dreams.

According to the most recent results of TheKnot.com’s annual survey of brides, the average cost of a wedding in 2013 was around $30,000. This average continues to increase, with this past year being up 5% from the year before, and this number is only an average calculated using the 13,000 brides who completed the survey, so it doesn’t take into consideration the thousands of other brides across the country who splurged on their wedding day or who have a hefty bank account.

Money Saving Tips

The Dress

When it comes to your special day, you don’t have to sacrifice your style or completely omit certain elements just to save a dollar. You can tighten the purse strings in other ways to get the most out of your wedding. For starters, when it comes to apparel, you can visit secondhand bridal shops for designer wedding dresses at a bargain price, or you can shop at bridal stores that specialize in new but discounted wedding gowns.

Do-It-Yourself

Do-it-yourself brides can scour through bridal magazines and peruse websites like Pinterest that offer inspiration and instructions for creating budget-friendly centerpieces and other decorative event accents for a fraction of the retail cost or vendor rental fee. Other couples can capitalize on their resources, recruiting talented friends who are skilled in a variety of areas related to wedding day needs; perhaps a pal is a graphic designer who could assist in the designing of the paper products, or maybe the couple has a friend who has a knack for floral design or baking cakes. When it comes to saving money, couples need to live by the mantra, “It doesn’t hurt to ask.” Most of the time these friends would be more than willing to donate their time and would either have the couple purchase the supplies needed or pay for them instead of purchasing a gift off the couple’s registry.

Choice of Venue

The cost of the venue can take up a large portion of the wedding budget, and while it will most likely remain that way, for this line item there are several ways for couples to still shave money from their budget. To begin with, couples can choose a venue that already comes with the necessities needed for a reception, i.e. tables, chairs, place settings, etc. By choosing a location like a hotel, you’ll save money because these items are in-house, so you’ll avoid paying potentially costly rental fees from outside vendors. Hotels are also great locations because most have catering available on-site that, again, saves you from hiring outside vendors. Many hotels will also discount your room rental fee if you have guests staying at the facility. Or when giving the option of dealing with outside vendors, by choosing the hotel to provide those services, they will often extend cost-saving discounts to the bride and groom.

Choosing a Date

May through October has wedding venues in high demand, so opting to marry outside that window typically results in couples seeing significantly lower costs. Days of the week can also make a difference in your location fees. Choosing to marry on a Friday night or having your wedding on a Sunday will lower your costs significantly. Getting married on a weeknight can increase your savings even more, with Wednesday being a popular day for modern brides to save big.

There’s no reason to accumulate unnecessary debt in order to have the wedding of your dreams. By being financially savvy and creative with your funds, you can stretch your budget considerably, giving you the ability to have some flexibility within the line items of your wedding budget. Finding ways to scrimp and save doesn’t have to be a headache. It’s much easier than you think, and by keeping a few of these cost-saving tricks in mind, you’ll be well on your way to creating the wedding of your dreams for a fraction of the price, which is a Recessionista bride’s specialty.

Share your “FAVORites” with Guests on Your Wedding Day

History of Favors

Favors have been a long-standing tradition at special events for centuries, especially weddings. As a gift from a gracious host, favors were intended to spread good fortune and cheer among guests. Originating with brides of the Elizabethan era, “favours” started out as colored ribbons that were sewn onto the bride’s gown, with each ribbon color representing a certain kind of luck. Just like with the modern girl’s hope for luck in love, and thus her obsessive yearning to catch the bridal bouquet, wedding guests in earlier times obsessed over the luck they desired, often inadvertently destroying the bride’s wedding dress in an attempt to grab one of the ribbons. Eventually, mothers of the brides began to carry a surplus of colored ribbons, knotted and placed in a basket for guests to take for themselves, and thus the tradition of the wedding favor was born.

Today’s Favor Trends

More Traditional Favors

When it comes to a modern bride’s wedding favors, those that are actually useful — in lieu of being a purposeless trinket with the couple’s name and wedding date on it — are incredibly popular. Favors that can be consumed, either by eating or drinking, also get a nod of approval from wedding guests. The bride and groom should strive to find favors that are a genuine reflection of them personally or a tangible representation of their love story. These favors are money well spent, as they are generally well received among guests, in addition to those that fit with the wedding season or theme.

Modern Innovations

Wedding favors await guests at the reception and are typically placed at each guest’s place setting. Modern brides have shaken things up a bit and have started to change the way wedding favors are distributed. Some brides have chosen to display the favors in innovative ways, creating a table that serves as a focal point during the reception, like with a candy bar. During the event or at its conclusion, guests then grab a favor and head for the parking lot. Other brides have the favors actually distributed to the guests toward the end of the reception, especially if they are edible, like truffles.
Being innovative doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on wedding favors, though. With average weddings looming in the $30,000 range, couples are getting creative when it comes to certain aspects of their memorable day. Sticking with favors that are either edible or practical is money well spent; otherwise couples should have spent that money elsewhere, since it was a waste.

For Those on a Budget

Budget-conscious couples can jump on board a current and growing trend in the bridal industry, where in lieu of favors, they are making a donation in honor of their guests to a worthy cause or nonprofit organization that is meaningful to them. Because guests don’t know the actual amount the couple has donated, this is a cost-effective way to make a small donation on behalf of their guests to a worthy cause but still maintain the integrity of their wedding budget.

Stand Out

Many favors are predictable and echo the sentiments associated with cookie-cutter weddings: “Oh, another one of these. … Let me toss it in the junk drawer or the trash.” When you aren’t the typical cookie-cutter bride, why don’t your favors reflect this? Opting for unique favors that are meaningful or practical will have guests raving about how great your favors were, especially when the tradition of receiving favors is an expectation that wedding guests share and look forward to.

Unique Wedding Photo Ideas

A woman’s wedding day is typically the most important day in her life, and therefore it should be the most memorable. Since wedding photos are still the most popular form of commemorating and documenting this celebratory occasion, adding some creative, unique approaches to these photographs will only enhance the momentous experience.
One idea for a pair of his and her wedding photos is to have the photographer shoot a picture of the bride’s veil and any train she might have from the back, using black and white film. For the groom, a close-up shot of his tie in color against a totally black and white background will make the color pop. This pair of photos allows the couple to commemorate their special day while capturing the meaning of their choice in accessories.

There are also a number of ideas based on the season of a wedding that make for interesting photo options for the bride and groom. If the wedding is in winter, perhaps a photograph of the happy couple dressed in mostly black against a snowy background, maybe at the site of their proposal, would make for an interesting, not to mention memorable, photograph to look back on down the road. Another romantic idea for winter features the happy couple trying to catch snowflakes.

For a spring wedding, a photograph set in an area featuring a large array of blossoming flowers or even something a little bit crazy like the butterfly exhibit at a local zoo, with butterflies fluttering over and around the happy couple as they are photographed somewhat candidly or seriously, will help mark the occasion. Another photo idea features the groom kneeling in front of his bride, offering her the wedding bouquet, with the photo focusing mostly on the bouquet itself.

If the wedding is scheduled for summer, maybe a beach photo or a summer sport the couple enjoys, like baseball, is the way to go. A visit to a playground, especially if it is a significant spot for the couple, can provide the perfect backdrop, with the bride and groom taking turns pushing each other on the swings or playing on other equipment. Like the spring ideas, these photos can also be done both candidly and seriously. These type of photos are fun for the couple to look back on and smile at while remembering the most important day of their lives.

Autumn weddings, especially late autumn weddings when the leaves have fallen, can be enhanced with photos taken in a park or wooded area against trees without leaves. Another choice might be to incorporate the brilliant colors of autumn — the oranges and reds — by perhaps posing the bride and groom laying in a pile of leaves together.

Other Romantic Ideas

If the couple will be dancing the traditional first dance, a beautiful photograph can be captured with most of the room dark and the slightest bit of light shining on the couple as they dance on the floor alone. An alternative to this photo might be to photograph the couple and have only them in color against a black and white dance floor and room.

For fairy tale fan couples, a great idea is posing in a Romeo and Juliet scene, perhaps from an elaborate staircase in the wedding location or even a staircase significant to the couple, or of the bride or groom individually. Another storybook inspiration idea comes from Cinderella, posing the groom close up from behind, holding one of the bride’s shoes as he chases after her — a bit blurred in the distance in her wedding gown. Another idea is a photograph of the bride and groom’s shoes, with or without their feet inside.

Sharing Your Love Story on Your Wedding Day

Tell All in Your Wedding Programs

If your love story is an interesting or unique one, sit down with your spouse-to-be and write it out for the world to read. Publish the tale in your wedding program for your guests to read as they anxiously await your nuptials. This is especially fun for guests who do not already know how you met or the journey that led up to your wedding day.

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, a beautifully arranged photo collage chronicling your love story will write the book for you and your future spouse. For some couples who have known each other since elementary school, the collage may include some of those first special memories, perhaps on the playground or kindergarten graduation. Other couples met at their place of employment, some even serving together in the military. Sharing these pictures of the two of you working or serving together can enhance the specialness of the occasion.

Arrange the photos near the guestbook or maybe on the walls of the reception hall. You can also take this idea a step further by creating a video showing off your photo journey, set to a song which is somehow meaningful.

Inspiring Invitations

If there is something significant in your love journey, design or choose a style of wedding invitations to commemorate this aspect of your journey. For example, one couple met in kindergarten and went through their entire school career together. While they were each other’s first kiss as youngsters, they did not become a couple until their senior year of high school. When the groom-to-be proposed, he did it at the swings on the playground of their old elementary school. In their invitations, they included a picture of them as children playing together and a photo of the two of them as adults on the swings in the same place.
This idea can work in a multitude of ways, even without photographs. If you met someplace special, maybe a map of the place you met at can be the background image for the invitations. You can also add a level of creativity by adding pins on the map of special places where you spent time together as your romance grew.

Decorate With Your Story

Some couples have trouble deciding how to decorate for their reception. What better way to decorate than with pieces that tell the story of your journey of love? For the couple mentioned previously who met in elementary school, for example, aspects reminiscent of a playground make for romantic decoration choices. One couple who met working at an old-fashioned-style diner decided to decorate using items reminiscent of the 1950s, complete with a 1957 Chevy outside the reception hall — the perfect place for the wedding party to pose for photographs.

When you tie the knot, convey to the world the special journey that led you both down the aisle. There is no better way to celebrate your life and love together than by telling your love story in whatever way you choose to tell it.

How to Create a Social Media Frenzy for Your Chosen Wedding Dress

The next best thing to showing off your engagement ring as a new bride-to-be is showing off your chosen gown for the upcoming occasion. Here are some tips guaranteed to make your wedding gown go viral among your friends and family:

 Instagram

Chrissy Teigen posted an Instagram photo featuring her posing in her elegant Vera Wang gown after marrying John Legend in Lake Como, Italy. The post quickly went viral, with everyone wanting to see the dress and how the blushing bride looked wearing it.

If you want to feel like a celebrity, post an Instagram shot of you trying on your chosen gown, much like Teigen after her wedding. If you are superstitious and don’t want to take the chance of the groom sneaking a peek of your viral photo, consider a photo featuring only the gown or with the gown simply draped over you in some way.

Facebook

Announcing both your dress and your engagement at the same time can create quite the frenzy, particularly over the social media giant Facebook. It is likely most of the people you want to see your aspiring viral post are Facebook users over other social media sites. This will make it easy to share your message with the world — at least your little corner of it.

Post a photo of you in your chosen dress, perhaps with the date of your engagement across the photo, and tag all the people you want to be certain to see it. Within moments, you will begin receiving messages that friends “liked” your post, and before you know it, you will be a top story on the newsfeeds of your friends and family members.

Twitter

If you have a large Twitter following, simply post a photo of yourself in your wedding gown or beside or holding your chosen gown, or even just a link to a photo, with a simple tweet such as, “Ready to tie the knot.” Before you know it, all of your friends and family who “follow” you will be retweeting your message all over cyberspace.

Google+

If you have a circle of family and friends, even acquaintances, on Google+, consider sharing something similar to your “Ready to tie the knot” tweet on Twitter. While many are still not familiar with utilizing this particular social media platform, it is estimated to service 120 million users, so there is bound to be someone you know with whom you can share your exciting news.

Put It All Together

The best strategy is to make each message identical or nearly identical so you present a uniform splash when you begin posting your gown. You want everyone you know to see the gorgeous gown you’ve chosen, but you don’t want them confused, thinking you are still trying to decide. Therefore, when you post a photo, use the same one on each site. Release all of your posts and tweets through an app like Post-Planner or something similar so everything hits the airwaves at approximately the same moment. If people are connected to you on more than one social media site, this will only motivate them to share your info on a multiple-fold basis.

While you may not be a real celebrity, for the period of your engagement and on your wedding day, it is OK to be the center of your friends’ attention. Feel special and glamorous for a day, or even a few days, while all of your friends and family share in your joy, congratulating you on your engagement and commenting on your wedding dress fashion sense. 

There are so many fabulous wedding venue options in Boston. We at Bridepower have taken a good look at all the possibilities and have compiled this list, in no particular order, of the absolute best places to book for your big day. From small weddings to large affairs, we have you covered. The top ten picks below cater to every style wedding and include some hidden gems that you may not have known about! Enjoy.

The Boston Public Library

Boston Public Library Wedding Venue
Photo credit: bpl.org

The Boston Public Library has become a popular choice for a unique space to hold wedding ceremonies and receptions. It embodies all that is elegant, timeless, and historic. This is the perfect venue for the bride who wants to have an elaborate formal affair. The library also has a variety of event intimate spaces for those brides who want to have a smaller wedding.

Alden Castle

Alden Castle Wedding Venue
Photo credit: longwoodevents.com

Alden Castle is simply stunning. This Tudor-style castle oozes romance with large grand spaces with by soaring ceiling, wood inlays, and gorgeous chandeliers. This venue is fantastic for a large wedding, and really brings the old world charm to the big day. There is a vintage ballroom, a garden room, a wine cellar, and modern club from which to choose your perfect setting.

The Boston Opera House

The Boston Opera House Venue
Photo credit: ticketingbox.com

When you have your wedding at The Boston Opera House, all the world’s a stage, literally. After a staggering $50 million in renovations in 2004, the theater can house large weddings. Or, you can have a smaller, intimate gathering in one of the historical lobbies. And don’t forget about an astonishing dinner on the stage! Your wedding day will be a day you and your guests will never forget.

Pier 4 at the Courageous Sailing Center

Pier 4 Courageous Sailing Center Venue
Photo credit: caperscatering.com

Pier 4 at the Courageous Sailing Center is not a Boston venue that everyone is aware of. It is what we call a hidden gem for an intimate, yet elegant wedding venue. The non-profit center normally functions as a family recreational facility, but it also hosts weddings year round. You will be astonished by the breathtaking, unobstructed views of Boston Harbor and the city skyline. This really is undiscovered territory, so be unique and check it out of you are a water lover!

Elite Private Yachts

Seaport Elite II Private Yacht Venue
Photo credit: eventup.com

With Elite Private Yachts, land and sea lovers alike will be impressed with this wedding venue. Create a one-of-a-kind day aboard your own private yacht. With its sensational views and completely customizable options, the Seaport Elite is Boston’s most exclusive dining and entertainment experience. An intimate wedding event aboard the Seaport Elite will be an affair to remember.

Hampshire House

Hampshire House Wedding Venue
Photo credit: hampshirehouse.com

The Hampshire House is one of Boston’s premier wedding venues and reception locations. Relax amidst comfortable luxury exquisite setting that will make you feel like royalty. Whether you are envisioning an intimate champagne brunch or a large, elaborate evening reception, the Hampshire House will fit the bill. This stunning house is among one of the area’s most prestigious venues.

Omni Parker House

Omni Parker House Venue
Photo credit: omnihotels.com

The historic Omni Parker House is very well known as one of the most popular wedding venues in Boston, and for good reason! It has been hosting couples since 1855. People of all ages can enjoy the modern amenities mixed with lovely historic charm. One of the main draws is the balcony, where the bride and groom, as well as the guests can take beautiful photos with the landscape of Boston in the background. The famous rooftop ballroom, the only one in the city, occupies the entire 15th floor!

State Room (Boston, MA)

State Room Venue
Photo credit: longwoodevents.com

The State Room is known for it absolutely stunning floor to ceiling windows and four different rooms to choose from for your wedding reception, each providing guests with a breathtaking view of Boston. Contemporary couples love this venue as it has a modern feel. For large or small affairs, it has made our list for views of a lifetime. For six years in a row, the State Room has been awarded “Best Wedding Reception” by the Know Magazine.

Artists for Humanity EpiCenter

Artists for Humanity EpiCenter Venue
Photo credit: afhboston.org

The EpiCenter is another hidden gem and awesome pick of ours. It is perfect for an eco-friendly couple, as it holds the title of Boston’s only LEED Platinum building. The super modern, industrial-looking space is a able to house a small wedding or large elaborate weddings. An added bonus is a garage-inspired glass door that can open to a 1,200 square-foot courtyard!

Venezia Waterfront Banquet Facility & Restaurant

Venezia Waterfront Banquet Venue
Photo credit: veneziaboston.com

The Venezia Waterfront Banquet Facility & Restaurant is a taste of Venice or Italy right around Boston! This is another venue that may not be that well known, but we love it! Every bride dreams of the perfect, romantic reception site that will bring to life her dream wedding. It boasts a fantastic ballroom overlooking the water, with unforgettable views of the Boston skyline. Sunset weddings are to die for and the venue is flexible about the number of guests it can accommodate.

Have you been married in Boston recently? If so, where did you have your wedding at? Would you recommend the venue to others? Please share your thoughts with our readers below!

Don’t wait too late to start shopping for your dream dress!

Give yourself plenty of time to complete your look before the wedding day!

Many brides make the huge mistake of procrastinating or waiting until the last minute to look for a wedding gown. They are under the assumption that it is a quick and easy task; when in fact, it is far from it. If you want to look your best and have the dress of your dreams, it is of the utmost importance that you shop for your wedding dress well in advance. How far in advance you ask? The answer is at least nine months, but a year is even better. Below are the top reasons to go get that dress early and in advance!

Allow enough time to find your dream dress: Some brides think that finding the right dress for them will be a quick thing to do. One trip, and you are finished. Maybe this does happen for a few ladies, but for the most part you are looking at more than one trip and days of searching. Also, consider your schedule. If you work full-time, you are going to have to search on the weekends, which in part could take even a month. You want to take your time and find a wedding gown you love. Never settle for less.

Allow enough time for it to arrive on time: It is so important to know that if you order a gown, it can take up to six months to receive it. This is especially true for custom wedding gowns that can take even longer! So, be sure and order your dress early to avoid stress.

Allow enough time for alterations: Never underestimate how long alterations may take. But you can almost bet that you will need some after your dress comes in. If they are extensive it could take several weeks to get them done. You need to factor this into your timeline. If you wait until the last minute to order or purchase the dress, the alterations may not be able to be done on time.

Allow time to accessorize the dress perfectly: This is a step in completing your bridal ensemble that some brides completely overlook. Once your dress arrives, you want to give yourself sufficient time to pick out the bridal accessories such as shoes, jewelry, handbag, etc. This may take some time to find the perfect compliment to your gown. Rushing to throw together a look is something you want to avoid.

It’s no secret that wedding planning can be stressful! How can you beat the heat?

It’s perfectly natural to be stressed out more and more as your wedding day approaches; however, you shouldn’t be!

You know what they say, stressed is just desserts spelled backwards. Short of scheduling multiple days of cake tastings though, how can you deal with wedding day and wedding planning stress? Tackle it like any other major project! Take a lot of time for yourself, appreciate the progress that you have made and have a sense of humor! We will look at some common wedding planning and wedding day scenarios and try to teach you that it’s easy as pie to start laughing instead of crying.

See also: 5 Tips for Staying Calm When Wedding Planning

It’s your wedding day and not only is it raining all over your expensive and imported flower arrangements but your feet seem to have grown two sizes and you cannot fit into the perfect shoes you ordered and had your gown fitting in. Wedding day disasters are around every corner and while they always seem like the literal end of the world think back to every other time you thought that. How about that time in junior high when you gave a speech to the entire student body and your underwear was sticking out of your pants? It literally felt like the end of the world then too and you might have begged your parents to let you skip school the next day but they always forced you to go and miraculously, the world turned on. When you feel yourself getting into a situation that only slightly falls short of a world war level crisis, remember to take a step back. Maybe have a funny memory on hand. A good memory to pick would be something that used to seem so incredibly embarrassing or important to you and think about how you feel now. Prom was also one of those nights touted as being once in a lifetime and maybe you never found that perfect dress or your hairdo wasn’t as cool as it had looked in the magazine. It doesn’t matter to you at all today and so will it be on your wedding day. Plans are made to fall apart, so when it feels like you just can’t go on without that one thing remember that in a few years you probably won’t even remember that one thing. You don’t need flowers and you could walk down the aisle barefoot, if it doesn’t turn into a funny story then it will be completely forgotten altogether. What you won’t forget is the commitment that you are making on that day and that’s what you should put your energy towards.