Things I Learned From Planning My Own Wedding

Matt and I got married on September 1^st in Vermont. It was the most amazing day ever. And since our wedding has come and gone ( sadly), I wanted to share some of the things we learned from planning our own wedding!

Have A Budget And Stick To It (for the most part)

It’s so important to have a budget when you begin the wedding planning process. Matt and I had all kinds of excel documents that tracked our spending, and it was a great way to stay within our means. Having a (loose) budget helps to set your expectations from the start so you’re not disappointed when you find out your dream wedding cake is $3,000. For the record, our chocolate chip cookie cake was only $100, and it was amazing! See below for pictures. 😊 For those of you just beginning this process, I want you to know that it is totally possible to plan your wedding without completely breaking the bank. You just need to do a little extra digging!

Don’t Stress Over The Details

Matt and I were pretty good about not stressing about the tiny little details of our wedding, however, there were definitely a few things that we focused on that no one at the wedding even noticed. And they were things that took a lot of time and effort on our part. For example, we created our own brewery themed (we’re big beer drinkers) seating chart which I thought was so cool. And I’m pretty sure no one even paid attention to the creativeness and effort that was put into designing it and printing it ourselves. It’s understandable, but it just goes to show that your guests really aren’t paying a whole lot of attention to the minor details. So if something doesn’t go exactly how you had planned, don’t sweat it!

Splurge On Things That Are Important To You

I know I said to have a budget and stick to it, but there’s an exception to every rule, right? I mean your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life. So, if you’ve had your heart set on a specific wedding dress or an extravagant wedding cake, go for it! Figure out ways to offset the cost of other things so that you don’t go way over your budget. For Matt and I, having a video of our wedding was really important to us (and I’m SO glad we decided to splurge for one). We were able to save money in other areas that were not as important to us, like our flowers and centerpieces.

Write Your Own Vows

I know public speaking can be a very scary thing. Especially when it’s in front of hundreds of people you know and love and you’re pouring your heart and soul out. However, if you can get past the nerves (and I was VERY nervous), it’s so worth it! Matt and I wrote our own vows and it was hands down my favorite part of the entire wedding. When you’re standing up there with your soon-to-be husband, you don’t even pay attention to the people watching. It’s such a special moment that the two of you will cherish forever. If public speaking really isn’t your thing, and you don’t want to read your vows out loud during the ceremony, I would recommend reading them privately to each other. It really is such a special moment.

Relax

I know, how cliche, right? But seriously, your wedding day is one of the best days of your life. Don’t spend the entire day worrying about everything that could possibly go wrong. Enjoy the time you have with your closest friends and family, and just be present in this amazing moment because it really does fly by!