Every bride feels that stress, especially those last couple of weeks before the wedding. Making sure all the details are perfect can be very exhausting! Here are some random tips that we’ve put together through our experience with weddings. Hopefully they will be of some help to you.

1.Describe your dream wedding in only three words.

This is helpful in the very early stages of planning, to define in your mind what exactly it is that you want!  We are not necessarily talking about your colors here, but rather what you want to EXPERIENCE at your wedding. What three words capture the essence of what you want YOUR day to be like? It could be anything from beach, breezy, and light, to romantic, candles, and ballroom. It could be contemporary, cool, and simple, or relaxed, garden, luncheon. What do YOU want it to be? Be sure to use these descriptive words with your planner, florist, friends, etc. so that everyone knows how to help you achieve your perfect style!

2. Make a list of priorities.

You should plan to make some splurges on things that are important to achieving your wedding day style, and also be okay with some concessions as well. Make a list of priorities in order of importance. The things that come out closer to number one you can expect to put higher on your budget list. You can also plan to spend more time on these things. You can also make a list of things you are willing to compromise on, and a list of things you don’t mind omitting completely.

Here’s an example:

Making clear priority lists that you can share with anyone helping you plan will eliminate a lot of heartache when it comes to decision-making time.  This will help you be sure you are achieving the biggest bang for your buck!

3. Do not overlook the benefit of daylight lit weddings.

Often people think of weddings as candlelight = romantic. This is not always true!  Lovely dinner parties lit only by the light of a thousand tiny lights will never go out of style for weddings, but it’s not the only way to achieve a romantic feel for your reception.  The power of the mood is all in the details!  Natural light weddings can have more of a fun, relaxed feel to them, while walking into a dimly lit reception hall often gives more of a whisper-don’t-talk, formal type of atmosphere. When you’ve narrowed down your wedding day style, it will be easy to determine what mood you would like your guests to experience.

4. Outdoor weddings are awesome.

From a photographers perspective especially, outdoor weddings create a several advantages. The lighting is more even than the typical fluorescent-incandescant-daylight-flash combination lighting scenarios, and the backdrops are naturally beautiful. If there are children at the wedding, they are easily entertained outdoors. Guests feel relaxed and its easy to have a good time.  Even if you find your wedding day threatened by rain, a quick downpour is not the end of the world if you are prepared for it! A little rain can make for lots of memories and special moments you could never have planned for.

5. Make sure the light is right.

If you decide to have your wedding indoors, try to avoid lots of mixed lighting sources. But while we of course love all natural window light, it is better to have plenty of light than a too dim ceremony to work with. Remember that our eyes see light better than the camera can, so you can’t judge the light by how well you can see! To avoid grainy images, you will need to make sure your wedding is well-lit.

6. Figure out the line between “significant tradition” and “just plain overdone”. 

There is a fine line between observing customs that are traditional and have meaning, and the things that we do just because we have always done them. You want your wedding to be unique and memorable, and one of the best ways to achieve this is to include personal details that haven’t been overdone in your circle of friends. You may also decide to eliminate customs that don’t hold much meaning for you. Do you feel like the traditional cake cutting and optional smashing is an important detail? If not, there’s no law to make you do it. If you don’t enjoy standing in a long receiving line at other weddings, why plan on doing this at yours? We do need to keep in mind, however, that ceremonies are by definition ritual observances done by tradition. We don’t want to strip weddings of important customs just because “everyone always does that”!   If you’re not crazy about a tradition, but also not ready to throw it out the window, just reinvent it. For example, the lighting of the unity candle / sand ceremony has meaning, but is usually done the same way from wedding to wedding. How about somehow incorporating this part of the service into your vows? You could even save it for the reception. If you don’t like receiving lines or the typical bridal party entrance announcement, you could plan a pleasant surprise by being in place to welcome everyone to your reception party!  Observe, reinvent, or omit… you should discuss this with your fiancée and family to determine how you are going to make a day full of significance that will be appreciated and memorable for everyone.

7.Use one kind and color of flower to make a statement.

If you want to save some money on flowers, but not skimp on style and impact, this is a great option!  Stick with one, inexpensive flower variety and color then bunch together in masses for bouquets and arrangements. Try to stay in season, too. Your florist will have less time in arranging the flowers, and you may get a better deal if you are ordering large amounts of a variety. Some gorgeous monochromatic themes we’ve seen:

Photo by Dixie Pixel.

A handful of tulips.

Photo courtesy of nataliebowendesigns.com

Lots and lots of carnations, packed together.

Photo from thebudgetsavvybride.com

A simple, lovely bunch of babies breath.

Roses, of course.

Another thing to keep in mind, if you do a green color scheme for your flowers, there are ALWAYS grasses and green plants that you can grow in your own backyard.

Photo from bhg.com

A simple arrangement of hosta leaves.

Photo from bhg.com

Colorful fall leaves in small vases.

Also, if you know someone who is willing and talented, think of letting a friend arrange your flowers. You can be comfortable telling her exactly what you want and it will be easier on your wallet.

8. If you are planning to do outdoor pictures in the cold, dress appropriately!

This is important for the entire bridal party. Be sure to have a sweater or jacket that you do not mind seeing in pictures for you and your bridesmaids. You do not want anyone getting sick!

9. Work with a wedding planner! 

I know this sounds like a tall order for some, and you may not have planned to budget for it, but it will be well worth your pennies! A wedding planner will make your wishes her agenda so that your day can be stress free and effortless on your part. She will take your vision for mood, style, decor, etc. and do the legwork needed to get things done. A wedding planner will help you know where to shop, have lots of great vendor referrals, give advice on ways to make the day flow, give you suggestions on unique ideas, pretty decorations, and help you get all organized! If you absolutely cannot afford a wedding planner, think about asking a friend (someone aside from the wedding coordinator or personal attendant) who does not have a part in your wedding to make sure that everything is running smoothly in the days leading up to your wedding, and especially the day of.

10. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Remember, you are getting married! Whether this day goes completely according to plan or not, you are still marrying the person that you love the most. So smile, laugh, and soak up every minute, because it will fly by so quickly that details will be fuzzy soon after. Relax and let the people in place to help you do their jobs! And even if nothing seems to go the way it was supposed to, you still got the best thing out of it ..”Someone to love you forever”.

Do you have some great tips to add? let us know in the comments.