Hey Dolls,
Fretting about your wedding regrets prematurely?
That’s ok, every bride has their “fantasy vs. reality” rain-check after the wedding day. Maybe it’s a part of those post-wedding woes you go through as a bride who expects her wedding day to be nothing short of PERFECT.
As a wife and a industry professional, I have a few good tips on how to minimize your wedding regrets.
DO – make sure you are aware that at least three things are going to go wrong on your wedding day.
That’s right folks, no matter if the conversation is taboo I’m willing to say it. Three things CAN and WILL go wrong on your wedding day. You know what you should do about it? Nothing. You’ve spent the last 9months+ planning this god-damned wedding. If you’ve put the time in, you will see the results.
DO – Hire a live band or a professional DJ.
One of the main things people remember at your wedding will be the dancing. Lame dance-floor, lame wedding. Make sure you leave it to a professional to ensure maximum boogie action
DON’T – DIY music.
I’m talking from personal experience, so good on you brides who managed to actually pull this one off. My husband and I collected music together that we “thought” would appease our wedding crowd. Fending off various family members from resorting to YouTube disaster songs (look up E=McVagina on YouTube and you’ll understand what I mean) was NOT the highlight of my night. After coming to the realization that no-one wanted to listen to post 2005 beats, I spent majority of the “dancing” part of the reception deleting songs from the playlist. Spend the money, hire a professional.
DO – make sure you pack a snack for your photos.
The word on everyone’s lips before the big day is “Bride-zilla”, however what you should be more concerned about is “Hangry-Bridesmaid”. Ya’ll don’t want this to happen, so make sure you remember to throw in some Muslie-bars and Banana’s to fill everyone up. It is a LONG way till dinner, trust me.
DON’T – accidentally forget your snacks in the fridge at the hotel.
Look up the word “hangry“, that is all you need to know.
DO – make sure someone records the speeches.
Again, another personal experience and major wedding win was the recording of our and our loved one’s speeches. I talked last, so you could imagine I was sitting there through everyone’s speeches pretending to be just so happy they were saying all these nice things about David and I. Real talk, I was totally just shitting myself about getting up and talking to the 100+ people in that room. RECORD the speeches, look back on them the following day without the anticipation of public humiliation.
DON’T – give that job to your drunk Uncle.
We didn’t, yay! My beautiful brother-in-law-to-hopefully-be took on the role of our handi-cam man and despite following my sister/maid-of-honor around like a besotted puppy, did a really great job!
DO – have a hair & makeup trial.
Ha! You thought this post was ENTIRELY hair free? Nah. But seriously though, have a trial with your hair & makeup artist/s. It relieves so much stress from you AND your hired beauticians. This means that your professional can swoop on in and focus on beautifying, instead of umming and erring about whether to go a boho-wave or a vintage wave (ie. totally different things so please do your research).
DO – acknowledge what is worth spending the money on.
You know the old saying of, the less you pay the less you get? It’s true. Well.. to a certain extent. If you’re the bride who can afford a $50k wedding dress, you go girl…lend me some money. If you’re the modern bride who has bills to pay, still remember to spend your money on the things that matter most. I break those down to be your:
Photographer – they hold the key to your memories.
Venue – good food, good wine and good atmosphere!
Hair & Makeup – they make you feel beautiful and confident.
Music – they set the mood of your entire day and night.
Don’t – waste your money on…
Invitations – They just get thrown out.
Table Settings – DIY those little buggers, that’s what Pinterest is for.
The Cake – some people may disagree on this. We spent a FORTUNE on our cake to only be presented with a dry piece of crappy baking, only to be un-appreciated by the non-drinkers. Hire a family friend, buy a Cheesecake shop cake. By the end of your reception, no-body gives a hoot about how many tiers were on that cake. Unless you want a “wheel of cheese” cake, hire these guys.
Table Favors – just don’t do them. No one will be offended if they don’t receive a bottle of lollies or a coaster with your Mr & Mrs {insert last name here}.
DO – take a ten minute breather, sit down with your partner and reflect on the day.
One great piece of advice I received from one of my salon-clients was to make sure you have a ten minute reflection with your spouse on your wedding day. Crazy right? The whole day is about your eternal bond as a couple, however you don’t actually get many moments together alone on the big day. Spend ten precious minutes with your husband/wife to acknowledge the day, de-brief and appreciate the 30k you’ve just blown on your love for each-other.
Upon reflection of my wedding day, one regret I have is fretting over the small stuff. Remember, you’re getting married to the one you love the most. What else matters?
Resources
Feature photo by Megan Kelly
Retro Brisbane Hair Parlour 