Before you go all Pinterest crazy and the little green monster inside of you starts to take over, we want to give you a bit of guidance to make sure that during your wedding planning process, you stay true to you. We know on a regular basis we are plagued with an overwhelming urge to keep up with the Joneses and it can be especially difficult to fend off that urge when it comes to your wedding. Here, we’ve compiled some basic tips to help you identify your true style as a couple and arm you with the know-how you’ll need to pull it all together.
- BE TRUE TO YOU
Ultimately, you know deep down inside what’s truly important to you. Just know this: your wedding is the first big event you will host together as a couple so it’s the first time to let your personalities truly shine in front of friends and family. Whatever your source of inspiration, make decisions that feel right to you, not what you’ve seen other couples do. - PASSION
Everyone has a hobby, activity, cause or pledge they fully support and this may be just the place to draw inspiration from. Show off your priorities in life to your guests by finding inspiration from what your true passions are. - LOCATION
Your venue will have a great deal of impact on the environment of your wedding. If you opt for a barn, you’ll likely want to go for a more rustic feel. Or, if you book the most prestigious hotel in town, a glamorous wedding for you it is! Don’t overlook your biggest expense in the wedding as a possible source for your overall theme too. - TIME OF THE DAY
Are you a morning person or night owl? Whatever your preference, the time of day you ultimately choose to host your wedding ceremony and reception will affect the feel of the event. If you and your fiance are up and at ’em each day with a morning coffee, a brunch wedding just might be the thing for you. The possibilities are endless! - MUSE
Inspiration abounds from a myriad of places and a muse might be just the thing you center your wedding style around. Your favorite movie, color, flower, character, season or destination. Pick something near and dear to you and let it guide all of your style decisions. - SCALE
When you put together your guest list you’ll either be looking at a large event or intimate gathering. The amount of people you choose to invite will affect the environment so when looking for sources of inspiration, remember how big or intimate the event will feel with the amount of friends and family in attendance and work off of that. - JOINT INTERESTS
Do you and the future hubs have a common interest that brought you together? Flying, skydiving, traveling or food? Whatever it is you spend your free time doing, consider letting it be the source of your wedding style. Golf anyone? - FORMALITY
If you’re a Great Gatsby girl at heart, a formal setting just might be the style for you. But, if a laid back casual setting is for you, so be it. Consider your personal preferences on dressing down or up when identifying the style wedding you want. - HERITAGE & HISTORY
Do you hail from a great land afar or find yourself among a long lineage of great folks? Then let your family history and heritage guide the style of your wedding and enjoy reminiscing with your parents and loved ones about your roots. - CONSIDER THE SEASON
The time of the year could greatly affect the overall style of your wedding. Temperature and foliage are great places to find inspiration and build your wedding style around.
WEDDING PLANNING DO’S & DON’TS
- Do…be considerate of family traditions and wants but don’t feel chained to them.
- Do..be authentic to YOUR true style.
- Do..Create a budget, fine tune it and stick to it.
- Do..Edit. Edit. Edit. Start with a big picture and bring it into focus from there.
- Do…Manage the guest list… Don’t feel obligated to invite everyone. This will help your budget too.
- Don’t…spend too much energy focusing on what others are doing.
- Don’t…let the party details outshine the magic of your marriage.
- Don’t…skimp on wedding vendors. Trust us… you get what you pay for.
- Don’t…sweat the small stuff.
This article originally ran in our sister publication, The Celebration Society. For more wedding advice and planning tools, visit thecelebrationsociety.com.
