Every Wednesday on my Instagram page, I post my No Bullshit Wedding Tip Wednesday articles that cover some tips and advice on making the best out of wedding planning while keeping it real. After 9 years of photographing weddings in Calgary and worldwide, I help weed out some of the wedding advice brides and grooms might be reading online that just doesn’t make sense or isn’t practical, leaving you with honest advice and tips you can actually implement! Below are the first 4 tips!
1. Maybe you should pay someone to do that
I totally get browsing through Pinterest for hours and how easy those step-by-step projects look. I, too, wish I had the skills of Martha Stewart (or maybe have her as an aunt to volun-told make 1000 paper flowers) but I know I don’t, no matter how simple that DIY project looks. It’s important to think critically about your abilities for decor of your wedding because ultimately, your sanity is worth more than paying someone else better skilled to do it. Don’t stress yourself out with DIY projects if you don’t need to!
2. Stuck on wedding favors? Consider food or candy
I’ve seen it time and time again – cute wedding favors that noticeably had a lot of effort and thought put into them… totally left abandoned at the table like some kind of wedding favor graveyard. If you must have some kind of physical wedding favor by every plate at your reception, consider food or candy. No one ever went wrong with a delicious snack while they waited for dinner and, not to mention, this means a lot less cleanup for you once the party is done. For a totally mess-free favor idea, have a jar set up for donations to your favorite charity!
3. Who actually, honestly cares?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of “this has to be perfect” when it comes to wedding planning and decor. But, in the end, it’s important to ask yourself: are my guests honestly going to care that I didn’t do a champagne toast, or have a 3 foot centerpiece at each table? Your wedding is a celebration of you, not a decor competition. Focus on the stuff that’s going to make for an awesome party and the emotional pieces that you’d consider to be the best day ever.
4. Show your wedding party some respect
You know that any friend of yours would be honored to be a bridesmaid or a groomsmen. You’ve round up the best of the best to be with you every step of the way, and they’ll be happy to help with any task, but it’s important not to take advantage of their generosity. Recognize the sacrifice in time and financial commitment that your wedding party has offered in order to be a part of your day; don’t ask them to spend a fortune on a dress or suit that they might not like or will never wear again. Mismatching outfits look amazing and can be much more flattering than trying to get everyone to wear the same thing — not all bodies are made alike, that’s something to celebrate!
Stay tuned for more advice roundup next month!
