Wedding Planning Advice from Newlyweds

I asked a few of my brides to give their top advice to couples starting out their wedding planning.  I received great feedback about when to start planning for your wedding, where to start, what to expect, what was stressful and easy, budgets, tips from grooms, and why did they choose me to photograph their big day?  Here are the results!

When you started planning for your wedding, where did you start?

“We started first with looking at venues and trying to find the perfect date. Definitely don’t settle on a venue, find one you truly love and then look for the perfect date!”

“Venue and dates. A year and a half out from our date.”

Who helped you the most during your wedding planning?

“My Maid of Honor helped the most. I loved planning with her because it was like planning a great party with my best friend. Sometimes it can be hard to turn down ideas from your family, so it was also a good way to figure out how to say no to certain things. Don’t be afraid to say no if you don’t like something!”

What was the most important booking/part of your wedding day?

“The photographer and hair and makeup”

“Having a big enough space for our huge family”

What was the most stressful part about planning? What was the easiest part about planning?

“The most stressful part of planning was remembering all you had to do! Get a notebook and download a wedding planning checklist! I got mine from Brides.com and it was a lifesaver.”

“Coming up with money hardest”

“Most stressful : getting addresses
Easiest : picking the date”

Did your fiance have any special requests for the big day?

“He wanted everyone to remember it was “his big day too”. Super cute :)”

“Good DJ”

Why did you choose me as your wedding photographer?

“We loved Jackie the first time we met her. We got to see other beautiful weddings she shot, and conversation was easy. I wasn’t afraid to tell her what I did/did not want. She’s young and fun and our wedding party really had a blast taking pictures!”

“Talent and affordability”

“Because I grew up with you and you did an amazing job on our engagements!! I like the idea of friends supporting friends and their endeavors.”

Did you have a resource that you found yourself going to over and over during the planning process (magazine, blog, website, person)?

“I did a lot of Pinterest. It’s great for ideas, but don’t go to crazy on DIY stuff if you’re busy or not so crafty!”

“No. All in my head!”

Any tips/tricks for brides planning on a budget?

“Make sure to find out all the hidden fees at your venue. We got hit with a wait-staff charge of $2200 ten days before our wedding that we didn’t know wasn’t included in our package. Also, make sure if you bring in a cake made by an outside vendor, your venue doesn’t charge for it.”

“Dried flowers!”

“Know people.”

What area do you recommend spending a little extra on?

“We splurged on photography – after your day is over, that’s all you have left to remember it! It’s so worth it!”

“Dj and hair and makeup”

“Food and drink”

What was your favorite part from your wedding day?

“My favorite part was the look on my husband’s face when we said our vows.”

“Dancing with my new husband”

“Everything! Hard to pick just one thing.”

Any other words of wisdom you would like to share?

“Have fun! Make sure you enjoy every single moment of your big day! It goes by so fast!! Make sure to take a few minutes for yourself and let it all sink in :)”

Bonus — Any tips from your Husband to Grooms??

“Pace yourself when you’re drinking with your buddies before the ceremony.”

“It will always go over budget lol”

“Just offer to help. Even if you aren’t allowed to do any of the planning, it’s the offer that they love ;)”

Check out some of my previous couples weddings here.