Florida-South Florida

Advice

Seriously, read this. 

After planning for over a year, & as I approach the final home stretch with a knot in my stomach, I'm realizing a few things:

For one, time flies at the speed of light. Do not blink your eyes because before you know it, that's it. 

Get everything you can done NOW. Even if you are six, seven eight months out - the more you accomplish now the less stressing you will do later. Buy your wedding bands, order your programs/menus, get the little odds and end out.of.the.way. Trust me, this will save your sanity later. 

Pay off your vendors ASAP. Obviously some vendors you can't pay off until you have received your product (i.e. photo), but if that vendor requires a payment before the wedding, pay them. I wish I had put each of my vendors on payment plans, it would've made all these mounting bills a little easier to swallow.

Put aside at least $1,000 for the months prior to the wedding, if you can. That way you don't have to pull from savings like I'm doing. The two or so months leading up to your day are going to be NUTS. Bridal showers, b-parties, etc etc etc. I'm taken off so many days from work for wedding stuff that my checks are 1/4 of what they normally are. No good.

Make to-do lists! They are a godsend. Prioritize prioritize prioritize! If you see everything on paper and are able to cross things off, you will not feel so overwhelmed by the 458,085,957 things you have to do. 

Don't let the little things stress you out or get you down. No one is looking at your china, no one cares if you have charges, and honestly I'm sure no one is going to give a flying F if you have the best linens. At the end of the night, as long as you had fun, that's ALL that matters. Weddings are memorable for the family, not for the extras on the table.

Use your bridal party. They are there for a reason. My girls probably hate me at this point, but honestly without them I would've gotten nothing done. Oh, and use FI, too. 

Make time for yourself. In between running around like a mad woman, stop and get a pedicure. Your feet will thank you :D


Ok. ::jumps off soap box:: I hope this helps. Try to take what I'm saying to heart. I know SO many older knotties who have said the same things over and over and over and over. I wish I had taken what they said to heart...
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Re: Advice

  • MariMac84MariMac84 member
    Knottie Warrior 500 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    Thanks SO much for this!

    I'm almost 7 months away and i'm really trying to do a ton of stuff as soon as I can.
  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_florida-south-florida_advice-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:67Discussion:37ee625d-b111-449b-ad72-cb6d45a3d5b8Post:039e8a7a-389a-456f-abe7-f738f8c60d86">Advice</a>:
    [QUOTE]Don't let the little things stress you out or get you down. No one is looking at your china, no one cares if you have charges, and honestly I'm sure no one is going to give a flying F if you have the best linens. At the end of the night, as long as you had fun, that's ALL that matters. Weddings are memorable for the family, not for the extras on the table.
    Posted by TtotheG[/QUOTE]

    Best advice ever!! It really is memorable because of the family. <3 Thank you for sharing!
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  • edited December 2011
    You are absolutely right!  Thanks for posting... I think you wrote that for me. lol

    I'm so thankful I found this board! Living up here alone with no friends or family to go and chat and hang out with, gets kinda lonely. Planning this wedding by myself and no one to share it with has been kinda hard.

    So if I "talk" too much, ladies, I'm sorry... I'm really glad I found you all.

    OMG I sound so needy! LOL

    I'll go have that drink now! Thanks again for posting and for the reminder!
  • Stephanie408Stephanie408 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    YES!!  Thanks so much for that.  I love reading advice from other brides who've gone through the planning process and can share what they've learned.

    I'm 7 months out and have gotten all of the big stuff done, but was unsure about doing other certain things "too early" but now I feel better about it, especially since you said it'll save my sanity later!!

    Thanks again!!
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  • edited December 2011
    I am 6months away and I am totally going to take that advice and start on my DIY programs for the wedding. That is something that will not change. Then next will be the menu when I know 100% that it is what we are feeding the guest.
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  • edited December 2011
    I am 4.5 months away
    and its like this is coming at the right time
    I realized today that I need to get going with everything otherwise when school starts 15 credits, work, and mentorship the new incoming students plus the wedding is going to make me have a mental breakdown
    thank you thank you!
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  • anaroo87anaroo87 member
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    thank you for this :)
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  • edited December 2011
    Thanks so much for the advice!! you are so true! i was talking to my fmil and we have a little over a year to go but we are trying to plan everything so we're not overwhelmed in the end.  My fsil got married last year so my fmil is prepared for the stresses of planning and she is ready with open arms to do it again!  She gives me great advice. She's going to help with most of the expenses, and she already told me she will be doing her own payment plans with the venue so by the time 3 months to go comes around it will be paid off! 
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