African American Weddings

{2011 Bridal Advice for 2012 Brides}

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Re: {2011 Bridal Advice for 2012 Brides}

  • Advice for my 2012 brides.
    1. Know your budget before you even start. FI and I had discussed a budget and before I know it we had all these extra things.  Thank god we were able to pay for it all but it wasn't easy.

    2. It is your day so do things how you want.  There are so many rules and ettique for different things but I did what I wanted to do because it was my day and I am not having another wedding.  I wore a veil and I have been married before, I printed the labels for my invitations. I did what I wanted and my day turned out perfect for me.

    3. Don't swet athe small stuff. In the end the only thing that matters is that you married the man you love. Point blank period.!

    Oh and get as much advice form the ladies here because they are awesome!!!
    Good luck 2012 brides!!
    Until the first full year of being one! Anniversary
  • You ladies are awesome.. i am a 2013 bride but i am taking all of this advice
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  • I really appreciate all this valueable information. Thanks ladies!
  • 1. Your wedding is about your FI and you. Do not let other people tell you their wants. My coordinator was very bossy and only wanted to do my wedding according to her vision. I had to put my foot down and tell her with or without you my day will be how I envisioned it.
    2. Be realistic about your budget. If you are only able to afford 100 people do not let people self invite because they think deserve to be there.
    3. Have a videographer. I was able to watch the parts that I could not see that evening. At first we thought we would not be able to afford it. At the last minute we were gifted with a professional videographer for 4 hours and 6 DVD's as gifts. DH and I have watched it about 6 times. I truly love how everything turned out.

    Congrats 2012 Brides!

    Anniversary
  • Thanks so much for this excellent advice ladies and congrats you all as well!

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  • Thank you 2011 brides, so grateful for this advice!
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  • edited January 2012
    Butting in even though I was married before 2011:

    1. RSVP's suck!  I'm hoping in 2012 there's a better way to communicate but there are always RSVP issues, so don't take it personally.

    2. At the end of the day, all the guests care about is having a good time which = Good Food, Good Music, Fun People and an Organized Timeline (that keeps the day flowing)

    3. A good photographer and videographer will be worth every dime!

    Good Luck Ladies!!!!

    p.s. The show Four Weddings is the most realistic when it comes to weddings.
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  • Reiterating what PP have said:
     1- Be reaslistic. I love My Fair Wedding and Platinum Weddings just as much as the next person.  But we didn't want to incur any debt with paying for our wedding, so we did the best we could with what we had to work with.

    2 - Put your money where it counts.  Great photos = great memories. 

    3 - Don't overshare.  Everyone has an opinion.  That doesn't mean you want to hear it, and you'll probably wish you'd never asked.  Other brides-to-be/former brides will provide the best listening ear.

    4 - Relax and enjoy your day! 
  • Thank you to all the ladies. I am so glad I joined this board. I am learning something new every day. Experience is the best teacher. So please continue to share your experiences with us.
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  • 1) Photography & Videography:
     -Getting a photographer and videographer whose style that you like!
    -Take plenty of pictures with your guests!!!  We had a photobooth and I still don't have shots with/of some people that I wanted!

    2) Know your approximate guest count and budget VERY EARLY in the process!!!

    3)  Have fun!!! Take it all in...it goes by soooo fast!

    p.s.
     If at all possible, take a honeymoon!!!  Even if its a local trip...take at least 2-4 days to spend with your HUSBAND alone (to practice making babies...or just to relax)!!! Wink

  • Heyyyyyyyyyy ladies!  Most of you don't know me, but I used to be a regular around here...  Smile

    Shannon, thanks for starting this thread - I would have loved something like this when we were planning our weddings!

    So let's get down to business...here's my .02

    1) Read this book....and work through the questions with your fiance.  My mom and stepdad gifted us with this book when we got engaged, and it has been invaluable.  Things that we hear a lot of newlyweds fight about have been non-issues for us b/c we already worked it all out while reading this book.  It's called "The Hard Questions" - check it out! 
    http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Questions-100-Essential-Before/dp/1585420042

    2) Start planning EARLY.  I cannot emphasize enough how helpful it was to start planning 12+ months in advance.  We got better rates from vendors, stressed less about the wedding, and were able to take on projects one a time.  It was such a pleasant planning process b/c we both were involved and we gave ourselves more than enough time to get everything done.  There was not much to do during the week before the wedding, which allowed us to enjoy our friends and family who came into town early. 

    3) Put your personal stamp on your wedding day.  I'm all for great wedding planners, but make sure that your wedding reflects you and your fiance.  We got that comment a lot and people really enjoyed/remember our wedding because it was personal to us.  Looking back at our wedding pictures and video, we're really happy and proud to see how our day came together.  One tip to personalize the wedding for your guests - we created a card that went into each welcome bag listing local restaurants we love and what our favorite dishes are at each restaurant.  It was a huge hit, people are still talking about how they challenged themselves to eat all of our favorite meals while they were in town, etc. 

    Blessings to all of the 2012-2013 brides!







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  • shawnybshawnyb member
    First Comment
    edited January 2012

    1.if i could do it all over again i would not have a big bridal party. when you have a lot of people it's very stressful. please pick people you know you can count on and will not cause you any problem...
    2. i would definitely get a videographer... it wasn't in the budget.. i lost a lot of money paying deposit to places. please shop around for the best prices... i regret not doing that.. please do this when looking for your photographer,videographer,wedding planner,and any other vendor.
    3.on your big day just relax and have fun... it's your day and don't let anybody ruin it... JUST CELEBRATE YOUR SPECIAL DAY WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS....

  • Thanks for all the advice; especially the part about waiting to choose the wedding party. I love the kids, I really do, but as we get closer, I realize it may be harder for their parents to enjoy themselves with the kids there.
    Vacation White Knot
  • I am truly loving this thread.  Much blessing to all of the newly weds!  Thank you!
  • Thanks for the advice... I love this thread as well!!
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  • Thank you all for the advice. The planning process started out with so much stress that it would have really helped to have read your advice. Also, we didn't have a videographer in the budget, but we did decide to splurge, and based on your comments, I'm glad we did! Thanks SO much!!
  • Thanks 4 all the advice ladies,me and theFI were just talking about video.advice came right on time
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  • This thread is awesome!  Thanks for all the wonderful advice! 
    ~almost Mrs. Reese~
  • 2013 bride here! Love this, thanks ladies!
  • I finally got a chance to read this thread. My day is slowly inching up and I LOVE all the advice you ladies have given us! Thank you so much!
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  • Thanks Ladies
    Mrs. McSwain :)
  • Fabulous advice, thank you all!
  • I'm a July 2012 bride and Im so thank full for this!! 

    Im loving all of the advice and it's really calming me down

    Thank you!
  • Based on the numerous recommendations on this board I may just have to reconsider my choice and get a videographer!
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  • Thanks so much for this!! I am JUST NOW starting to plan for 2013, and this is sooo needed!
    Wedding Countdown Ticker TnE0217
  • Thanks so much for this!! I am JUST NOW starting to plan for 2013, and this is sooo needed!
    Wedding Countdown Ticker TnE0217
  • Fantastic thread!  Thanks!
  • This is a Great post, I bookmarked it saved it to my reading list :D I'm new to The board by the way. I'm getting married 9/12/13 outside ceremony indoor reception.
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  • Thank you ladies! This advice is so very needed! I can't wait to return my knowledge. We are true to ourselves and what we wanted which was vegas after we pondered having a local home wedding but figured out it would be more expensive then going to VEGAS. some people didn't like it well guess what you don't have to go to vegas.
    SoontobeMRsSMITH13
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