weddings 101

While most brides will tell you that their wedding day was perfect just the way it was, many will still have gems of wisdom that they learned from planning their celebration. Here, real brides discuss what they would’ve done differently, and offer helpful wedding planning tips and insight for engaged couples.

“I wish I had spent more time on my own speech. I ran out of time in the days leading up to the wedding.” — Kelly

Tip: Start preparing your speech months in advance. You can tweak it in the days leading up to the wedding, but at least you’ll have the bulk of it done during that inevitable pre-wedding chaos. Click here for tips on writing a fabulous wedding speech.

“I wish someone had told me that my hair extension was falling out and had made its way nearly to my belly button. Now, when I look at wedding photos, all I see is a black piece of hair extension dangling down my chest like a serpent. My sister said she noticed it but didn’t want to upset me by pointing it out! I ended up seeing this tragedy after the ceremony, and quickly pulled the piece out myself.” — Danielle

Tip: Make sure all hair extensions and accessories are secured tightly in place! Check a mirror throughout the day, or ask your maid of honor if your hairstyle needs any adjustments.

“I wish I had chosen more comfortable shoes!” — Emi 

Tip: Every bride deserves to wear amazing shoes on her wedding day — just bring a comfy pair of flats or flip flops (and Band-Aids!) to the reception. You don’t want blisters and aching arches to ruin the best dance party of your life!

“I wish it had been a bit smaller.” — Robyn

Tip: Keeping numbers down can be difficult, when you’ve got friends, colleagues, family members and your parents’ friends to consider. But if your wish is to have an intimate wedding, clearly communicate this with your parents. It’s your day, after all.

“I wish that I had instructed our chuppah holders (none of whom were Jewish) to hang the fabric so the pattern faced down. They hung it the wrong way and it was the first thing I noticed when I walked down the aisle!” — Tamara

Tip: What might be obvious to you, might be clear as mud to your attendants or vendors. Take the time to show anybody who is involved in the ceremony or reception how you would like things done.

“I wish we had done the yard work sooner. Laying sod in the backyard one day before an outdoor reception is a great family bonding experience, but I recommend getting that done a little more ahead of time!” — Caitlin

Tip: If you’re having a backyard ceremony or reception, arrange to have all landscaping projects finished well in advance of the wedding. This will save a lot of stress if there are delays or unforeseen issues.

“I wish we didn’t move into our first house the same month of our wedding.” — Aanya

Tip: You can’t always plan these things, but moving into your first house on the heels of wedding planning will make for a hectic honeymoon! These are two exciting milestones in a couple’s relationship and it would be ideal if they didn’t happen within a few weeks of each other.

“I wish I hadn’t ordered ‘homemade’ wine!!!” — Julia 

Tip: Serving homemade or bottle-it-yourself wine saves you money on the reception. Just be sure to sample the product before you buy it in bulk to share with your favorite people in the world!

“I wish we had hired a videographer.” — Kathryn

Tip: Wedding photos are wonderful keepsakes, but they can’t capture the happiness in your voice during your vows, or the heartfelt speech that your parents gave. If you have video footage of your special day, you’ll be able to relive it forever; plus, if something hilarious happens, you can post it on YouTube and watch it go viral!

Image: Vanessa Voth Photography