A Bakers Dozen Wedding Tips From The Pros

Isn't planning your wedding one of the most fun times of your life? Isn't it also one of the most stressful times of your life? Yeah, we get it. That's why we're here with 13 (really 14) tips on wedding planning for you! Let's dive right in:

Tip #1. Join Facebook garage sale groups. As many as you can! And don't stop at just your city or town, join groups in the areas your parents, grandparents, aunts, unclees, and close friends live. That way, if you see something you'd like, you know who to call and ask to pick it up for you!

Tip #2. Speak to the ladies guild at our church. If you attend a church and intend to get married there, speak to the ladies at church and ask them to help in a few small ways. Whether it's bringing lunch the day of your wedding, putting tulle and flowers on the pews, or watching the flower girl for an hour while you're getting ready- the small things add up and can make a huge difference the day of your wedding!

Tip #3. Try shopping  for rings online instead of in a store. You might find great deals you otherwise would have missed! Plus, there are always more options on the web. We highly recommend JVL Jewelry at jvljewelry.com. 

Tip #4. Before digging into your wedding planning, think about asking around and seeing how popular your wedding date is. The more popular the date, the more trouble you may find booking vendors and finding availability for your big day. Changing the date to a less busy weekend could completely change and simplify your wedding planning!

Tip #5. Choose to invite no kids or all kids. This is an area of wedding planning that tends to cause quite a bit of tension. Having a bunch of kids running around your wedding may feel stressful or fun, and not having any kids may seem less energetic, or prevent guests from attending if they can't find a sitter. But, if at all possible, try making it a full commitment. If you invite some kids, but not others, parents may look at that as a slight towards their kids, which could cause animosity where you don't need it. Also consider hiring someone to be the event's "babysitter". Someone who can plan activities for the children, and make sure they aren't getting into trouble while the parents attend and enjoy the party.

Tip #6. Try to do the same with plus ones-either allow them or don't. if you have certain "plus ones" you would like at the wedding, but don't want random girlfriends and boyfriends that have only been around for a week or two showing up, then include the plus one's name on the invitations and forego putting a plus one option on the RSVP list.

Tip #7. If your venue is out in the country, or in an area with limited signal, think about printing off small maps and including them in your invitations so guests who lose signal can still find their way to your venue.

Tip #8. Go outside the dress shop for alterations. There are many perks to this one, but the main one is: you may find more cost effective alterations elsewhere. You may also be able to find one closer to your home or your work, so it's easier to schedule and attend fittings. Plus, speaking to the person doing the alterations rather than a go-between, is always far less stressful.

Tip #9. If you are debating between real and silk flowers, remember that there are ways around the cons on your lists. What we're specifically talking about here is: spraying your real flowers with hairspray. If you want the effect of real flowers, but hate to have to throw them away, ask someone to take the bouquets home and spray the flowers, leaves and stems with hairspray. This will let the flowers keep their shapes and colors so you can keep them forever!

Tip #10. Think about what you are going to do with all of this stuff after the wedding. Can you find a way to make wedding decorations a part of your house decor? Do you need pictures of items to post on garage sale sites after the wedding? Where is all the leftover food and cake going when you're finished with it? Unfortunately, wedding work does not end when the reception closes down, so it's important to think about the aftermath of your event.

Tip # 11. Ask your officiant for a copy of the license before they send it off to the court. If getting on your spouse's insurance is a pressing matter, ask your officiant to make a copy and send it to you before they send the original document to the courthouse. Yes, you will eventually receive a copy from the courthouse, but who knows how long that will take, and you may have stuff you need to do sooner rather than later.

Tip #12. Get a second pair of shoes for the reception. Glam yourself up for the ceremony, and shine like the diamond you are while you say your vows- but the reception is for partying, not for pain. Get a more comfortable pair of shoes to wear during the dancing and mingling, that way your feet aren't quite as ready to fall off by the end of the night. Just remember-if you're purchasing a new pair of shoes, you may need to break them in first, so wear them a few times before the big day.

Tip #13. Create a "do" and "don't" playlist for your DJ. That's it. If you want a song played, make sure to tell them. if you want certain songs to not be played- tell them that too. they can't read your mind, so give them a list instead!

With all of this in mind, go out there and get started! Happy planning!