Alright! You’re planning your wedding with your fiancé, but you aren’t sure how or what to do or where to start and EVERYONE is giving you unsolicited advice/tips and you are not sure what to do! You just want to do what you both want, BUT you want to please everyone else. Well here is some advice for you! Here are about 8 tips/advice to help plan your wedding!

Look around for vendors and figure out the average cost for vendors.

Don’t be shocked at the cost of vendors. They are a service and many are small businesses that provide for their family.

Make a budget BUT know that you will most likely go over budget.

Have a buffer for extras the week of. The budget should be a guideline. Think of it as a tool. Use it to help make decisions. Know what you want to compromise on (favours) and what you don’t want to compromise on (Photography) We had planned beautiful coffee coasters (ya’ll, I love coffee) … well the week of the wedding when we were working on the favours, the wood started to warp… I am telling you EVERYTHING went wrong. So we had to come up with plan B. My original plan was succulents for all the guests, BUT the cost was about $2.50 per succulent. So, we tried to do something cheaper (coffee coasters). When that didn’t work out, we caved and did succulents. So in the end, it ended up costing us more.

Kendra Ruth Photo

Kendra Ruth Photo

Do what YOU both want.

If you want an elopement with some of your closest family and friends. Do that. If you want to have just you and your fiancé in the mountains saying your vows. Do that! You can even have your honeymoon in the beautiful Canadian mountains or hike somewhere for your photos. If you want to have a big party later… do that!

The Dress

If you you can spend thousands of dollars on a dress or you can spend less than a thousand. This is up to you! Keep in mind you are probably only going to wear it once, maybeee twice. Essence of Australia has some absolutely stunning wedding dresses at many different bridal stores. Here are some cheaper options. You could thrift your dress or you can go a cheaper option! Lulu’s is a beautiful option for dresses or Sixpence Bridal is a consignment store for wedding dresses. Find your dress there! There are many, many options to find an affordable dress that is still absolutely stunning. Shae thrifted her dress for $12!!!

Book a good photographer and videographer

Find a photographer you love and the style you love. Please do NOT cheap out. They are the memories you will have for a lifetime! Some days I wish I had booked a photographer that was more my style of editing, BUT I absolutely adore my wedding photos. They are hung all over our apartment.

Book a videographer that is experienced. I mean you do not have to book a videographer, but I have heard people who have booked one and haven’t booked one and the brides that regret it are the ones that either booked an inexperienced videographer or the brides that didn’t book a videographer!

Expect the unexpected!

Expect SOMETHING to go wrong on your wedding day, because that way if something does, you are not disappointed! We had a couple of things go wrong on our wedding day. I mean the pictures show otherwise. We had booked a second shooter for our wedding day to take photos of our venue before heading to the guys. This way the guests could put their stuff on their seats and then play lawn games. Well some how there was a miscommunication and the guests didn’t sit down right away so the reception was delayed a bit.

Our MC had to cancel THREE DAYS before our wedding. The night I was working, he called to tell me he would still do it if we couldn’t find anyone else, but due to personal issues really couldn’t if we could find someone. So two of our bridal part members stepped up and became our MC’s for the night. (Thanks Anna and Josh!!)

One of our groomsmen split his pants…. I sooo badly wanted a bridal party photo in the gorge, butttt that’s okay because we go some absolutely stunning photos of just us!! It was hilarious! Definitely a good laugh the day of the wedding and a good story for after! (Don’t worry he was able to get a new pair the same day from Broderick’s… that’s why you shop local! )

Kendra Ruth Photo

Party on (or not)

Stay as late as you guys want! Don’t feel like you have to leave early or leave late. If you want to stay and party till 2 am… do that. (as long as the venue allows)

And the last tip! HAVE FUN

Make sure you have fun at your wedding. Enjoy the day. Take deep breaths. Sneak away with your photographer for some quiet time at the reception. Trust me, you won’t regret that!

Are you a past bride?! Do you have advice for other brides on their wedding day?! Comment below!!! ♡