Written by Co-Owner Donna
They say hindsight is 20-20 and looking back, I can clearly see some flaws I made in my wedding planning. If I had my time again, here are ten things I would do differently, followed by five things I would do the same.
1. Pay more for comfort.
Our wedding was in April and the evening was COLD. I went too hard at cutting our budget and should have spent money on hiring heaters to make us and our guests comfortable.
2. Think more about our venue layout.
We did a stunning outdoor wedding, but I didn't plan the layout of the space and furniture well enough. I put the bridal party area and live singer too far from everyone else which created a disconnect.
3. Pick better quality equipment, and know exactly what I was hiring.
I chose the cheapest dance floor on offer without even knowing what it would look like. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't great quality. I wish I just paid more for something nicer.
4. Run 10 minutes late.
I walked down the aisle at basically the exact minute written on our invites. As I was reading my vows, I noticed a couple of guests walking in. People expect the bride to run late, so take your time, have a breather, let people settle in.
5. Change the timing of when we cut our cake.
If I could choose again, I'd likely cut the cake when my husband and I first made our entrance into the reception, while we already had everyone's attention and it didn't interrupt the flow of the night. Or I'd simply not have a cake-cutting moment at all.
6. Do less DIY.
Even on the morning of our wedding, the groom was finishing off DIY jobs I'd forced upon him. When things didn't come together as imagined, we had no time for other options so had to settle for things that weren't perfect.
7. Check things are in good working order, in advance.
We hired portaloos for our venue which had built in solar lights. They didn't work. I found out after the fact that our guests were visiting the toilet in the dark (!). This goes for lots of things; check your polaroid cameras, microphones, speakers..
8. Be a part of cocktail hour.
After quick family photos, we immediately left to do bridal portraits and I wish we had paused to enjoy the hugs and congratulations and engage with our guests fresh after the ceremony. A good photographer will still make good use of this time and snap you and your guests instead.
9. Ignore the things gone 'wrong' or not to plan.
Reminder, your guests don't know the plan! If something is missing or has gone not quite right, your guests will likely be none the wiser. I stressed about things during our reception and it took me far too long to snap out of it and just let myself fully enjoy the time carefree.
10. A big one - spend more time with your partner.
After the night ended, I felt like I hadn't actually spent any of it with my new husband. He spoke to his family and I locked into the dance floor with my friends. Both important things to us separately, but I wish we had been mindful to do more of it together and really absorb the fact that our day had finally arrived, the stress was over and we could relish in the husband-wife title.
And the things I would do again, over and over:
1. No bridal bouquet.
My bridesmaids had dried floral bouquets and I had nothing. I walked halfway down the aisle carrying a nervous flower girl and the other half beside my dad, each with an arm around one another's waist. I wouldn't have done it any other way.
2. Cocktail style reception.
This was the perfect laid back choice for our wedding. It gave us the ability to have different food options, a looser schedule, and also meant no seating chart to stress about!
3. Smash out speeches.
We got all of our speeches out of the way as quickly as possible. We didn't want to bore anyone with a slow reception and we wanted to get the dancefloor pumping ASAP.
4. Bus transport.
Our wedding was held out of town. We organised buses for our guests and would absolutely recommend doing this. It saves anyone having to worry about how they'll get home or having to lock in a designated driver.
5. Invest in a videographer.
This would be the top thing I encourage everyone to do. A (good) videographer will be worth every cent. To have footage to watch in 10 years time with your kids, to hear voices and see smiles of people who may now be gone, to slip back into the memory of your day. Photos hold their own important place, but a video is truly something else. We were lucky enough to have James Newcombe Films create the most perfect keepsake from our wedding day.
But of course, your wedding day is yours to make whatever you want. Our main take-away is to be mindful of the decisions you make, but ultimately, don’t sweat the small stuff.
Xx
Cover photo credit @woodypearphotography
