You’re Not Alone: Lauren O.

My clients often feel isolated as they plan their weddings. They can’t talk about the hard parts because people think they’re complaining, ungrateful, or second-guessing their choice to get married. But I know something my clients don’t: They’re not alone. Hear it from people who’ve been there.

Lauren O.
Married September 2, 2017

When it comes to your wedding, what was your...

Worst surprise?

My worst surprise was probably the drama. Even if you’re a drama-free person like me and you try to avoid it at all costs, I can now say that it may still find you while wedding planning.

When it arrives, you have two options: fuel the flames or walk away. Even though some of it really hurt me, in the end, I was better off excusing those who caused drama and leaning on those who supported my values.

Wedding planning is already stressful enough as is. Find those who will lift you up throughout the process and encourage you. On the day of the wedding, little things will inevitably not go as planned. Take a deep breath, and remember what matters in the end: the love you share with your partner and the gratitude you feel for the family and friends celebrating with you.  

Biggest regret?

This isn’t really a regret, but even with a reception on Saturday and a post-wedding brunch on Sunday, I still didn’t really get to see and thank everyone for coming.

We decided against a receiving line, which I don’t regret. We started going around the tables during the cocktail hour but must have gotten distracted because I know there were people I didn’t get to thank personally. We had about 170 guests, and there’s just so much going on in a few short hours! But I think that’s the nature of a wedding.

I was glad that I tried to be more thrifty with decorations and food, rather than restricting the guest list. In the end, it’s about having the people you love there. Even if you can't spend a lot of time with them, it will be a lovely memory that you will always share. 

Best advice?

I have two pieces of advice.

  1. Get a videographer (or some kind of recording to capture your day). I honestly remember thinking to myself while planning that we didn't need a videographer. It would save us a lot of money and when would we ever watch our video?

    Then I ran into a company that sends out small video cameras that you give to family and friends to capture different parts of the day. I decided to try it, and I could not be more grateful that I did. The video is amazing and I have watched it many times already. The day goes by in a blur and the video captured moments that the pictures couldn’t. I was able to share it with family members that couldn't make the event and that was really special, too.

  2. Hire a day-of coordinator. I thought I could it on my own and with the help of friends and family. I did a lot of it, but, in the end, I hired a day-of coordinator just three weeks before the event. That decision saved the day.

    I could have figured it out, but there were so many little details to tie up that I hadn’t even thought about when I hired her. She was able to coordinate all of the vendors in the days leading up, and make sure that everyone was where they needed to be. Day of I seriously didn’t have to worry about a thing, which was the greatest gift of all. It is worth the investment, hands down.

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