Day Twenty-Six:

Day 26: Your Dream Wedding

Well, this one is hard because I'm already married and I no longer have a "dream wedding". I really enjoyed the wedding that we had, but there are also things I've seen since that I really like and kind of wish I could have done. 

So, to make this one fit a little better to my experience, let me say 5 things I liked about my wedding, and 5 things I would change. It could be good advice to anyone planning a wedding in the future, should that be you!

FIVE THINGS I ENJOYED:

1. My dress 

I got this dress on sale on a whim. They were having a Sample Sale at a local bridal boutique in Austin and my friend who was getting married before me invited me to come with her while she tried some on. I saw what great stuff they had (and how much cheaper it was than the normal price!) so I immediately made an appointment of my own for later that day and quickly told my mom to meet me down there. This was the first dress I tried on. I loved it so much. Some other girl was eying it while it was on me and I felt like she might take it if I didn't act fast. I'm glad I acted quickly because it really was a steal. Originally priced at $3000, I got it for $500. Pretty good steal.

 

Photo by Bill McCollough

 2. My cake

I loved going to the cake tasting and I LOVED how they completely created what I had envisioned. Plus it tasted good. (If you're wondering who the baker was, it was Michelle's Patisserie in Austin, TX). 

Photo by Bill McCollough

3. Our Getaway Driver

This guy was awesome! Loved the classic car and he even took pictures of us afterwards. Pretty cool dude!

Photo by Bill McCollough

4. Our Dance Floor

Definitely needed and loved getting our groove on!

Photo by Bill McCollough

5. The Flowers 

These ladies did a phenomenal job! Rosehip Flora, Austin TX. Highly recommend.

Photos by Bill McCollough

FIVE THINGS I WOULD CHANGE:

Okay, so this is hard but there were definitely some things I would do differently if I could. I don't want to be mean to anyone, but there were certainly some vendors that I will not recommend to my friends who have yet to be married. 

1. Communication with Photographer about Desired Photos

I didn't speak in detail to my photographer about what photos I wanted. I just assumed he would know. Which isn't wise. Because now I wish I had a picture of my dress before I put it on, a picture of me dressing, a picture of me with some of my friends individually, a picture of certain relatives, etc. etc. You have to remember that the photographer doesn't know who is who so to him taking pictures of that girl that someone brought one time as a date seems just as important as your best friend. Because they don't know! Seriously, I got tons of pictures of a girl I didn't know who was brought as a date (and who is no longer dating the person who brought her). I really don't want those pictures! So my advice- take heed- sit down with your photographer and write a list, go over the list, be specific. Be very specific!

2. MY DAY OF COORDINATOR!!!!

I won't name names because I feel that is bad taste (of course I'll tell anyone who asks or those friends who want advice for a wedding planner)...but yall...this lady was nuts. We met her over a year before our wedding date. At first we weren't sure about her. But then she kept emailing and calling to say how much she wanted to work with us and how she could cut us a deal on the price if we went with her. That should've been my first sign. We signed a contract and after that it was too late to back out (unless we wanted to pay her dues then hire someone else). From the get go things seemed weird. She kept adding all her credentials and talking about all her experience every time we discussed things. She also just did NOT get my vision for our wedding. I wanted to keep it super low key and casual. She didn't understand at all and in fact advised me to do things that now, in retrospect, I didn't really enjoy doing and wish I could've done differently. But, despite all this, I figured it wouldn't be that big of a deal...how wrong was I. The rehearsal and day of wedding she couldn't get my name right (we talked monthly leading up to the wedding, emailed more often than that and also met in person several times...she should know how to say my name). She also kept getting things confused from other weddings she was planning. The worst thing she did was at our wedding (obviously I was not in the ceremony space in order to correct this)she told the ushers (our friends) to keep the first two rows open(behind our parents and immediate family). She told them they were reserved for family. Of course, we don't have large families so the only reserved seating was our parents. Who were already there seated in front. So there were two empty rows at the wedding. And people standing in the back. Our friends who were ushers felt stupid because when the wedding started, it was so awkward to see those rows just open there while people holding kids and babies had to stand near the doorway. WTF? Oh man. I'm still upset about it...gotta move on. But my advice...really feel out your day of coordinator. They can make or break some things. If you are in Austin and want to know who NOT to hire, contact me. I really don't mind saving someone else from this experience. I should've put this as number one. Dang it. oh well, moving on...

3. Date of wedding

I picked a July wedding because a)it worked for everyone that it surrounded July 4 holiday (or so I thought) ... b)it was cheapest (in Texas) and c) I thought I'd be teaching and summer is the best time for teachers!

Well, it turned out that people made July 4 plans that interfered with many things leading up to the wedding (my bachelorette party being one of them). Kind of a bummer. Also, July is cheapest because it is 110 degrees in Austin Texas in July! 

It ended up that on my wedding day (outdoors) it decided to rain on everything in a freak torrential shower starting at 6:30pm (the starting time of our wedding). I cried. Things were frantically moved. Many things got wet. The cocktail ceremony in the butterfly garden was relocated to...??? The musician had to remove all his set up and move to...??? And when the rainstorm ended, the hot, 110 degree ground began to sizzle and it created a sticky, humid, sauna. So everyone was drenched in sweat. Awesome. I guess it makes for a good story! 

If I had to do it over again, I would think this through and plan it for a cooler time. Seriously. What was I thinking???

4. Smaller Guest List

You may think a big wedding is fun, but since our wedding I've been to smaller, more intimate ones and have had a BLAST. I would rather be surrounded by just my closest of closest friends and no one else. But, sometimes you are led to believe that if you invite so-and-so then you HAVE to also invite so-and-so. And then it grows and grows and grows. And then you are meeting people at your own wedding.

5. Pricey things

It really doesn't matter in the end. Don't go for the high end of things. No one notices or cares. Just go with something that's simple and it'll do the job and you won't be left with hefty debt afterwards. Things to splurge on: Cake, Food, Alcohol, A decent wedding coordinator (if your venue doesn't provide one) Music. But even those things can be pared down and still be good.