5 Things We Did While Planning Our Wedding

I’ve received quite a bit of mail recently asking me for two things: wedding and deployment advice. I am so flattered! I am pretty excited to go through some of our pictures and relive our wedding day so that I can share it with you! I’m going to write a few more posts about the wedding and John’s deployment over the next month. Hopefully they’ll be helpful (for those of you who would like ideas and advice) and fun for everyone!  

1. We prioritized and planned.  I am not the kind of person to wing-it (it may have a little something to do with being a perfectionist). By prioritizing and planning out what we wanted for our wedding, we were able to budget correctly and ensure that we spent enough time on what we needed to. By the time we got to our final week before the wedding, there was nothing that we had to abandon because we didn’t have enough time left. And that made it much more relaxing and enjoyable for everyone involved! 

2. We had a church service. We both felt pressure to get a courthouse wedding before John deployed and then have the religious ceremony and reception when he came home. This didn’t come from any one particular person or organization; it’s just what a lot of people do when dealing with an impending deployment. A church service was the way we both needed and wanted our marriage to begin.

3. We dealt with small details.  I loved the details in our wedding because it made it unique and told our story. The guests’ tables were named after important places in our story. We chose scripture for readings that was important to us (and maybe, just maybe, one of those readings had to do with music and trumpets). Our cake topper was of us. We had a do- and do-not-play list for the DJ and the band. We chose traditions that made sense to us– like a cookie table and throwing rice. We had a comprehensive itinerary for the day before and the day of. My parents rigged a backdrop for behind our sweetheart table when we realized that double doors were going to be right behind it. All of the little logistical and creative details that might seem too small to be noticed helped me feel relaxed when I knew we had left no stone unturned.

4. We hired professionals. I am all about saving money and being on a budget, but there were a few things that were too important to leave to chance.  We made sure to hire professionals where it mattered for us. They did an exceptional job and we couldn’t have been happier!