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! Without further ado, here are the five wedding decisions that I’m so glad I made– and would make all over again!
1. We had a receiving line. I don’t care how many people told us receiving lines are old fashioned or a time suck. John and I have remarked multiple times over the last few months how meaningful that was. We weren’t able to get to everyone at the reception, so I am so very, very glad that we were able to greet and thank every one of our guests at the church. And, because the photographers took pictures at the receiving line, we have photos of some people who didn’t get up on the dance floor or who had to leave right after dinner.
2. I changed my bridesmaids’ bouquets at the last minute. And I mean the very last minute. Like 20 minutes before walking down the aisle. The florist had delivered bouquets that were all Gerbera daisies with two pink calla lilies poking out from the middle of the bouquet. Everyone told me that the lilies added dimension and made it funky and cute. Just as the photographer was about to snap a bunch of photos of my girls and me I had a revelation: I would think of Dr. Seuss for the rest of my life every time I looked at my wedding photos. The bouquets looked like something bridesmaids in Whoville would carry. The lilies had to go. We cut the heads off right before the pictures. Crisis averted.
3. My dress. Just as I would choose John every time, I would pick my dress again and again. Really, this is just a chance for me to show you a picture of my dress. I have never felt more beautiful (and I probably never will again). It was perfectly me. Pardon me as I stare at this picture and sigh.
4. Stay simple and classy. I guess this isn’t a decision so much as what I tried to keep telling myself while planning the wedding. I wanted a simple and classy wedding. I wanted to make sure that in 50 years, when John and I look back on our pictures and video, they are timeless and traditional. I tried to stay away from trends as much as possible and go with things that I love– glass, pearls, a simple color scheme, cocktail dresses.
5. We hired a videographer. I was trying very hard to stay in a reasonable budget so I hadn’t priced out or contacted videographers, but about 3 months before the wedding, I panicked. After some intense shopping and inquiries, I found a videographer that we were comfortable with. And I’m so glad that we splurged– not only for the memorable traditional moments, but for all of the little ones too. And then, not to mention, we had a professional recording of the special surprises (both planned and unplanned) like the flashmob, a Slovak plate breaking, and our band friends playing Penn State fight songs. Those are memories for a lifetime, and I am so glad that we have them!
Have you seen these other wedding posts?
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