Lessons Learned

Holy cow, a year has passed! Today marks our 1 year wedding anniversary.

Krista & David - For like ever from Outside In Studio

Hard to believe it was only 365 days ago because time has flown by. Now that I've had time to recover - I mean, reflect - I thought I would share a few of the lessons I learned about my turn as a bride(zilla).

You're Not In It Alone 

So important to remember. I don't think I took on too many DIY projects, but looking back, I should have accepted more help from my family and friends. I'm not going to lie, I might have had a tiny me-against-the-world complex while planning our wedding. This did not make for an enjoyable planning process and now I'm regretful that I didn't chill out and enjoy things more along the way. By the time the wedding day rolled around, I was just so happy to have survived and be done with planning. I have the smiling photos to prove that I enjoyed myself, but I wish I had been able to turn off wedding-planner-mode and party a little more. One of our cinematographers said she'd never had such a hard time keeping up with a bride. I was doing laps around the room checking on who knows what, when I should have been burning up the dance floor.*

*Bonus points if you realize this is a key reason to hire a planner. Your planner is captain of Team Bride.

If You Love It, Do It

If your mom hates balloons because it brings her flashbacks of the '80s, and even if you've seen them a million times already on Pinterest, if you love them, have them. (Sorry Mum). If you're afraid of picking the same colour palette or theme as your friend/cousin/co-worker, or you've read too many of those "Don't Have A Pinterest Wedding" posts, ignore them. Work with your fiancée, choose what you both love, what makes sense to you two, break a few traditions. If that means a first look, burgers and fries instead of a 4 course dinner, or wearing a black gown instead of white, do it. Own it. It's your wedding.

Mother Nature Is An Unpredictable You-Know-What

This is not sunny California, it's Canada. The weather can change at the drop of a hat. I got over this one pretty darn quick. At 10am, when the weather report sucks and it's going to be rainy and hot, just make the call; move the ceremony inside and don't give it another thought. Waiting until the last second will cause unnecessary stress. You'll be happy to have the air-conditioning and be dry. Trust me, your frizzy hair (and guests with menopause) will thank you. Tell yourself bad weather is good luck and get on with it. My grandparents got married during Hurricane Hazel, 60 years later they still hold hands wherever they go.

Roll With It

Things are going to happen on your wedding day, don't let a little issue ruin your big day. The limo will be late, the weather will suck and you'll have to go with plan B, a button will pop off the groom's jacket as soon as you hug hello, the second shooter will get in a minor fender bender on her way to the ceremony, guests who RSVPed "yes" will not show, people will surprise you with several moments that weren't on your meticulously planned itinerary. (Yep, that all happened.) It is not the end of the world, and the show will go on. Take a deep breath and keep your eyes on the prize, you're getting married - WOO HOO - whether he can button his jacket or not. If it doesn't stop you from walking down the aisle, it doesn't matter.

Highs & Lows

Figure out your priorities early and how they're going to work with your budget. Now get ready to compromise. Thank goodness for generous parents and our ability to save up, we had an amazing wedding. Delicious food, talented vendors, gorgeous flowers and decor. Know when and where to splurge, and when to save. There needs to be a balance, or you'll break the bank. Did you know I walked down the aisle in a $14 necklace from Forever 21, $30 shoes and a David's Bridal gown? You can look dressed to the nines with out spending a fortune. We ordered our invitations all the way from Ohio but I opted to DIY wedding programs and favours.

Bottom line, it was the best day ever, one we won't soon forget. I have many talented people and our friends and family to thank for that. There are many more happy memories to be made.