Our Wedding - Do's & Don'ts Advice

Okay, last wedding post!  Since I had so many lovely ladies give me advice for planning, I wanted to share some things that we thought were useful and things we wish we'd known.

I can honestly say that I loved our wedding day.  The only thing that I'd change is the photographer.  It was sentimental, but not cheezy, and affordable, without being cheap.  It was about God and celebrating the beginning of our marriage.

1.  It should be about God and glorifying Him as you start your marriage.  It is a worship service in which you and your friends and family can praise Him and pray for your marriage.

2.  Definitely wait a night or two before leaving for your honeymoon!  That was advice we got from a couple of newlyweds and we're so glad we listened!  Near the end of the reception, I remember talking to Carrie and Amanda and saying, "I am SO tired!"  Thank goodness we did not have a 3 hour car ride to a hotel or plane to catch!  We spent our first night together at our home, which was perfectly romantic and sentimental (not to mention practical)!  We didn't have to pack for our honeymoon before the wedding and worry about forgetting something!  We slept in the next morning and took our time getting ready and packing.  We spent the night in Raleigh Sunday night and flew to Jamaica on Monday morning.

3. Get the ring, set a date, and then BUDGET.  Budget for every possible cost and then do not go over budget.  We budgeted $10,000 and we came in under budget.  Why?  Because when we went to buy something, we knew how much we had to spend and then tried to spend less if possible.  I think we went over budget on 2 things and we more than made up for it in other places.  I did a post on things to include in the budget if you need a starting point.  Do NOT go into debt for your wedding or honeymoon - that is so dumb and not worth it.  Be resourceful.  :)

4. Book vendors early!  There is an advantage to booking as soon as possible.  One, you don't have to worry about not getting your first choice.  Two, some vendors might go up on their price before your wedding, but if you have a contract, you're golden!  We know that at least one of our vendors went up on prices soon after we booked him. And three, you can spread your expenses over several months so that you're not spending your whole budget all at once.

5.  Resarch, research, research.  If you have a certain amount budgeted for something, do not cave!  I did a lot of research on locations for the reception, DJs, tablecloths, etc.  It definitely pays off.

6.  If you don't care about real flowers, do "faux" bouquets as Avis calls them.  Seriously, real bouquets average from $50-$150.  We did 5 bridesmaid bouquets for about $100 total.  I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.  Definitely worth it.  Other than the 20 minute ceremony - when does anyone even look at the bouquets?  You can't tell the difference in pictures if you do them right.

7.  Do a photo guestbook and have guests sign it yearbook style.  It was a hit and we use it as a coffee table book.  If you go to David's Bridal (even if it's just to look) and fill out a form, they email you a coupon to get a free Shutterfly book - you just pay shipping.  Our guestbook costs us less than $6.  This plain, non-sentimental thing costs $12 + tax + shipping.  SMH.

8.  Do NOT buy stamps until the day you put them on the invitations and mail them.  I was out one day and decided to go ahead and buy stamps.  (This was like 2 weeks before mailing them, mind you.)  Before buying them I explicitly said, "I will not be mailing these for 2 more weeks, will you be going up on stamps?"  Answer: "Oh no, we are not supposed to go up on stamps any time soon."  I handed over the invitation to get it weighed (make sure you take a stuffed invitation so you can get the right size stamp) and paid for 100+ stamps.  Two weeks later, I took my bag of freshly stamped invitations to the same post office and talked to the same lady.  Lo and behold, the price of that size stamp had gone up ONE cent.  It took a lot of Christian grace my friends...  In the end, we had a nice patriotic touch added to our invitations - a cute wedding cake and a 1 cent flag stamp.  I'm so glad the government could profit one extra dollar from the Morgan wedding invitations.  Sarcasm.

9.  Do have a themed rehearsal dinner.  Parker's brother & sister-in-law did a western theme (we wore jeans, boots, hats, and plaid shirts) and we did a luau (Hawaiian shirts for guys, tropical sun dresses for girls, flip flops and leis for all).  It takes the "formalness" pressure off of everyone and is much more relaxing and fun!  It helps with decorations too!

10.  Don't stress.  Don't go through life (or wedding planning) stressing about things.  In the end, you will be married and have a good time.  Oopsy-daiseys and accidents make great stories.  The only stressful part in my opinion was the guest list.  My mom had 185 people on her first list.  Our budget/location allowed for 200 people total.  If you haven't talked to them in five years OR if both the bride and groom haven't MET the person, they don't need an invite.  It might hurt some feelings, but again... you will still be married, God will be glorified, and everyone will have a good time whether "You know Johnny - he's Susie's cousin's second husband's son" is there or not.