Today is my 3rd wedding anniversary. It feels like our big day was a lifetime ago, especially now we’ve moved house, Penny is already two and we have another baby on the way. Three years seems like such a tiny amount of time to celebrate when we’ve actually been together for over eight! As much as I look back on our wedding day with fond memories, in retrospect, there are a few details I would have done differently. As a bride, there is so much pressure to please everyone and plan a ‘traditional’ wedding. The majority of my wedding budget was spent on things that seemed so important at the time; chair covers, bar tabs, table settings and canapes. The truth is, hardly any of my guests actually remember these things, in fact, neither do I. If I could go back in time here’s a few pieces of advice I would share with the future, Mrs Watt…
Capture every moment…
I have boxes and albums of keepsakes and mementoes stored carefully in my attic. I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to tickets, certificates, favours and photos. I have become even worse since I had Penny. Unfortunately, I am not a photogenic person. In fact, I don’t own a single wedding photo of myself that I am happy with. This is no criticism of my photographer, she was lovely and very patient but when it comes to forced smiles, rehearsed poses and awkward family encounters – I freeze, and you can see the discomfort in my face. At the last wedding Ross and I attended there was a videographer. Originally I thought this would be even worse! Having a huge video camera in front of me definitely does not appeal. However, they worked in such harmony with the wedding coordinator and staff that they were virtually invisible. They never once got in the way or took up anyone’s time and captured some beautiful candid moments that a photographer just couldn’t. I wish I had invested in a service such as White Dress Films. Instead of a photo album full of forced and frankly dodgy poses, I could have had a beautifully crafted video to watch on my anniversary.
Just keep pinning…
I love Pinterest. I am a pinning addict and during my wedding planning, it became almost an obsession. In reality, unless you’re a millionaire or have time to dedicate your entire life to some serious DIY-ing, your dream ‘Pinterest wedding’ is never going to happen. I mean, who doesn’t want a sundae bar, flower wall and vintage ice-cream cart at their wedding? But realistically, do you have enough money in your budget? And, do you actually need such elaborate gestures? It’s so easy to be sucked into the wedding hoopla and spend an excessive amount of money on things that seem important at the time, however, try to think about how you want to begin your lives together, my guess is that it’s not with a huge amount of debt hanging over your heads.
Let them eat cake…
Actually, let me rephrase that, let the bride eat her cake! It makes me physically cringe when I think about the amount of money I spent on food and drink and how little I actually got to enjoy. I didn’t get to enjoy a single mouthful of the beautiful red velvet wedding cake I so carefully chose, I was too worried about everyone else having a good time to enjoy the actual meal and I have no recollection of the evening buffet even being served! Although, I’m told it was delicious. My point is – slow down. Take the time to enjoy every secret kiss with your new hubby or missus, every giggle from your flower girl, every twirl in your beautiful dress and every mouthful of cake.
What advice do you wish you could go back & give yourself before your wedding day?
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