Weddings don’t have to be as stressful as they’re made out to be! Our weddings were in different seasons with different themes, and they both went really smoothly – thankfully.  This was mainly because we were well-prepared, relaxed and excited rather than stressed and anxious.  

Based on our experience, here are some pre-wedding tips that we highly recommend to future brides, which we believe will actually make a difference in their wedding experience.

This is rule number one, and the most important one! Brides begin to gather their family members, relatives and friends and involve them in important decisions such as choosing the wedding dress, the flowers or decor. As much as you’d love to get their opinions, the problem is you’ll end up wanting to please everyone and you’ll lose sight of the most important decision-maker in this wedding: you. You are the bride and the star of the day, your opinion counts more than anyone else’s- okay, your partner’s opinion counts as well. It’s his wedding too!

No matter what you do, you can’t please everyone. We’re not saying don’t involve others in your wedding plans, we’re simply saying don’t give too much importance to other people’s opinions because you’ll end up with unnecessary stress, or worse, you’ll get influenced into selecting a choice you’re not 100% convinced with, just to please others. The latter would be a regret that will haunt you on your wedding day and beyond.

Hiring a wedding planner was the best decision we ever made! If you’re looking to hire a wedding planner, make sure you have an introductory session with your planner prior to hiring him or her, just to make sure you’ve established trust. Once you trust your planner, all you need to do is share your ideas and let him or her turn them into reality. Don’t try to do your planner’s job- it just gets messy and personal.

We had great experiences with our wedding planners and we only met with them a few times before our weddings. We knew our weddings were in safe hands, and that proved to be true!

Many brides forget this part because they are so overwhelmed and busy with the preparations. But you won’t realize how necessary it is until you’re married. You will still see your family, of course, but it won’t be the same. Your priorities and responsibilities will change, as you build a new life with your partner. Take advantage of those last weeks you spend at home, with as much quality time spent with your parents.

During your wedding preparations, your parents and siblings will also play a major role emotionally and on the ground! Their love and support will be priceless. We wouldn’t have been as relaxed as we were during our weddings if it weren’t for our parents.  

Sleep well. Exercise. Eat healthy. Get a facial or a nice long massage. Pamper yourself! We’ve seen lots of brides running around, stressing out, losing sleep, trying to accomplish as much as possible in one day, and compromising their health and well being. 

Delegation is key. Don’t try to do everything yourself. And take a break every now and then. Don’t be fooled by the illusion that you’re running out of time. This is the ultimate bride stressor. Just remember if you have a planner, rest assured the timelines are already accounted for. Focus on yourself and don’t let the wedding stress take away from your beauty. 

In the blink of an eye, your big day will be over! Your wedding day will be more memorable to you and your partner than to anyone else. As much as your guests will talk about this day, sooner or later all the little details you were stressing about will soon be forgotten. No one will remember if you had roses or orchids, or if you chose a gold or silver plate setting. So don’t worry too much about these details.

Don’t plan for a perfect wedding because you’ll set yourself up for disappointment if something goes wrong. It’s common that something small will go wrong, but rarely does anything happen that will take away the joy of your celebration. So don’t over react if something goes wrong. Take it easy and be optimistic that everything else will run smoothly and everyone will have a wonderful time.

Some couples focus all their attention on planning the wedding ceremony, that they often overlook the essence of marriage-  of building the foundation of their marriage beforehand. Marriage is about a life-long commitment and responsibility to your partner. Our advice- don’t sweat the small stuff! Focus on your partnership and start planning your lives together for after your wedding day.

We hope you found those tips useful and we wish all the brides-to-be out there a smooth wedding and blissful marriage!

Sincerely,

Sisi & Rara