Recap and Advice Written By Carly Wilde of Milk Glass Productions
If you’re new around here, Carly has been sharing her wedding planning journey from taste testing and asking her friends to be bridesmaids to their engagement party and beyond. Last up, Carly is sharing a recap of her wedding planning journey, what she would have done differently, and sharing a bit of advice!
As a planner and a 2019 bride myself, I wish I could say every detail of my wedding was absolutely perfect. It was truly beautiful, and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life as the most exciting experience! But as with every wedding, looking back, there are things I wished I would have done differently. Of course, there are factors that you simply cannot account for, weather, mechanical difficulties, clothing snafus, late arrivals at the airport, etc. Even if you try to cover all your bases, things will go wrong!
Going through the wedding planning process for my own wedding gave me a new perspective on what my brides are going through! Between family, friends, entertaining, money seemingly flying out the window, and having a full-time job, I now, better than ever, understand where my couples are coming from. I joked several times during my planning process to my now-husband, that we might as well just light the money on fire!
“Regrets are the worst, especially when they have to do with your special day. As with every bride, I too had to learn some things the hard way.” – Carly
What was your biggest regret?
One of my biggest regrets is wishing I had not skimped on the transportation. Even as a planner, I know the importance of good, reliable transportation. But I had my transportation bus leave the guest hotel and go back and forth between my venue, 45 minutes away. As the bus was shuttling back and forth multiple times to accommodate the numbers, I felt guilty for guests who were left and had to wait over an hour for the bus to come back and get them. Instead, I should have had one bus for the bridal party, a large SUV for myself, maid of honor, and mother, then have multiple buses ready for my guests to be transported all at once without any transportation shuttling to and from the venue.
Your guests’ overall experience is something everyone remembers years down the line. Along with florals, decor, linens, etc., transportation is one of the most important things you can organize. Less is not more in this situation. Allowing 15-30 minutes for anyone arriving late, and having different load-in times is key to having a good experience with regards to the ride. As for transportation both during and at the end of the evening, you never want your guests to feel trapped in regard to the availability of transportation. Having transportation readily available in case anyone wants to leave early, and not having groups of people waiting for the next bus when the affair is over is super important, especially if your venue is far away. It’s the last thing your friends and family will remember after your wonderful wedding is over!
Photographs and videography are also a huge component of a wedding. This is where memories of the best day of your life are stored, so only hiring a photographer and excluding a videographer may be something you would regret. There are so many details you won’t have seen on your wedding day because of all the excitement. The best way to relive these precious moments over and over is through photo albums and high-quality video.
How to ensure you get all the photos you want?
Be sure to create a detailed “shot list“ with all variations of family and friends by listing out names . Consider asking parents and other family members for their shot lists as well for you to give to the photographer. This keeps the photographer and videographer on track from a timing perspective during cocktail hour and throughout the wedding and ensures you have all of your favorite photos.
Tip: Take the dance lessons!
Having your first dance can be somewhat nerve-wracking, for myself included! Surprisingly, dance classes were one of the most fun moments my fiancé and I had throughout the process. We chose to take classes with Laura Pearson’s Dance Studio. It was so romantic, and we connected as a couple having to dance and practice together. It’s so beautiful when you and your partner are up there on the dance floor in front of all your family and friends, well-rehearsed, dancing elegantly on your wedding day. It’s a moment everyone will remember. Be sure to get in a few lessons to make yourself and your partner feel more comfortable.
Should you take your honeymoon right away?
As for our honeymoon, we decided to put it off until 2020 (pre-pandemic decision) because I had so many weddings to do in 2019, and my husband was starting a new job. Even so, I would consider not leaving the very next day because you may be so overwhelmed with everything from a late-night, entertaining guests and trying to wrap up with vendors. If you do want to depart the next day, be sure to put your planner or trusted family member in charge of any final payments or cleanup that may need to be done. Also, put someone in charge of the luggage you will not be taking with you!
Due to the pandemic, we haven’t been able to actually take the honeymoon we had originally planned, though we did manage to get away for a short trip together. While postponing our honeymoon isn’t a huge deal, considering all that is happening, I can’t imagine the feeling of what the COVID brides are going through. As a planner, we have had 75% of our 2020 weddings moved to the end of the year or to 2021. We feel deeply for our community and clients during this time.
The advice I would give to brides during the pandemic would be:
Be flexible: Your wedding may not look exactly the way you wanted. You may have to reduce guest count or change venues, dates, and more. Don’t worry, it will still be beautiful! We have a lot of clients eloping and then doing a celebration when it’s more appropriate and safe with their guest count. You have to find what works for you.
Be patient with your vendors:They are doing their very best to accommodate you with all of the reschedulings. Leep in mind, the paperwork is endless for them! Everyone is trying to keep their head above water during this time to accommodate all of the rescheduled 2020 weddings to either the end of this year or into 2021.
Don’t be judgemental: As long as vendors, family, and friends are being safe and taking the correct precautions, don’t judge how others want to handle their situation. Each family and situation is different, and we all need to respect that and each other during this time. Again, find what works best for you and your family.
Remember, things are eventually going to go back to normal, and in the meantime, there are awesome vendors out there ready to help you navigate this unchartered territory.
Hang in there, 2020 brides! You’ll have a beautiful wedding, and remember, we are here with you!
xoxo,
Carly
To see more of Carly’s big day, flip to page 30 in the Rocky Mountain Bride 2020 Spring/Summer Issue below:
