Three Things I learned as a 2023 Bride
Venue: The Carey Gardens
Photographer/Videographer: Mady and Tyler Photo
Catering: Frelard Tamales
Dessert: Selva Central and Street Treats
DJ/Sound: Catalyst Events
Dress: Blue Sky Bridal
Suit: Indochino
Coordinator and Arbor Florals: Three Tree Weddings
Makeup: Lovely Makeup Artistry
Hair: KR Hair Studio
As my husband, Joe, and I come up on our one year anniversary (wow time is wild), I’ve also been reflecting on all the things I learned from planning my own wedding. While there were plenty of things I knew from shooting weddings, being a bride was a completely different ballgame.
1.) Having a coordinator changes EVERYTHING. And I’m not saying that couples need to hire a full service wedding planner. We were very privileged to have the funds and help from family to hire wedding coordinators to help with our day. We selected Three Tree Weddings’ second tier package, which meant they took over vendor communication two months prior to our wedding. While we did the initial work with planning, we didn’t have to worry about much else for those last two months. In my experience of shooting all types of weddings, the most important thing is having a point person who is organized and knows where things need to be and when. Whether it’s hiring a coordinator or a friend offering their organizational skills, it makes all the difference.
2.) Quiet time and boundaries are SO important. I am a fairly introverted person and can get over stimulated fairly easily. There were several times during the getting ready process before the ceremony where I needed a break. But as someone who isn’t the best at asking for what she needs, it was hard to advocate for one. But I finally got brave enough to ask for it. And you know what I did after I got that quiet? I cried. Not because of joy or sadness, but because I was so overwhelmed and hadn’t taken a moment to myself. Once I was able to release, I felt so so so much better. So, set those boundaries!
3.) Sometimes less is more! My Pinterest board was filled with extravagant and aesthetically pleasing tablesettings, decor, signage, etc. But after choosing our venue and seeing just how gorgeous it was on its own, we realizing that we didn’t need as many material things as we initially thought. By choosing a garden venue, the day was naturally filled with vibrant colors. We were able to keep our decor very minimal, with just some small floral arrangements on the tables with some tea lights and some gold placemats from my mom’s house!
