Following celebrity weddings and reading glamorous bridal magazines can be a lot of fun, but nothing’s more helpful than learning how real brides plan their big day. With that in mind, meet OWD's Real Brides: real OurWeddingDay.com brides-to-be sharing their experiences. It’s not about the “right” way to plan; it’s about each bride planning the wedding that’s right for her.
Hi. I’m Amy and my wedding is December 18th. A little introduction wouldn’t go amiss. My fiancé and I have been planning this wedding for about 8 months now. We already have a ton of things done. We booked or ceremony venue in June (2008) and our reception venue in November. I already have a caterer, my invitations are already printed and here. They were designed and letterpressed by the wonderful girls at Peculiar Pair Press. I already have amassed quite a few (hundreds actually) of the gold Christmas ornaments we will use to decorate. I already have a photography booked. I booked Nikki back in June as well. So mostly, this is what has been done so far. Have I mentioned that even though I have gathered all these super nice things that my budget is only $8500. Yep. It’s been a DIY, hunt for the best deals, buy on clearance, and plan with extra care challenge, but it has been fun. The budget has forced me to be creative and I love it.
I have been trying to decide on attire, not just for myself, but for my fiancé and attendants as well. Part of being creative (and sane) about wedding planning has forced me to look at wedding traditions and decide if I like them or not. One thing I found that I do not like is matchy matchy bridesmaids in dresses they will never wear again, forced into makeup that looks garish on them, and hairstyles that are not flattering at all. I love my girls. Why in the world would I want to do that to them? And do I have such low self-esteem that I can’t handle it if my girls actually look pretty!?! No one will be prettier than the bride on her wedding day. All day long brides will hear how gorgeous they look, all eyes will be on them. I know this. This is why I am not torturing my bridesmaids. I am confident enough in them to know they will look good in a dress that they pick out (read: they will really wear again) in a color (in the scheme we have set up) that will compliment their complexion. I also trust them enough to pick out shoes they like and are comfortable in. (I mean, hey, they’ve been doing it this long without my help.) I also trust they can handle picking out what style their hair looks best in and what makeup doesn’t make them look like Tammy Faye. Thus, I am giving my bridesmaids a look book with dress styles and colors that I like.
When it comes to the boys though, my options are more in line with the traditional matching men. Maybe it’s because there aren’t as many options of guys and they all look great in approximately the same things. I have no idea. But the men will all be matching. Not to a T, but close. My fiancé, J, will be wearing some kick-butt K-Swiss sneakers, different cufflinks, and some other fun stuff. I wonder why it is though as a general brides think less about their groom’s style? I mean, I suppose it’s because we know that when we go into the tux rental place that there will be a friendly worker there that will help us to pick out the right tux, color, matching accessories, and even shoes if we want. I mean, they do make it pretty simple. I think, the tux places do this as a kindness. I know you are thinking “question mark?”. Well, it’s a kindness in two ways. First, for the guys who’s fiancée trusts him enough to go with the guys and pick them out, they take care of all the details so your guy can just go in, point, grunt and go. Second, for the hectic stressed out brides they get to come in, stew a bit, ponder consider, be politely and delicately guided into making what will be the easiest decision of the wedding. (Hey! It’s a ton easier than picking out what flowers are in season!) All I have to say is… God bless you tux rental places!
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