The Wedding Issue! Part 1
We’ve past the six-month mark!!! Actually down to 4 months until the big day, it’s still pretty good time to do everything we have to do, but I can feel the rush now, this is when it all starts to pile up. Especially because we can’t really count on December as a useful month, with the holidays we cant really get anything done. Cutting our time down to basically 3 months.
I finally decided to do a “wedding post” and share this whole experience (and process) with you. Before getting engaged I was horrified by all the wedding planning stories friends would tell me, I mean I heard it all from the dress not arriving in time (which is quite serious) to having a mental breakdown about napkins or that tiny misshap that only the bride notices. I wanted to share where i'm at right now and what I have left to do. For some reason I have managed to stay relatively calm through this time (I do get a few panic attacks here and there but really nothing major) This will be a multiple parts post, meaning I will keep adding to this as I get closer to the Big Day!
Chapter one (4 months to go)
From the beginning: We got engaged in May, which gave us 10 months to the day we picked. And it really was good time; some people even told us we had too much time. For those who’ve been through this, you know that in the end its never enough time, especially if you’re getting married in Mexico (or any big city for that) Mexican weddings are… well have you seen “My big fat, Greek, wedding” yep! There you go! So booking your dream venue and church might not be possible unless you have enough time (one year in advance) so I was very lucky to have decided to book places a couple weeks after the engagement. And even then! I had to play with dates because both church and venue were all booked until I found the right combo. When I finally got the church (which in Mexico its pretty much the most important part of the wedding) I tried checking out a couple more venues as a plan B, but surprise surprise there was nothing open for those dates!!! That’s when I realized time to step it up and get it all down!
So what you have to focus on booking first are the big things; Church, venue, music (these three first!) food, photos, flowers/décor. And for the brides make sure you book a makeup artist. I’ve had bad experiences with guys who double book or don’t show up, so this is important! This has been the main reason I believe I’ve been mostly relaxed. I was able to get the big things out of the way and I can now focus on the little ones, without having a total melt down (or so I think right now, lets see in a couple months) Another thing that helps, I know its obvious, but it really helps to be organized. Part of my issues were that from October till around January, we were all going to be crazy busy, not only because of the holidays, but because I’ve reached that age where many of my friends and relatives are getting married themselves, and fall weddings are some of the most popular ones. So the way I organize myself, I keep in touch with everybody, caterers wedding planner etc, via email or text and then once a month (or so) I book appointments with them to get updates, and it works! Right now and probably since the 8 month mark I had the services down and booked, and from there to now I’ve just been working on the details (but don’t be fooled details sound so small and insignificant but those little bastards are the worst! the sneak up on you and pile up)
Also one of the most important things i've learned is: don't get consumed by your wedding, yes it needs attention but no, don’t let it become your entire life during these months. Let someone you trust help you; whether it’s your mom, cousin, best friend or wedding planner, they are a huge help and support system.
And the most important thing when it comes to start planning a wedding? Know what you want!! The people who’ve struggled the most planning their weddings are the ones who’ve told me they never knew exactly what they wanted or liked. So when they started throwing things and details at them they had no idea what to do. If you feel like your loved one is about to pop the question, or you’re starting to plan your wedding? Pick up every wedding magazine in the store and start defining your style, day or nigh, colors, classic or moderns, all those things. There’s no shame in knowing what you want before hand (no matter what the boys say) its called being prepared guys! And SUPER important first thing to do after getting engaged?! get your ring appraised and insured!!
Another great fin was "The Knot" app it has a directory to everything and anything needed for your wedding (in the U.S only) but it has still helped me narrow down my decisions. (this issue pictured above has great tips!)
Stay tuned for the Chapter 2, the dress!
