Because We Could All Use A Little Help...
*Men don't always understand the planning process.
My sister best described an engagement as a race - it's not a marathon, it's more like a sprint to see how fast you can get to the finish. :-) I wanted to set a wedding date for 5 months after we got engaged - DH thought this was INSANE! I definitely could have pulled it off, but waiting 16 months really did help us save money and get exactly what we wanted. Men also have no clue as to what things cost - break them in slowly and gently, if you can! If you have a man that is helpful and attentive every step of the way, give him a huge hug and a kiss right now!
*Everyone has an opinion on YOUR wedding.
Even the woman that works down the hall from you that you have never more than nodded at on your way to the restroom - she also has an opinion on your wedding. You can take one of two approaches to this: a. You can smile and nod as they ramble on about how peach is really coming back and you should consider it for your bridesmaids dresses, then thank them for their input and walk away. b. You can Bridezilla out on their a$$ and say "It's MY wedding! I will pick whatever F--king colors I want!" and then storm off in a fiery rage. Option B is probably more fun, but Option A won't have a PPO filed against you. ;-) My advice is to be polite and take it all in stride.
*You don't have to have the most expensive (fill in the blank) to have a beautiful wedding.
So. Many. Trends. It's starting to get ridiculous! You don't have to have each and every one of them at your wedding for it to be spectacular. Also, a lot of items these days can by DIYed to perfection for half the cost. A lot of your friends have hidden talents that you can utilize to save some dough. A lot of people are more than willing to help you with things so you can save a buck (your whole family knows the economy is in the pooper - someone will be willing to help!). That being said, do not create sweatshop-like conditions in your home, with all your friends and family slaving away over paper products just so you can save a few pennies. Do your research. Ask your fellow Knotties. A lot of people don't like to publicly proclaim what they spent on their weddings, but if you ask them in an email, they are usually more than willing to tell you the prices they paid. Which brings me to the next one...
*You don't always get what you pay for... and sometimes you do!
Some vendors are really expensive - for good reason. Their products usually speak for themselves and Knotties can usually back them up on just how amazing they are. Other vendors... well, there really is no good reason for them to charge what they do. More or less, they think because the word "wedding" is attached to the quote, they can double it. Get multiple quotes from multiple vendors and check with your Knotties (see a theme here?) - they are an indispensable asset. On the flip side of that - if a vendor's prices are really cheap, be wary. You are probably going to get what you pay for in that scenario.
My sister best described an engagement as a race - it's not a marathon, it's more like a sprint to see how fast you can get to the finish. :-) I wanted to set a wedding date for 5 months after we got engaged - DH thought this was INSANE! I definitely could have pulled it off, but waiting 16 months really did help us save money and get exactly what we wanted. Men also have no clue as to what things cost - break them in slowly and gently, if you can! If you have a man that is helpful and attentive every step of the way, give him a huge hug and a kiss right now!
*Everyone has an opinion on YOUR wedding.
Even the woman that works down the hall from you that you have never more than nodded at on your way to the restroom - she also has an opinion on your wedding. You can take one of two approaches to this: a. You can smile and nod as they ramble on about how peach is really coming back and you should consider it for your bridesmaids dresses, then thank them for their input and walk away. b. You can Bridezilla out on their a$$ and say "It's MY wedding! I will pick whatever F--king colors I want!" and then storm off in a fiery rage. Option B is probably more fun, but Option A won't have a PPO filed against you. ;-) My advice is to be polite and take it all in stride.
*You don't have to have the most expensive (fill in the blank) to have a beautiful wedding.
So. Many. Trends. It's starting to get ridiculous! You don't have to have each and every one of them at your wedding for it to be spectacular. Also, a lot of items these days can by DIYed to perfection for half the cost. A lot of your friends have hidden talents that you can utilize to save some dough. A lot of people are more than willing to help you with things so you can save a buck (your whole family knows the economy is in the pooper - someone will be willing to help!). That being said, do not create sweatshop-like conditions in your home, with all your friends and family slaving away over paper products just so you can save a few pennies. Do your research. Ask your fellow Knotties. A lot of people don't like to publicly proclaim what they spent on their weddings, but if you ask them in an email, they are usually more than willing to tell you the prices they paid. Which brings me to the next one...
*You don't always get what you pay for... and sometimes you do!
Some vendors are really expensive - for good reason. Their products usually speak for themselves and Knotties can usually back them up on just how amazing they are. Other vendors... well, there really is no good reason for them to charge what they do. More or less, they think because the word "wedding" is attached to the quote, they can double it. Get multiple quotes from multiple vendors and check with your Knotties (see a theme here?) - they are an indispensable asset. On the flip side of that - if a vendor's prices are really cheap, be wary. You are probably going to get what you pay for in that scenario.
