Weddingbee boards

I'm glad we did our own flowers

I'm glad we saw each other before the wedding

I'm glad we met with the DJ before the wedding and really expressed what we wanted and what he didn't think would work and sorted it all out - he did an excellent job.

I'm glad we had the reception at home so we could have a really long reception where we got to enjoy some outside time during the day and then party into the night

I'm glad we weren't afraid to make it our own and personalize it

There are things that weren't perfect but I really haven't been able to dwell on them and don't want to - it was an absolutely fantastic day and we never expected it to be perfect

I'm so glad we did a morning-after photo shoot.  It was very romantic, and took a lot of the time pressure off of the wedding day.  After I got hair and makeup done on the wedding day, I needed to take about 30 minutes to myself, just away from everyone, for a little chill out meditative time.  I was supposed to be getting photos taken at that time, but I decided to just do what I needed at that moment, which was to relax within myself.  I knew I was getting photos taken the next day, so I didn't stress about it!

One thing I wish I'd done was to think more carefully about where I would be dressing.  I chose my grandparents' house, since it's a gorgeous backdrop close to the church, and I love it there.  However, I didn't really think about it properly, and didn't realize that there were basically no private areas (the bedrooms are all facing the back garden, with these huuuuuge windows, and people are always milling about.  I ended up going up to this mezzanine they have above the living room, which my mom said was really private.  I got undressed and had pulled my wedding dress on halfway, when my step-sister's boyfriend walks out ot the garden, looks up beyond the balcony, and sees me standing there with my bare chest out!  haha!  It was like a cartoon-- I saw him see, I gasped and pulled my hands up to cover myself, then he covers his eyes and says something like "OMG, I'm so sorry!"  It was no big deal, but it was just so funny because I am really really modest.  It did help lighten the mood, though!  :)

Oh, and I'm SO glad that I ordered our dining room flowers online, from fiftyflowers.com.  (800 roses and 160 stems of spray roses)  My MOH and I stripped 600 of them while catching up over a bottle of wine, a couple of days before the wedding, and I hired a woman my mom knew (at $20 an hour) to strip and cut the rest, and to spend the day before and morning of the wedding putting them in the vases I had bought.

It enabled me to get the look I wanted (lots and lots of gorgeous open pastel roses) at the price that worked with my budget.

I'm glad I got ready at the B&B where the ceremony was being held with just my parents and my MOH.  It was so relaxing and gave me time to reflect on what was about to happen.  It also shielded me from knowing that my cousin forgot her son's (the ringbearer) pants and that my SIL accidentally burned a hole in my niece's (flowergirl) dress.  They managed to fix everything before the ceremony and I was none the wiser and wasn't subjected to excess worrying.  (They were frantic though- poor things!!)

I'm glad we decided on a kid-friendly reception.  It made it so much easier for our guests with kids and the kids had a great time and were a riot to watch.

I'm glad I stuck to my guns and DIY'd so many details that others told me no one would notice.  They are part of the reason so many guests have told me it was the best wedding ever.

I'm glad we did a day after shoot.  It allowed us to not be stressed about staying on schedule for pictures the day of

I'm glad that my wedding dress drama (seriously-I won't even get into it or it'd be 10 paragraphs) ended with my finding a dress that I LOVED three weeks before the wedding. I'm so glad I didn't settle for a dress I was only "meh" about.

I'm glad we went with silk flowers. I was considering skipping them all together until I found a great vendor. My bouquet turned out beautifully and is now displayed in our living room. I would have never been able to afford a bouquet with the flowers I loved in real flowers, and there was no surprise, as I had my flowers three months before our wedding!

I'm glad that I listened to my vendors who pointed me in the right direction on a few matters. I'm kind of stubborn and it took me awhile, but I'm glad I listened!

I'm glad I got all the drama and jitters out of the way in the two days leading up to my wedding. On the day I was nervous, but I was able to enjoy the day.

My only real regret is that I wish I'd been a bit more organized on wedding morning. I got up SO EARLY and got stuff done, then it seemed like everyone arrived at once and it was time to go out the door.