We are so excited to introduce our featured day-of coordinator for The Big Fake Wedding NYC, Dee of Dee Weddings! Dee is your girl when it comes to planning an unforgettable event, so of course we had to ask her to contribute to our day-of coordinator series. Today, Dee is filling us in about how to approach your wedding planning. Grab your wedding notebook and get ready for some insider tips!
Deepti is a New York based Wedding Planner and has been planning weddings for couples across various cultures and destinations since 2011. She assists couples at various stages of their planning – some from beginning till end, some midway and some only on the day-of. She also works with different budgets – from high-end to DIY.
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7 Tips on Approaching Your Wedding Planning
So you’ve asked her to be your valentine. Popped the question. And now you’re getting married! With the wedding season in full swing, here are 7 top tips on how to approach your wedding so you can enjoy planning it without feeling overwhelmed or disappointed.
1. Game of Trends
As soon as the wedding season begins, there’s an influx of wedding trends that subconsciously influences your decisions while planning the wedding. If gold sequin and purple is trending, and you don’t like these colors, you DON’T have to use them. If you’re allergic to pollen, you don’t have to use flowers! If you want an upside-down wedding cake and your caterer can do it, go for it!
My tip: Use trends for direction and inspiration and not as a hard-and-fast rule. Be yourself and sprinkle the wedding theme with your tastes and likes so it feels personal and relatable by family and friends.
2. 50 Shades of Pinterest
If your residential address has moved to www.pinterest.com, you know you’re signing up for major disappointments! I have lost count on the number of couples that have asked me to make their wedding elements look ‘exactly as is’ in the pictures.
My tip: Understand that these images look the way they do because of creative photography effects. Also, some décor can be very heavy on the budget. Hence, use Pinterest for ideas, but do not be fixated on getting the exact same look. Because sometimes it cannot.
3. Budget
This is a cycle. You have a budget in mind. And then you start planning. And then you realize it’s exceeding. You then start cutting down. And it’s still exceeding!
My tip: Always put together a min and max range. This helps to keep your expectations in check and in case you’re going over, it gives you some room to play around with the budget.
4. Tug-of-Weight
Girls. If you know you’re getting married in a year, and want to lose some weight, start now. I see brides (and I’m guilty too) going on a crash diet few months leading to the wedding and believe me when I say – it’s depressing and frustrating. Your friends want to take you out, you want to have a good time, and all you’re doing is sipping on protein shakes and dreaming of the day you can have that bite of your favorite dessert or wedding cake.
My tip: Make a few tweaks to your lifestyle. 3 suggestions are:
– Have natural foods and cut down on processed sugar. E.g. If you like fruit yogurt, mix plain Greek yogurt with a real fruit, instead of buying the readymade one.
– Drink lots of water
– Walk. You know very well it does wonders.
5. The “To-Do” List
Maintaining lists are very helpful. The ritual of penning down tasks, and crossing them when it’s done is a powerful one. It gives you a sense of achievement and relief to physically see that your planning is successfully progressing.
6. The Groomsday Conspiracy.
A lot of brides feel their fiancés aren’t as involved, and feel upset. Well. Let’s face it – I can’t think of a single guy who has sat and thought about his big day while growing up, or the tuxedo that he’ll wear on his ‘special day.’ It’s us who like to fuss and daydream over these details. Most men, however, just want to show up and have a good time! Don’t get me wrong; I’m not generalizing, but with most men, it is how it is. Some men feel clueless (and helpless) as to what’s expected from them, and this leads to fights.
My tip: Expect and accept – that he won’t be as involved or as particular as you would. He won’t fuss over the same issues; he might not share (or understand) your sentiments. And if that happens, it’s fine. That’s why you have your girlfriends to discuss this with, at length. As long as he is able to support you and be part of the fun, that’s great!
7. L.G.H.F.
My ultimate tip: Let Go and Have Fun. Ultimately, this is the one day you’ve been waiting for. You’re the center of attention. So remember to live it up and enjoy it well with the man you love.
Photo Credits:
Wisehart Fine Art (1 + 2) | Olli Studio (3) | Parris Whittingham Studio (4) | Aether Visual Storytelling (5)
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More from Dee Weddings:
Website | Facebook | WeddingWire
