After going through the wedding planning process themselves, these real newlyweds (who’ve shared their anecdotes in The Knot magazine) learned a lot while pulling their celebrations together. If you’re still in the thick of planning your wedding (congrats, by the way!), take a peek at what these veteran couples have to say about the decisions they made—and the ones they wish they’d made. From wishing they’d budgeted for a wedding planner to regretting being so nervous about walking down the aisle, here are 14 personal tips (and regrets) from former brides and grooms.
Ask for Help
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most everyone wants to help in some way, and you’re going to need the extra hands and minds.” —Kimmie
Enjoy Day One of Marriage
“You should be more excited for the day after your wedding! That’s truly the first day of the rest of your life. Love your partner and don’t feel discouraged if they don’t care about the details—because they just want to marry you.” —Rachel
Drink in Every Moment
“Relax and enjoy every moment because it goes by so fast. Do all the corny stuff like showers and parties—it’s a huge deal and you won’t have a chance to celebrate like this again.” —Meagan
Appreciate How Special Your Guests Are
“The cake will be eaten, the flowers will die, the pineapples will be thrown out and most people won’t remember the little details. Just take in the fact that there are so many people who would probably never cross paths there to celebrate your love. That’s a pretty special thing.” —Kristi
Budget for Some Kind of Wedding Planner
“Hire an event planner or at least a day-of coordinator if you can make room in your budget. It’ll be a lifesaver and allow you to truly enjoy your entire wedding day.” —Kendra
Hang Out With Each Other
“Of course it’s important to greet and spend time with guests on your wedding day, but be sure you’re taking time to spend and enjoy yourselves together as newlyweds too. The day really flies by.” —Claire
Take Your Time Planning—And Don’t Be Nervous About the Ceremony
“We’re happy we had a longer engagement period because we were able to build exactly what we were hoping for. Also, if you’re anxious about walking down the aisle, don’t be. It’s the best feeling ever to be standing there with the person you love the most with everyone else you love in the world surrounding and supporting you. It’s electric.” —Caitlin
Don’t Rush Your Photos
“Take your time during photos. After the ceremony, we were in a hurry to get to the reception and it was hot, so I rushed my photos. I had tons of poses I wanted to do, but with all the chaos and my crankiness, I just focused on getting a few. After the fact, I was so disappointed I didn’t slow down and get my photos the way I wanted them. Take your time and don’t rush them.” —Janel
Lock in Your Date and Venue First
“Get the venue and date you want immediately (unless you plan to have a long engagement)—then relax and enjoy for a bit.” —Erin
Be Flexible, Things Change
“Don’t worry if your vision changes by the time your wedding day comes around. I planned for 15 months, and about 90 percent of the things I started off with changed by my wedding day.” —Natalie
Go All Out for Your Seating Chart
“Use a giant dry erase board when figuring out seating.” —Elaine
Budget Super Realistically
“Plan for the money you have, not the money you think you’ll have. I was unexpectedly out of work halfway through our engagement. We had to change our plans—and fast.” —Morgan
Stay the Course (Your Course)
“Stay within your budget and don’t let anyone bump your guest list up. Family and friends will try to invite everyone they know, but you have to stick to your guns. Every time my partner would bump our list up I would make the cash register sound.” —China
Delegate, Let Go and Have a Blast
“Let someone else worry and just have a good time. We didn’t ask a lot about the details! We decided on the vibe we wanted and let our planner do the rest.” —James
Still searching for a wedding planner? Look no further than The Knot Marketplace.
