Bridal Club Magazine

Real Brides Reveal: "What I Wish I'd Known Before Getting Engaged"
"I was shocked by the cost of it all. I knew
prices went up over time, but wow! You want me to
pay what just to feed 75 people?
Sheesh." -@angela.martindale1
"I totally thought we could have our dream wedding for
less than ten grand. Who was I kidding?! We aren't
spending much more than that, but it has been so stressful. I can't
wait for the wedding planning to be done and to just be
married." -@t.m.higbee
"I got engaged in September, and we are getting married on April
23rd, so I had eight months to plan, which I thought
was plenty of time. However, it's been a mad
scramble! I'm shocked by how much work goes into one
day. In retrospect, I think having more than a year to plan would
have been ideal. The last few months have been hard and
tested our relationship. Sometimes, all we talk about is wedding
plans and not about our day or feelings or relationship. The more
time you have, the less stressed you'll be. However, I know all of
our hard work will totally be worth it, and I'm so excited for our
special day." -@david_y_lia
"I had no idea that after six years of dating, I
would fall even deeper in love with my fiancé! I love
being engaged. #itgetsbetterandbetter" -@irenedonnelly
"This is going to be my second marriage. I'm
surprised by all of the great things available online to help plan
my wedding. Years ago, you had to go to a boutique or
to a wedding planner to help plan your wedding. I was able to do
everything myself now, from finding ideas on Pinterest to picking
out my invitations online. Not only is it so much easier to plan a
wedding this time around, but I also find it to be much more
enjoyable." -@PamelaZottiTanskey
"Picking the person you want to spend the rest of your life with
is the easiest decision you'll make in the whole wedding process. I
am a floral designer (@localcolorflowers), and even for an industry
professional like me, planning is a struggle when I thought it
would be a breeze. One major challenge is that I like a lot of
different design styles, so having to choose one is a lot of
pressure, and everyone has an opinion! Ultimately, the
venue will dictate the style direction, so deciding where to get
married is the biggest hurdle. Also, you have to take
in many other considerations such as price, proximity, limitation,
time parameters, cost, etc. Nothing is perfect! I will leave it at
that." -@irenedonnelly
"I'd been daydreaming about my wedding since elementary school,
but the planning is so much different than fantasizing about
it. Making huge decisions and putting the puzzle pieces
together is fun because you see it take shape, but it's
also weird that A. the mystery is gone and B. that's it, these are
your flowers, cake, venue, dress, etc. I love all of my elements,
but I could have 20 weddings, all with different
themes!" -@candice.thompson.14
"I wish that I would have known people wouldn't see things from
my perspective. I have so many ideas, but my family
keeps giving their unsolicited opinions - with
the décor in particular - and that's not what I want.
#stressful" -@the_real_cilla_1992
"I wish I had known that most people don't understand
guest list etiquette. If it only
lists you on the invitation, then you're the
only one invited! And please don't offer to pay for the extra
guests that we don't know." -@carlytefft4
"I never imagined how sensitive the guest list would
be. Older generations expect certain plus-ones to
happen. I wasn't prepared for certain people to stand their ground
on the guest list. I gave in to the request, so there was no
compromising. Sigh, mothers can be difficult.
#momplayedhardball" -@rp1610
"I wish I had chosen my venue before my
dress. I got so excited that I bought it before I
really should have. Luckily, the style works with my ballroom venue
even though we were initially thinking of having a backyard
wedding." - @adriana.vasquez.5
"Be open-minded, especially when it comes to your venue. Venue
shopping isn't as fun as I thought it would be. I had my
mind dead-set on a theme, but then I realized that Pinterest barn
weddings aren't that realistic at the Jersey Shore.So I took
a step back, started looking again with a blank slate, and ended up
going in the complete opposite direction. Now I'm having a classic
wedding on the Navesink River." -@brittanyyymeow
"I hated looking at venues - after a while, they all
started to look the same. By the fourth one, I said,
'this is it!' I wanted the fun stuff to
begin." -@nat_franco
"Don't go dress shopping at too many places! I ended
up trying on over 40 different dresses, and in the end, I couldn't
make up my mind. I have given myself until the end of
the week to decide." -@eleni_kts
"Saying 'yes' to my fiancé was an easier decision than saying
'yes' to my dress! There were so many beautiful styles to choose
from, and I didn't want the dress shopping experience to
end!" -@yogamaddani
"You may not ever have that sappy, emotional 'I'm saying
yes to the dress!' moment. I never found a gown that I
was 1000% in love with, but I eventually bought a nice one that I
liked. It looked beautiful in pictures, but I still wish I would
have had that special moment." -@mypie05
"You may find your dream gown in the most unexpected
place. I bought the first dress I tried on while I was
supposed to be looking for bridesmaid dresses. My mom passed away
last year, and her favorite color was pink. I walked by this
beautiful blush dress by Allure; it was a style I never thought I
would like. The consultant asked if I would like to try on a bridal
gown, and I said, 'Sure, why not?' She brought in the same dress
that reminded me of my mom. When I tried it on, the tears began
flowing, and I just knew I had to buy it that
day." -@nanaloo16
"Do your research. When you find the perfect dress: 1. Put down
a partial payment (most reputable shops allow this when you special
order). 2. Pay with a credit card - not debit, not
a check, nothing else! I was unfortunate enough to make
the mistake of paying in full, and my money was used to cover the
cost of another person's dress. The bridal store filed for
bankruptcy, and I lost thousands of dollars (so did many other
people in our area)." -@haydenlaynes
"We're planning our wedding from a distance. We are now living
in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and we will tie the knot by the beach
on the Northern Colombian coast (we are both Colombians, born and
raised). It is crazy how long it takes for vendors to
respond to our inquiries. One month to answer an
e-mail? Are you kidding me?! Ugh." -@senenita
"The simpler plans are the best. You don't have to spend
thousands on flowers - a few simple flower arrangements or
just a bunch of tulips are all you need on tables for
décor. Whole Foods will put together bouquets at a
fraction of the cost of florist
prices." -@leighscar
"I had no idea how stressful planning a wedding could be
(especially choosing the bridal party), but it's worth
it." -@SusanTucker
"I hated the entire wedding-planning process! If I
had the money, I would have just hired someone to plan it all for
me while I sat back and relaxed. My fiancé is so much more of a
bridezilla than I am." -@seraphtron