Ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes of a wedding? What drives couples crazy? What nightmares they encounter? Behind the glitz and the glamour and the ‘oh so perfect’ photographs, there is ALWAYS a story to be told, and today we’re going to tell it!
“A wedding day is always full of emotion,“ says Victoria Morris, Director and Wedding Planner from Sophisticated Weddings planners of Italian destination weddings. “Sometimes after months and often years of planning, the arrival of the big day itself can stir up a whole array of thoughts and feelings!”
Here Victoria shares one of her beautiful bride’s 10 confessions:
- It really doesn’t need to be as stressful as people say! You can get yourself all worked up over nothing, and sometime get swept along in other bride’s drama. I was absolutely chilled through 99% of my planning (thanks to having an amazing planner no doubt!).
- I was resolute when I started planning that I wouldn’t budge on the guest list when it came to parental demands. In the end it was easier to agree to a couple of extra people attending. Did I fold on my principles? Probably. Was it worth it? Yes! Yes, it was my day and other people should respect it, but you know what for an easy life, a couple of extra people to say hello to, did it affect my day? no.
- I got rid of my provisionally booked photographer less than 3 months before the big day and made a switch to another. If it doesn’t feel right in your gut, change it. The investment in someone better was totally worth it, I will treasure my photographs for ever and we loved every minute with our photographer.
- I had categorically ruled out getting married abroad and made a ‘u turn’ after setting the date. Our wedding was getting too big to handle. We faced the prospect of 10 months of nightmare planning, or pulling the plug and heading abroad. Guess which one we did!! I’d do it again, a thousand times.
- I bought my dress without even trying it on. Yes, broke rule number 1! I had tried on 20-30 dresses and had a few maybes and one that I would have been happy enough to get married in. My mum tried on a sample dress I couldn’t fit into and I bought it on the spot! When it came to fitting nine months later I was so nervous, but it was perfect!
- I didn’t lose any weight even though I was pressured by family. Friends also gave me gentle hints to drop a stone or so for the big day, so I started a horrible regime that I couldn’t keep up and I’d piled it all back on before the first fitting. In the end I thoroughly enjoyed my engagement period, going for drinks, meals out with friends and even a holiday without worrying all the time about the dress. I lost maybe 5-7 lbs the week before the wedding with all the running around getting ready, but other than that basically stayed the same size! And I was still the happiest I have ever been on the day and I love my pictures!
- I had a bridezilla moment – it happens to the best of us! Despite my super relaxed general attitude towards the wedding, my buttons still got pushed before the ceremony! My mum called while I was in hair and makeup and said I needed to get to the lobby of the hotel. It was so much of an emergency that she insisted I go straight away in my dressing gown. Managing to dodge guests with hair mid curl and makeup half done, I arrived to be told she thought the tables were slightly too far apart. Enter bridezilla!! I laugh about it now with my bridesmaids.
- I had completely underestimated the effect marriage would have on our life. My husband has children, his boys were his best men and his daughter was one of my bridesmaids. We were all close before the wedding, but since the wedding there is definitely a sense that we are a unit. Its a closeness I had never anticipated.
- I didn’t finish my meal! If you are going for a corset dress, don’t overestimate how much you will be able to eat! Our food was incredible, but by the main course I was done! So either pace yourself or assess your dress choice! Lots of people say that they ‘don’t have time to eat’ at their wedding day. Having a wedding planner meant this was totally not the case. I didn’t have to worry about anything and could get on with enjoying the day!
- The wedding blues are real. After we got back from honeymoon I kept finding myself longingly looking at the dress. I knew I would never wear it again and I missed the constant messaging with my bridesmaids. It’s totally real and don’t underestimate how sad it can make you! My bridesmaids and I arranged a few girly nights out and we had a family photo night when our pictures came through. These little things brought all the excitement back!
