How to plan your wedding day your way, with no compromising

Are you looking to plan your perfect wedding day? One that reflects you and your partner, and no one else? Beckie from Emerald Orchid Weddings has joined us today with some fantastic words of wisdom to ensure you have your dream wedding!

Well, look at you! All loved up & engaged, with a sparkler on your finger. How exciting! You’ve been dreaming of this day for a while & now, finally, it’s your turn to be engaged & to plan your truly personal wedding.

These days, there are HUNDREDS of places to get started with finding ideas, from magazines & publications to online blogs, social media, wedding directories, Pinterest … and everything in between. However, you’ve noticed that most weddings all look the same, following the same template. 

You don’t want a trendy wedding, one that looks like everyone else’s. You want a wedding that includes everything personal to you & your other half & truly represents your fabulous relationship. 

It’s all a bit overwhelming!

OK, so let’s take a deep breath & have a rethink. You need to remember why you are getting married because that’s at the centre of this. Your relationship & cementing it in front of those you love. Your wedding should be a representation of your unique selves, so just how do you bring your vision of YOUR day to life?

It’s difficult when those around you seem to want to stomp on your fabulous ideas because have you noticed – now you’re engaged – everyone suddenly seems to have an opinion! Comments such as “I wouldn’t do that if I were you…”; “How about XYZ instead?”; “Oh… that’s… interesting…”;” ABC did such + such, why don’t you try that” Or perhaps the worst… the sniff of disdain with “oh, how… nice!” 

ARGH! Just stop it already. 

Well, here are some suggestions for responses: A gentle “thanks but that doesn’t fit with our vision”; or perhaps “really appreciate you thinking of us, but we have already sorted XYZ”. Or just a simple “no thanks”. You don’t need to be rude unless you wanna be!

If people continue to want to interfere, put them on an “information diet”! There will be some people who have an opinion on EVERYTHING, so simply stop telling them details. If they offer opinions, respond either with “thanks, but we’ve already sorted it” or “thanks, we will keep that in mind” & do what you want anyway. If they are present when a wedding chat comes up, just be completely selective about what is said. Let’s face it, they won’t care on the day, probably won’t even think about it. 

When you’re considering the items you DO want to include in your day, make sure you’re clear on the things you DON’T want as well. It’ll make fielding those comments & opinions even easier and simplify the selection process of the various wedding services. 

You also need to make sure that your suppliers fit your vision so that you know they’ll have your corner, create the vision that you have for your fabulous day, as well as help boost your confidence. You can find them in magazines or online directories. You can find them on social media using hashtags relevant to your wedding, e.g. #gothicbride #festivalwedding #bohobride

You can join communities filled with other couples who are bucking wedding trends, such as The Bad Ass Brides Club on Facebook. These communities offer a wealth of inspiration & information. Perhaps most importantly, they are filled with couples who will naturally offer you support & understanding of any challenges you’re facing, as well as celebrate your wins & get excited as you move towards your wedding date.

Finally, consider booking a wedding planner. A wedding planner is more than the administrator, contract checker & coordinator of the wedding day. As your planner, they will also be your confidante. Your cheerleader. The one who’ll constantly, confidently pull together your vision, remind you just how & why you’re doing this & that it’ll all be OK in the end. Then on the day, coordinate an epic wedding for you. 

Planning a day that’s truly personal to you can seem to come with many pitfalls. People’s opinions of “the done thing” have been ingrained into people’s psyche after years of being led by the wedding industry trends, what’s expected to be seen at upcoming weddings, the colour of the year etc. 

But remember – there are NO rules to weddings! We’re all unique individuals with our own interests & personalities that need to be shown. It’s time to step into the spotlight & show people just how perfectly unique you are! No more following others & trends. YOU can be the leader.

Ultimately – make no apologies for planning your day YOUR way, with no compromise. Your day will be as epic as you are because with support around you, anything is possible.