31 days || twenty-nine: wedding day.

{photo by rochford photography}

So today, I helped give this couple the day of their dreams. 

And in the middle of the hustle and bustle, I kind of forgot to schedule a celebratory 29th post. 

Whoops. 

Forgive me, and accept these: 

My words of wisdom for brides-to-be. 

1. Wear comfortable shoes. Ignore the siren song of the heels in your closet, and put on your boots or your tennis shoes or your flip flops. Your feet will thank you. 

2. Hire a wedding coordinator, at least for the day of. You don't want to be responsible for any major decisions on your big day. Make sure you have someone who can make those callls for you and help things go smoothly. You want to have fun, and being in charge isn't exactly fun. 

3. Feed people, and feed them well. This depends a lot on the time of day your wedding is scheduled, but if you've got guests coming near lunch or dinner, feed them. Every bride has different priorities. Some people want to spend a lot of money on flowers or on photography or on the perfect venue. I'd put photography as my number one priority, for sure, but food? Food comes in a close second. Fed guests are happy guests. 

4. Take as many photos as possible before your ceremony. This will ensure your guests aren't kept waiting, and -- this is important! -- you just might get to eat. 

5. Surround yourself with people you love. This day is special not just for what it means for a marriage or a new adventure between husband and wife. It's special because you may never have all the people you love under the same roof (or sky!) again in this life. It's one of those "flash" kind of moments, so make sure those you love are there to experience it with you.

6. Make it personal. I think personal touches are what people remember the most. To be honest, a lot of your wedding day will go by in the blink of an eye, not just for you, but for the guests too. Special unique touches will stick out among all the other weddings your guests will attend in the coming months and years. Just have a few things that are uniquely you and your husband-to-be. 

7. Turn off the computer and put away the magazines. There is such a thing as too much inspiration. At some point, stop looking at the blogs and the websites and the magazines. Too many good ideas can be crippling to decision-making. 

8. Remember: It's not a big deal. Okay, I know that sounds ridiculous. I do. Wedding days are expensive and special and hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. But I promise you: The "disasters" you're envisioning? They don't happen. And if they do? No one notices. Guests simply aren't aware of the chaos that might be going on behind the scenes. The key is to just have fun. Breathe easy, and know: It's just a day. A good day. Maybe even one of the best days. But just a day. Enjoy it for what it is, and focus on the marriage of the days to come. 

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That's it. That's my advice. 

I'm hoping I'll have pictures of everything for you later, but for now?

I'm going to put my feet in a nice warm bath. They deserve it.