Weddings…

 

From day one, wedding planning can cause an undue amount of stress. Put the bottle of Prosecco down, step away from the Crate & Barrel registry and breathe for a minute while you read this. It is actually possible to plan your wedding with less stress and more joy. I promise it is. It’s all about perspective, and heeding advice from those who have been there. Let’s get started with some things to keep in mind.

A Few General Tips To Help You Plan Your Wedding:

• Set expectations, priorities and a budget early on. 
• Learn the art of negotiating and bartering.
• Simplify and delegate, then let go of total control. 
• Hire people or companies who know what they are doing. Sometimes, you end up spending more trying to DIY.
• Remember what this day is really about.

How do I know all of this? I’m currently in the throes of planning my second wedding. While I’m not an I’m not an expert by any means, I do know some stuff. Let’s start with something simple…finding reputable places and people to make your wedding planning easier.

How To Find What You Need In Your Planning:

• Ask brides. TheKnot.com has a community just for brides! You can lean on their experiences to give you some sound advice and direction.
• Ask your friends. I trust my friends implicitly. I have turned to them for advice, resources, physical help, etc…For example, a friend told me about WeddingPaperDivas.com and they truly make ordering invitations and all that goes with it, a painless and even fun process. (I’ll be sharing more about them in another post.)
• Attend a few bridal expos if you can. They make things so easy by putting vendors all in one place. You can meet reps face to face and talk about your needs. You can search for local expos at HereComesTheGuide.com
• Ask on the almighty Facebook. Chances are, your online network will have plenty of leads, reviews and advice. I discovered the magic that is Wish from one of my Facebook connections and scored a gorgeous veil for $4.00. Yes, you read that right.

 

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing my journey, my mistakes and my advice on making wedding planning less stressful and more joyful. Notice I didn’t say “stress free.” I’m not going to lie, it isn’t. Planning a wedding can be a downright pain in the butt. However, it doesn’t have to be a nightmare and I’m here to help you create some joy during the process.

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And now, a little about me and my groom:

Kadi and Travis are a colorful couple with an extremely unique story. After meeting on Tinder in 2015, the couple quickly realized that they were a rare dating site success story in the making. Here’s where it gets really interesting…

Kadi (38) has seven children from a previous marriage and Travis (30) has never been married. After getting pregnant with their daughter (Kadi’s 8th baby) last year, the couple put off wedding plans until after the baby was born. Kadi was also surprised with the news that she was to become a grandmother only one month after her own baby was due. Needless to say, 2016 was a year full of diaper changes, sleepless nights and delayed wedding plans. The big day is now just around the corner and all of the kids will be in attendance to celebrate the nuptials.

Kadi is a social marketing strategist and Travis is a musician. They live in Southern California where they are building their lives together and defying the oddest of odds on a daily basis. This couple has garnered a lot of social media attention as their story is not a typical girl meets boy scenario. The wedding will be broadcast live on Facebook so that everyone around the country can witness what happens when two people swipe right.