Don’t plan for the ‘perfect’ wedding.
Abandon perfect. It will drive you crazy with stress.
(Want to learn some tips on avoiding stress during your wedding planning? Here is my post on 13 ways to avoid stress while planning your wedding – and it includes some great online tools for you to use!)
A wedding is a celebration of love and family. Focus on making it loving, fun, sincere, and affordable. Shop around. Organize a plan A and a plan B…and get reliable help.
Think about what will actually make it fun and memorable for you and your future spouse.
I gathered the 21 best blog posts of 2016 for brides to be as a starting point for your wedding planning.
This list quite literally gives you ideas for everything from venue ideas to music to dresses and much more!
It is the A to Z list of blog posts that will be most helpful to 2016 brides to be!
Enjoy!
Location, Location, Location
Location for a marriage needs to address costs, theme, space, and convenience. For example, a surfing couple may choose to marry on the beach. Good thing: there’s plenty of space. Bad thing: you have to bring your own chairs. Good thing: many public beaches are low cost or free. Bad thing: with all outdoor ceremonies, weather is a factor and you have to hope for sun, but plan for rain. With any venue location you choose, you must consider all of the good…and the bad.
Venue Shopping
Picking the right venue is a tricky part of the planning. This blog offers a few guidelines to follow that will make finding the best place easier. Also, the site it’s part of, Venuelust, has some nice ideas for destination weddings and honeymoons.
https://venuelust.com/post/the-dos-and-donts-of-wedding-venue-shopping/
Venue Possibilities
Popular venues include religious centers, community centers, beaches, parks, backyards, museums, restaurants, historic manors, formal gardens, private homes, theaters, clubs, ships, rustic barns, historic farmhouses, or even Times Square on New Year’s Eve. If there’s nothing in that list that appeals to you, try this A-Z venue list.
http://www.the-bridal-emporium.com/single-post/2016/07/27/The-AZ-of-Wedding-Venues
The Hottest Destinations for 2016
If you prefer a trendy location that’s popular with celebrities, and travel for you and your guest list is within the budget, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine listed their hottest locales for 2016.
http://www.destinationweddingmag.com/best-wedding-locations-2016
The Best Dressed
Give yourself time to find and tailor the dress that best fits your location, your theme, your body, and your budget. You might decided on a fairy-tale dress with a 10 foot train, or you might want a flowing bohemian look. Expect to try on at least a couple dozen dresses, and don’t forget your make-up, hair, and accessories.
Dress for Your Body Type
There are numerous bridal sites and magazines with traditional and modern fashions, and I encourage you to browse through several for inspiration. However, you will look best in a style that compliments your body type. Look at the latest trends, but choose the dress that best fits you.
https://www.thetrendspotter.net/2016/01/how-to-choose-the-best-wedding-dress-for-your-body-type.html
Runway Dresses
Runway wedding dresses can look extreme next to the standards of Main Street. For those who want the hottest styles, and those who want to draw inspiration from the latest designs, here is a blog straight from the runway.
http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2016/09/19-nyfw-wedding-dresses-for-brides-to-be.html
The Dress for Less
If you don’t see yourself as a satin, silk, beaded, embroidered, petticoat, ballgown kind of girl, nontraditional and low-cost wedding dresses are an increasingly popular option.
http://www.moneycrashers.com/ways-buy-cheap-unique-wedding-dresses-budget/
Hair and Make-Up
Most brides choose professional beauticians, but if you know someone who’s stylish and savvy with hair and beauty, by all means, enlist their help. Please don’t dress and prepare alone. You will be excited and nervous, and you may make obvious mistakes and not see them. That said, here are the latest bridal hair and make-up trends to give you some ideas.
http://www.stylemepretty.com/2016/05/01/hair-makeup-bridal-week-barcelona-bridal-fashion-week/
The Cake and the Other Food
So Pretty You Won’t Want to Cut It
Cakes have become a visual art form as well as a culinary one. 100layercake.com has a lot more inspirational ideas then just gorgeous cakes, but playing to their strength, check out these beautiful pictures.
http://www.100layercake.com/wedding-inspiration/wedding-cakes-by-bottega-louie/
Plenty to Eat
More important then having the most gourmet food is having enough food. A good professional caterer will bring incredible food, as ordered and on time. A home cooked meal by talented volunteers can save a lot a money. The trendiest wedding ideas for food are listed in the link below.
http://www.weddingshoppeinc.com/blog/index.php/2016/05/13/wedding-food-trends/
The Sights and Sounds
Your ceremony’s theme and location will determine how to style your nuptial festivities. A live band can make your event feel like a concert, or a DJ at a restaurant venue can make it feel like a nightclub. Spend some time browsing the internet for decorations, invitations, music, flowers, gifts, bridesmaid dresses and photographers. Look at what is available in your budget, and think about how you want your ceremony to feel.
The Soundtrack
Most brides play the traditional “Here Comes the Bride” for their grand entrance. If you listen to folk music or heavy metal, you can always change the playlist to fit your taste and your theme. This post has popular and romantic songs to get your playlist started.
https://blog.trueromanceweddings.com/2016/05/20/40-romantic-wedding-songs/
Picture It
I’m all for saving money where you can, but one thing I strongly advise you to invest in is a professional photographer. Take selfies, share online, collect photos from every digital camera and cell phone, but still hire the professional photographer. The Knot has pages upon pages of wedding ideas, and this post is a suggested list of photos to remember your big day.
https://www.theknot.com/content/must-have-wedding-photos
The Bridesmaids
Your bridesmaids are your team of supporters. Remember the thank you cards and small gifts, and pick out a bridesmaid dress that will make them look good. Here are some top bridesmaids trends you don’t want to miss out on.
http://strictlyweddings.com/blog/2016/02/top-bridesmaids-trends-for-2016/
The Bouquet
This blog post focuses the trendy flowers of 2016 and was so fun to look at! Do explore the many different flowers posted by this beautiful blog dedicated the art of florals. The bouquet is the tip of the iceberg.
For the Crafty Bride
Making your own invitations and decorations isn’t for everyone, but if you have the skills, the time and the desire to create your own decorations, here are a few tips to DIY up your wedding.
http://www.daydreamingbride.com/diy-wedding-essentials/
Wedding Ideas That Save Money
Everyone likes to save money and try to stick to a budget, especially on one of life’s most expensive events. This prolific blog contains a list of 50 ideas to save money on your big day. Several of her blog posts are hilarious.
http://www.kissmytulle.com/2016/08/top-50-ways-to-save-on-your-wedding-day.html
Bringing It All Together
The Vows
The vows are the core of the marriage ceremony, but sometimes they get forgotten in all the excitement. Vows can be created by the couple, or be hundreds of years old. Make sure you decide and practice your vows. Whoever is conducting the ceremony should have a copy of your vows to prompt you if you need it.
http://www.easyweddings.com.au/articles/25-fun-wedding-vows-for-modern-couples/
Help from the Professionals
A blogger after my own heart, this event planner focuses on the practical needs of running a smooth and enjoyable ceremony that is customized for the couple. It is a great read.
MyWedding.com
The internet isn’t just a great place to find ideas and do shopping. It’s a great place to share your wedding planning with all your guests. You should still send paper invitations, because not everyone is online, but a website with directions will save you a lot of calls. Here are some tips creating your own wedding website.
http://www.wix.com/blog/2016/05/how-to-create-a-wedding-website-that-wows-your-guests-2/
And the Sun Still Rose the Next Day
What if the worst happens and it’s a total disaster? Remember that the ceremony is only a gateway into your marriage. Fix what you can, accept what you can’t.
Making the Best out of the Worst
The site at apracticalwedding.com features many useful blogs about planning, budgeting, themes, and personal stories, but this story is about a disaster and how everything worked out.
http://apracticalwedding.com/2016/09/imperfect-perfect-wedding/
Don’t forget the Emergency Kit
Here is a post from me that lists literally every item you may possibly need on your wedding day to fix anything that may come your way. It even lists a way for you to pee in your wedding dress without help from others! Be a prepared bride.
Further Reading
I have mixed feelings about adding this last link, but I’m a big girl. I can admit that there are a lot more great holy matrimony blogs out there. For further reading, here’s long list of more great sites.
http://beyond4cs.com/2016/05/best-wedding-blogs/
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