I asked past brides for their advice & this is what they said ...
- Jan 27
- 3 min read
Getting engaged is one of the most exciting seasons of lifeā¦ and also one of the most overwhelming. Between Pinterest boards, opinions from every direction, and a never-ending to-do list, itās easy to feel like youāre already behind. So I did what I love most, I asked the people whoāve been there. I hopped on Instagram and asked my past brides to share their best wedding advice for newly engaged couples, and the responses were honest, heartfelt, and full of wisdom I wish every couple could hear.
& here's what they wrote:
Bride 1:
Start a wedding email! I thought it was dumb, but nothing is worse than a lost email!
Flowers are expensive, no matter real or fake.
Be prepared to spend a lot on dress alterations if you don't purchase your size.
Bride 2:
Honestlyā¦ stop trying to do what everyone else is doing. I stressed SO much at first about what we āshouldā have, what traditions to keep, what people would think, and once I let that go it got way more fun.
Some things didnāt go exactly how I pictured them and I truly do not care now lol. The things I remember most are just being surrounded by our people and finally being married
Also, hire vendors you trust and then let them do their thing. Once I realized I didnāt need to control every little detail, the day felt way calmer.
Bride 3:
TIMELINE ADVICE!! Donāt stress about creating the schedule of events for the day. Karlee creates the perfect schedule, and if you follow it exactly, the day will go smoothly. When planning, I didnāt know what the order of events would be, so working with Karlee to create that was soooo helpful.
Brides - have a bag with everything you need until you arrive at the reception, and designate it to one person.
For example, I had a small tote bag with my phone, change of shoes, my ID, perfume, lipstick, etc., to take to the church, on the party bus, etc. Then, designated one person to be in charge of my bag, and I always knew where my things were. This helped me a lot because our ceremony was in a different location from the reception.
Bride 4:
Something will go wrong and thatās normal!! A detail will be off, the timeline might shift, the weather might not be perfect, and I promise you it does not matter the way you think it will. I donāt even remember the stuff I was panicking about now.
One thing Iām SO glad we did was take a few minutes alone right after the ceremony. Just us. No people, no phones. It helped us breathe and soak it in before everything got crazy again.
Bride 5:
Trust your photographer. Like actually trust them. I was worried about timing, lighting, being behind schedule, all of it, and Karlee handled everything so smoothly I didnāt even have to think about it on the wedding day. She kept things moving without it feeling rushed and somehow caught moments I didnāt even realize were happening.
My biggest advice is just be present. The day goes by insanely fast. Donāt spend it worrying about whatās next or what you missed.
Bride 6:
Eat the food, dance, talk to your guests, donāt skip cocktail hour if you can help it.
Also write letters to each other. I almost didnāt and Iām SO glad we did. Reading his letter that morning is something Iāll never forget.
Try not to treat the day like a performance. No one notices the tiny details youāre stressing about, I promise.
If you take anything away from this, let it be this: give yourselves grace. Planning a wedding is a season, not a test. Trust the process, lean into the joy, and donāt forget to be present for the moments unfolding right in front of you. Youāre creating memories that will last far beyond a single day.
At the end of the day, your wedding isnāt about perfection ... itās about the people, the moments, and the love youāre choosing every day after. Let this advice be a gentle reminder to slow down, soak it in, and trust yourselves. Your wedding day will come and go, but the marriage youāre building is what truly lasts.
