For all you recently engaged gals, or even just future brides-to-be (it’s never too early to start planning, right?), we have a little treat for you today!
We all know planning a wedding can be all kinds of stressful. So we asked some of our previous celebrity B&B brides on what their best wedding tips are for brides-to-be out there and here’s a rundown of those!
- My brother gave me the best advice before planning: “Don’t stress yourselves about ‘magtatampo si ganito o si ganyan’ It is your wedding, whatever you two want, that is what you do. BEST ADVICE EVER.
[Photo: Pat Dy]
- After all the planning and hard work, remember that it’s not about the wedding but the marriage. Yes, we want everything to be all pretty and perfect but come the big day, sit back, relax and enjoy the beginning of forever.
- As fun as it is to do D.I.Y. or a self-planned wedding, best to always hire help–unless your guest list is like 100 below. You don’t want to keep thinking about the details as you walk down the aisle. Even just an on-the-day planner would help.
[Photo: MangoRed]
- Make a timeline. You’ll be surprised how one year of planning for me flew by so fast. Better to get things done early
- On your wedding day, put your worries and stress aside and enjoy and cherish every single moment. Not everything will be perfect but remember this day is about you and marrying the love of your life.
- Also, try not to drink alcohol until the end of the program.
[Photo: MangoRed]
- Make sure you order room service or eat before the ceremony starts because chances are you won’t be able to eat at the reception because of excitement, anxiousness, and even because of program duties. I remember we had such an amazing buffet at our wedding but I never really got to enjoy it!
- Make sure that the friend/s you choose as your maid of honor and bridesmaids are on top of everything you need. That way if there’s a problem or something that needs to be fixed you won’t have to worry about it. Fantastic bridesmaids and a kick-ass maid of honour will never let their bride stress out! Haha!
- Make sure you involve your husband in the decision making, after all it is not just YOUR wedding day but also your husband’s too. Take it as a kind of mini practice session for when you actually are married, so you have nice a blend of both you and him! My husband was super hands on when we were planning our wedding, which made the planning a more stress-free one for me. Teamwork is everything!
- Book your suppliers early because what a lot brides don’t know is that the good ones are always already taken and are booked six months to two years in advance.
[Photo: Louie Arcilla Photography]
- My best wedding tip is to let loose and enjoy the roller coaster ride of your wedding day! After all the planning, there is no room for sweating the small stuff… Take your time to treasure every moment, take it all in… And eye contact!
[Photo: Pat Dy]
- Pick your photographer based on you and your fiancé’s personalities–what you want captured, whether it’s natural or more directed. Some photographers are better at directing the couple and others steal moments. Find out the forté or style of the photographer or what they are known for.
- At our wedding, to avoid having our guests wait too long for us to arrive ’til they could eat, we let them start while my husband and I were having our photos taken at a specific location. By the time we got back, they were halfway done and we let the program begin. This allowed them to not have such a late night especially for far away locations. P.S. – That’s of course if you don’t mind them eating ahead. We knew it wasn’t a big deal for us so we did it that way.
[Photo: J Lucas Reyes]
- I encourage all couples to approach their wedding planning with a sense of gratefulness. When you start with this mindset, you’ll be appreciative of both the big and small things like: how you and your husband to be are able to work as a team, the help you’ll receive from loved ones, the time and effort of your suppliers, and of course God’s faithfulness in providing for your wedding budget. When you look at the whole process with grateful eyes and hearts, you won’t feel the need to complain or stress as much because every little thing now feels like a gift.
[Photo: Catilo Photography]
- Let go on your wedding day. Remember, a stressed bride doesn’t make a pretty bride!
- Every bride always hopes the big day goes perfectly. But even if the wedding isn’t perfect, remember it’s already perfect because you’re with the perfect man for you.
[Photo: J Lucas Reyes]
- A tip I can give is to delegate tasks to your bridesmaids. It’s supposed to be a given but I kept forgetting to give them tasks partly because I wanted to do everything myself (I just work best that way) but the TO-DO list never ends and you have to accept help eventually. It’s also easy to get overly-sensitive because of all the pressure. I used to complain to Jim that I was doing everything and he said, “well, you aren’t exactly asking for help.” It’s nice to think that your bridesmaids will stop their whole lives to help you plan your wedding but these are actual human beings who can’t put their own plans on pause for over half a year. When they [bridesmaids] say “let me know if you need anything” they actually mean it–they are waiting for your orders. They just don’t want to be overbearing. So write down everything you need to do (you can ask help from a married friend for this), figure out WHO will do WHAT best and make sure to follow up nicely every so often. They will need following up because they are not professional party planners. People have different strengths, make sure to delegate tasks appropriately. You chose your bridesmaids for good reason: they genuinely love you and they will do everything to make your day the best ever. If it turns out they don’t want to help you at all, make sure to cross them off the list before you print the invitations. Hahaha!
[Photo: J Lucas Reyes]