Photos by: me!

Makeup Artist | Earrings

Happy Wednesday, everybody! I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Who else got President's Day off this year? Wasn't it such good day!? If you're anything like me, you had big plans for that day. I had a to do list a mile long! But I hope you relaxed, instead. I was so ready to tackle a lot that day, until I read a caption on Jenna Kutcher's Instagram that said "Double tap if you’re feeling overworked, overwhelmed, over it all. Lean in, listen closely: stop being a slave to your life." I just stopped right there and thought I DO THAT. I make myself a slave to my own life and, instead, I'm going to try to relax on President's Day like every other normal person is!

Now, it's no secret I've got a lot on my plate right now. #1 I'm getting married. #2 I work a real 9-5 job. #3 I run this blog. #4 I am alive and there's just lots to do to keep on living lol (like cook, clean, run errands - if you needed examples) And all of those things are things I want to do and that I've put on my own plate. Yet, I still make myself overwhelmed especially about my upcoming wedding! So I kind of want to change the quote a teeny bit to "stop being a slave to your (wedding)." ha

"if it costs you your peace, it's too expensive."

Did you know I was a Wedding Coordinator for a venue in Texas one summer in college? Summers go by soooo fast now, but working as a Wedding Coordinator between my Freshman and Sophomore year felt like the longest and best summer ever. I worked about 1-3 weddings every weekend as either banquet staff or a coordinator + I worked around the venue giving tours, answering emails, and lots of other things the rest of the week. While I was there, I learned a thing or two about how I wanted my wedding day to go down and I learned a thing or two that I did NOT want for my wedding day! Here are two big lessons I learned:

go big!

I don't mean we should blow all our money. I mean make everything count. I saw so many brides who brought in decorations and trinkets for their reception tables that just weren't big enough to "fill up the space." I'm sure the boxes filled with stuff at home looked like plenty while it was sitting inside the bride's house, but once it was actually set out inside our fairly large reception hall, the trinkets just didn't make an impact. That's why I suggest renting decor or hiring a wedding professional so that we brides can be assured everything will be big enough and make an impact, but that we don't have to store anything in our homes before or after the wedding. (I've got a cool tool for you to use below to find out how much that should cost.)

hire help!

One of the BEST things to see was the bride who had as much as possible planned before her wedding. Some things aren't going to go as planned, but if we can at least have a plan in place and vendors taking care of things for us, our families, and friends - our wedding days will go much more smoothly! This day should be a breeze for brides, our families, our fiancés, and our new family! We don't want any of those people to feel like they are working, but, instead, soaking up every moment.

I want us all to realize that, while we are absolutely capable of doing anything and everything for our weddings, our big day will be a lot less stressful if we just ask for help and hire people to do the tasks they are best at. Because, what's the real cost of it all if we don't even get to enjoy our day? It will go by so quickly as it is. Get professionals, get it done, don't think about it the day of!

I put off booking my makeup artist for the longest time because I honestly kept thinking I can do that! But when I thought about the things I just went over above, I realized that I value my family & friends coming to the wedding so much that I want to be as present as possible that day. Having Nicole finally booked is like lifting a giant weight off my shoulders. I am so glad I don't have to think about that any more - I mean look how amazingly talented she is! Now, she can focus on what she is best at and I can focus on the day ahead and the people that will be surrounding me for such a special day!

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If you are budget conscious (which we all should be!) then you need to check out this tool on WeddingWire before you book any vendors. The Wedding Cost Guide lets you plug in your Zip Code, City, or State and then select a category so you can find out what the average cost of things like Wedding Make Up, Florals, a Band, or a Photographer are in your area. This tool was just launched the other week and I wish it had been around during my first planning stages. So, if you are starting to plan, use this!

Okay, married ladies: what's your best advice for planning a wedding. Is there anything you regretted about your day or something you did that you think everyone else should definitely do? And single ladies, do you think it's important to hire people to help you for the big day? What sort of things do you want to do on your own? I'd love to hear in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!

holly canon

*Thank you WeddingWire for sponsoring this post!