Unwanted Advice

I absolutely love love. Anything and everything to do with love and happiness gets me all gooey inside, especially weddings. Whether it has to do with my own wonderful hubby, or a friend's new beau, I love reliving every moment of an engagement/wedding. Lucky for me we've been in the thick of wedding season so my vice has been fulfilled. I've been able to peruse wedding website after wedding website, and registry list after registry list reliving my own stellar experience.

Now don't get me wrong, I loved every bit of our wedding celebration and I wouldn't change it for the world, but it's still fun to see the different ways people do things. For example, we went to a wedding recently full of beautiful, bright colors. They were gorgeous together, but it would have looked super silly coming from me and David.

A few realizations that have come to me at recent weddings:

• Wedding cake is wedding cake no matter where it comes from and what color the frosting is. I remember pricing out wedding cakes for our wedding and being absolutely stunned at how much they cost. It's a cake, people. In other news, the anticipation of whether or not they will smash the cake in their newly beloved's face never gets old.
• Wedding favors are neat, but not necessary. In all the weddings we've been to, we've never left saying, "I can't believe they did/didn't give out a favor". Honestly, save your money for something else, such as food/drink.
• Don't skimp on the food/drink. That is one thing people pick up on. The good thing is you don't have to give a full five course meal for people to leave satisfied. Have a buffet or heavy hor d'oeuvres and offer more drink options. Signature drinks are always a cute idea without going overboard. A favorite? "Marry Me Margarita"! How precious is that?!
• Don't invite people just to invite them. Invite people you want to have as part of your special day. What's more awkward than writing a thank-you to someone you've never met before?
• Take mental "pictures". This day, arguably the most important day of your life, has the potential to fly past at lightening speed-don't let it! Pause every so often to check-in and take a mental picture of those you love around you celebrating you!
• The bridal party does not have to be a homage to your family, friends, sorority, etc. Pick who you want to be a part of your special day. This was tough for me because of all my close friends and family, but I chose my two sisters and my two best friends since childhood. Had I started including my college friends I would have ended up with half the guests at the altar with me! 
• Choose a good photog. Ours was ah-mazing! She knew us throughout our relationship so she was able to catch our personalities in the pictures, not just the shot. You don't want to show your great-grandchildren a pitiful picture from your most special day. Save your money elsewhere and spring for someone who is going to be worth it. 
• Plan for the unexpected. You can be the most organized person on the planet, and something can still go wrong. Be prepared for things to change at the last minute, and just go with the flow.
• Above all else, do what you want. Don't listen to me, your mom, his grandma, your friend, etc. Listen to your heart, and maybe your fiancee's heart too;-) and choose what y'all want!

I realize this was totally unsolicited, but I wish someone had told me some of these things before we started planning.