Hey y’all. Since Mere and Dale are welcoming a new little bundle of joy into their family, he has asked me to do a guest blog post while they are busy oohing and ahhing over their new addition.
And how in the world could I say no to that?!
So before I get into any wedding advice, I should probably tell you my name and a little bit about myself. My name is Signe, (nice to meet you) and I am no stranger to the blogging world. I have just started one of my own, so hop on over and give it a little look sometime! (www.signeroo.com)
Anyway, I am an Arkansas native, who recently married and moved to the great state of Texas! My husband, a Texan native, LA transplant, and once again Texan (did I make that confusing enough for you?) and I were married this past July down in Austin, Texas. We currently reside in a Norman Rockwell-esque small town right outside of Dallas in a little 1900s bungalow, and we love the married life. But before our wedded bliss began, (about 8 or 9 months ago to be exact) our lives were one giant wedding to-do list. If you are amidst the wedding planning, then you know exactly what I am talking about.
Here is my sage (note my sarcasm) advice.
Be you. Completely, totally, 100% you. Embrace the craziness. Embrace your eclectic-ness. Embrace your simplicity. Embrace who you are as a couple (and as individuals) and what you want. Whatever you may be. Whoever you may be. Just let your wedding be uniquely “you”.
I know. I know. When you walk into a venue and the thoughts of flowers and cakes and dresses and rings dance through your head….what you know you want can quickly become a distant thought. It’s easy to listen to other people’s opinions, and feel as though you need to please them. But you listen here, ladies and gentleman. This is YOUR wedding.
At the end of the day, you want your guests to feel like they are stepping into your love story. We had many friends and family members tell us that they felt so at home at our wedding. That it didn’t feel like it was a “normal, everyday” wedding. And that, my friends, was a compliment to top all compliments. That is exactly what Chad and I desired. That everyone would be witnessing one of the most important moments in our lives, and that in some small way, they would feel a part of it.
In 20 years, when you look back, hopefully you will feel like your wedding day still embodies exactly who you both were. Dale and Mere captured our wedding exactly the way we wanted it to be captured. How they were in a million different places at one time? I will never know. But, they captured the teeny tiny details. The most special moments. The tears. The laughter. The moment of walking down the aisle and seeing the tears and joy in my husband’s face. The moments you want to live over and over in your mind forever. And when time goes on and the memories start to become a little blurrier than they were the day before, you get to relive those amazing moments in the photos.
Are you crying yet? (No? Okay, I’ll keep going)
To sum up my (almost finished) ramblings, I am leaving you with three pieces of wisdom:
1) Tell Your Story:
Really make your wedding about you and your significant other.
2) Don’t Sweat The Details:
Ladies. I guarantee you I will not be the last to tell you this. But if any tiny thing doesn’t go right (or anything for that matter)...the only person that will notice is you. So don’t sweat it. Don’t let it bring you down. The day will be perfect even if it’s sprinkling. Or someone doesn’t’ t have a bouquet. Or the cake was the wrong flavor. No one. Will. Notice. But. You. So just take a deep breath, put a smile on, look at your (now husband) and enjoy your once in a lifetime day.
3) Be in the moment in every moment:
Confession: Chad and I blubbered like babies the second we got in our getaway car. Totally out of character, totally hilarious. We just felt so blessed and so happy. Make sure you take the time to look at all of your hard work you put into the day. Take in every. single. moment. Every single detail. Get caught up in the small things, swept away by the big things. All of those people are there because they love you, have shaped you, care about you and want to witness you becoming husband and wife. So slow down and really take in the day. And if you cry a few tears in the getaway car, don’t be embarrassed. It happens. Trust me.
So, my friends, if you are planning for that big day, I wish you all the luck in the world. This is such a sweet, sweet season in life. One that might cause you major stress, but ultimately pure joy. Remember to breathe. Relax. It will be here before you know it. So take in every detail. Every moment. And remember to make the day about you.
Thanks for stopping by and reading. Dale and Mere are such great friends, and we love them dearly. So honored to have been asked to write up a little blurb while they love on baby Cece.
Best wishes to all you beautiful single ladies planning that dream wedding, engaged couples looking for advice, or married couples that are perusing the Benfield’s breathtaking photo blog!!
xoxo,
signe