Getting to the big day is (almost) as fun as the big day itself! We asked real BOLIs “what’s the best part of planning your wedding?” Here are their responses.
Image courtesy of Yellow House Images
Whether it’s two weeks, two months, or two years out, you’ve got a laser focus on your wedding day. All of your free time has been spent searching for vendors, scrolling Pinterest for inspo, and trying to put your seating chart together like a wild mathematician trying to solve an equation. There’s A LOT that goes into planning your big day, and trying to stay on top of your “I do” to-dos can feel a little overwhelming.
But have you ever stopped to think – hey, this is actually a lot of fun? While wedding planning can be incredibly stressful and time consuming for some (let’s be honest – MOST), others find that they enjoy the planning of their weddings even more than they enjoy the big day itself.
So we asked a few real BOLIs “what’s the best part of planning your wedding?” Here’s what they had to say:
Image courtesy of RF Films
Research, research, research
One anonymous BOLI loves the thrill of the search. “My favorite part about wedding planning has been the exploration and research aspect,” she said. “Looking into vendors, and then figuring out which one is in my price range then which would be a good fit to our personalities. I am a planner in general, so the planning and researching has been my favorite part. Making the final decisions not as easy but once they are made I have always known it was the right decision.”
BOLI Maggie agreed. “Researching all the different vendors has been the best part for me. It was a lot of fun looking for our venue – I looked through the BOLI Preferred Venues and scheduled a few tours based on that list. We did the same thing for our photographer and hair & makeup artists. Looking through all the pictures and deciding what I liked was more fun than I initially thought it would be!”
Image courtesy of Michael John Photography
DIY Dreams
For BOLI Jennifer, adding personal touches to the day was especially meaningful. “Making all my decor myself was one of the best parts of planning my wedding,” she said. “My mom and I designed and put together my centerpieces, she made pew bows for the church, I made all of my table numbers and signage. If there had been more time, I would have made things like my escort cards and maybe even my invitations. DIY is time consuming but it’s really rewarding, and it makes your wedding that much more special and personal. It’s not for everyone, but it was important for me.”
Another anonymous BOLI agreed. “We DIYed everything. I even made my own dress,” she remembered. “There were times when it was more stressful than just hiring someone to do everything, but when all was said and done, I’m so glad we did it that way. Overall, it was my favorite aspect of planning.”
Bonding time
BOLI Lauren enjoyed the experience of bonding with friends and family. “For me, there was no one part of wedding planning that was my favorite, but in general it was getting to spend time with my bridesmaids and my family members,” she said. “Dress shopping I remember specifically. It was so wonderful to have my mom there and my best friends, some who I’ve known since Kindergarten. Everyone was drinking champagne and laughing and having a great time. I created a core memory that day. I remember it more than I remember some parts of my actual wedding.”
Image courtesy of JS Visions Photography and Cinematography
Counting down the days…
Listen, wedding planning isn’t going to be super enjoyable for everyone. If you’re not exactly having the time of your life, that’s okay – putting together a big event is a monumental task, and involves a lot of moving pieces you have to coordinate (not to mention stress).
“It would be hard to pick a ‘best part’ of wedding planning, because honestly it’s all been very stressful,” said one anonymous BOLI. “Everything is super expensive. My family doesn’t really get along well, so I’ve had to pick and choose what person I invite to this event and what person I invite to that event. I’ve cancelled a few vendors because I wasn’t happy with what I saw or some other issue. Just get me to the wedding day already!
There are many wonderful (and not so wonderful) parts to planning your wedding. As you journey towards the big day, remember to stay present and find the joy in the process!
