Things I'm Doing To Prepare for Planning a Wedding

Any one who knows me IRL knows that I am crazy obsessive. Now don't panic. I'm not standing over my fiance while he is sleeping and looking through his phone! I'm more research obsessive. Before we moved apartments, I spend probably 4 hours a day on websites looking for a home. The number decreased to an hour a day after we signed a lease. When we were adopting a dog, I went to every advice column and breed description and I went to the shelter every afternoon. This is just who I am.

No one was surprised that I was looking at venues after being engaged for a few hours.

Sometimes, I just want to know everything about everything. Don't judge.

To get myself feeling prepared for planning (because the real planning hasn't really happened yet...) I am learning about wedding etiquette, making notes about what I and Mr. YBE want in our wedding, and I am hoarding information. Hopefully this helps any other brides who are either panicked or obsessive like me!

Learning Wedding Etiquette

I have to admit that I may be the worst wedding guest ever. Any time that I have attended a wedding I was asked to just show up... and I did. Without gift or a clue on what to do. I never understood how frustrating it would be to say, "All I want for a gift is for you to have a good time," and be thinking "...but I really want a Kitchen-aid Mixer." So now I am learning the polite ways to say where we are registered but our priority is for everyone to have a good time, not get gifts.

The best way to learn those skills? Avoid doing homework and read an etiquette book. "The one I have is Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette" and I'm learning a lot from it. My mother bought me the Kindle Edition and saved about $10. The book discusses a lot of laws and steps required in marriage but also ways to discuss difficult subjects like avoiding certain traditions. All-in-all, I'll say that it is a good buy.

Keeping Track of What the Mr. and I Want

I feel like it is common to get mixed up in wedding planning and end up with a wedding you didn't think you wanted, at least that's what I gathered from my married friends. I also think that its important to remember where your planning journey started so that you both can reflect on that. My mother also bought me this adorable journal to keep track of my wedding planning adventures.

This book, "The Bride To Be Book", is perfect for guided notes. I don't need to worry about getting carried away with writing so I start to rant about stupid things. Who wants to look back at this exciting time and read an entry about who didn't do the dishes that day? Not me. Instead, the journal asks you to reflect on when you and your partner first met, when you knew you were in love, and the proposal story. There are also some other entries that are more related to actual planning, but we aren't there yet. I really look forward to reading this in the future. 

Hoarding ALL THE INFORMATION

Now I know that I'm not alone in thinking that Pinterest is the greatest thing for collecting information. I have taken so many venue websites and put them on my Pinterest. The site is made for collecting new ideas based on things you post. I may have fallen down a deep hole of wedding dresses and cake toppers and I really couldn't mind less. PLUS it's free. It's amazing. All brides and grooms need to have Pinterest. Pinterest.

....Remember that I mentioned I'm obsessive.


Anyway! I hope this helps out someone on the interwebs or maybe made someone I know laugh. I think that I am going to cut down to one post a week so that I don't run out of things to talk about. It is a long engagement! If you have a question or more advice, you can put that in the comments or tweet it to me @BrokeAndEngaged

XOXO,

Miss YBE