Victoria & Dylan Get Married
Today is the day!!! Victoria & Dylan are tying the knot in New Jersey and we couldn’t be more excited! Victoria sat down two weeks ago to pen her final entry as a bride to be. Victoria is probably sitting and getting her hair and makeup done at this very minute as she prepares to walk down the aisle. Grab your coffee, tea or mimosa, sit back and take a gander – Victoria is dropping wedding day gems! We love you Victoria and wish you and Dylan all the best today!
Ahhh we are down to the wire, 2 weeks left! So, people always told me, the last month is stressful, you will lose weight, lose sleep and I’m over here like “nah, not me, I am a stress eater, and I have everything already done!” … yeah jokes on me. The past two months I have to write absolutely everything down in my phone or I will miss appointments, forget what I have to do, where I am going and what is next. I literally was in automatic pilot mode and drove to my old home after work while dazing off. It is a scary feeling. I forgot my keys, and my wallet at school. The sleepless nights started this last week, as well as the weight loss. My brain is absolutely fried; I am tired and drained.
My mom and venue manager have continued to help me with to do lists. I also am fortunate enough to have a very helping mother who has taken all tasks on. The month before the wedding is all the last-minute meetings. I coordinated my vision with the florist, the band, and photographer. Lucky for me, the vendors provided me with “homework” which lists all their questions that help them get a feel for my wishes ahead of time. My mother-in-law has been helpful with the rehearsal dinner and after party planning.
RSVPS, and table fun begins between the second and last month! RSVPS can get out of hand. We tried to make a rule “if you’re not dating someone, we are not giving a plus one”. However, no matter what rule you and your fiancé come up with, most likely at least one if not 5 will ask to bring a guest. We stayed strong with our rule, it was the only way to draw the line somewhere. Returning the RSVPS can also be a headache I have heard… lucky for me, I did not really have to chase anyone to find out if they are coming. The twenty percent “regretfully declines” response was accurate for my wedding. We invited around 200 people and are expecting 166 guests. My fiancé and I did tables together. What we expected to be the hardest, was actually completed within fifteen minutes. My parents hosted a BBQ during the summer for guests that do not know as many people as the family does. This allowed guests to mingle ahead of time, and helped me with the table charting. I think it was a wonderful idea for future brides! My company left feeling more comfortable and excited to see their new friends at our wedding.
The last week of July, my fiancé and I started a list of items we cannot forget the day of the wedding. Starting this list ahead of time, helped us bounce important items off each other, even days after we started the list! I heard nightmare stories about forgetting their vows at home, or the wedding bands. I chose to make a list in advance so it let our filled-to-the-max minds take time to remember more each day! I found this incredibly useful.
After experiencing all my siblings’ weddings, I am going into my wedding day, expecting to have minor delays, and disappointments. I realized as long as I marry the man I love, who cares what music the band plays, what flavor my cake is, or if my flowers were the exact ones I picked out. In the scheme of things, none of the guests will notice, and why react over the smallest mess ups. My dad sat me down in July and said “think about how many wedding plans you have made… over 300 mini details probably; out of the 300 details, something is bound to not reach your exact expectation. Prepare for that the day of and just enjoy yourself, don’t stress the small things.” That little talk hit home and put a wedding celebration in perspective for me.
I had my final fitting this week! So exciting! Both my dresses fit fabulous. My only fear going into the dress fitting, was that the dress would not fit, however, I knew my seamstress was experienced and talented at what she does. I never doubted the day of the wedding my dress would accent my body perfectly. Fortunately, my dresses only needed to be altered once. The next visit was just a try on.
I was truly blessed this week by an old hometown friend, who is actually my hairstylist for the wedding day! From knowing me, and being in the wedding industry, she recognized how drained I was. She surprised me with a yummy breakfast and a day at the spa! If you have the time, and are lucky enough to do a spa day last minute; I totally suggest it! I left the spa glowing, and excited for my wedding day. I am so thankful for that much-needed girl time. The day changed my mood completely, and carried with me throughout the week.
My advice for future brides on the final stretch is to take a deep breath every morning, and remind yourself little things will be forgotten. Most brides will need to take time to themselves and just relax. The phone will blow up with the craziest questions that make you want to explode; as hard as it is just laugh that someone actually asked this, and then look for the cameras, you may be on “PUNKED”. I thought I was with the things that were said to me! Make lists, make lists and make lists! As much as you may be organized and try to remember to stay on top of things, it is impossible. Have folders, and keep each vendors emails, contracts etc. together.
Ok future brides, this may take a lot of convincing to a close minded or shy guy, but honestly besides booking our honeymoon, the best time my fiancé and I shared during these last two stressful months was at dance class! We signed up back in June at Fred Astaire Studio in Towaco, NJ. We took private lessons twice a week. It was a mini date night that let all our stresses during that hour go. We would laugh the entire time at the studio. My fiancé would leave class saying how much fun he had, and even practice the routine on nights off for 10 minutes. Fred Astaire Studio choreographed our first dance, and they are currently working with my dad and I on a hip hop father daughter dance. If wedding planning has brought you behind a computer screen, glued to your phone or even date nights that only consist of what color napkins we are going to pick (lol); dance lessons truly got us through this rough time.
Lastly remember to have fun and do what you both want as a couple. This should be a once in a life time night to always remember; make it both your dreams. Everyone has the chance to have their own wedding one day, don’t let them ruin yours. Forget the little things, ignore the annoying comments, and expect minor changes during the day. Do not get caught up in that, just let it roll off. Remember your guests have no idea what mistakes are happening. The most important thing to this generation besides having fun…your wedding is not a production or a show; enjoy what you both planned and stop focusing on that picture for social media. Stop trying to one up the latest wedding you saw on IG or Pinterest. You will get so caught up in comparing and having expectations that are not everyone’s reality. This will only lead to more disappointments. Be grateful for the celebration you are fortunate to have, shut off the phone, forget social media for the night and live in the moment! Best of luck planning! xoxoxo
