Do you ever wish you could go back in time and redo your wedding? Are there things you wish you could have chosen to do differently, whether it be as huge as inviting - or not inviting - someone, or perhaps it's as simple as the colors you chose. I look back on that time of my life and I feel as though I have much clearer vision now. I can see the things that are truly important and wish I had concentrated more on them. Though, I do believe Daniel and I did a superb job.
I loved, loved, loved the church but wished we hadn't chosen a Sunday to get married on. I adored my colors (red, yellow, and orange!) but wish I had had my friends stand up with me instead of just family. I am glad we had two receptions - a big one outside at the church for friends and such, another intimate, family-only one at a gorgeous bed and breakfast - but wish there had been more structure at the church reception.
You know how it goes. Hind sight is twenty-twenty.
One major thing is I wish I had chosen a different dress. One more suited to who I am. Something simple, elegant, and much easier to wear. Such as this one from J.Crew:
This one is "me" also:
No fuss, just simple beauty. The first dress... 295 dollars. That would have been an amazing deal. I would have put the extra money towards a more creative photographer.
It's funny to me that I still catch myself thinking, every once in awhile, about how I wish I could do a few parts of our wedding differently. It seems kind of silly to have those thoughts seven years later. Daniel and I had a beautiful wedding. It was very "us." The people we loved best, and who love us best, were there. It wasn't stiff, formal, or hectic. It was lovely. I am so thankful for that special day made just for us. And I am really glad it was Daniel waiting at the end of that gorgeous aisle for me.
Just 'cause I'm curious - what would you do differently? Anything?
*Post from 1 year ago today: Can You Feel the Love?
I loved, loved, loved the church but wished we hadn't chosen a Sunday to get married on. I adored my colors (red, yellow, and orange!) but wish I had had my friends stand up with me instead of just family. I am glad we had two receptions - a big one outside at the church for friends and such, another intimate, family-only one at a gorgeous bed and breakfast - but wish there had been more structure at the church reception.
You know how it goes. Hind sight is twenty-twenty.
One major thing is I wish I had chosen a different dress. One more suited to who I am. Something simple, elegant, and much easier to wear. Such as this one from J.Crew:
This one is "me" also:
No fuss, just simple beauty. The first dress... 295 dollars. That would have been an amazing deal. I would have put the extra money towards a more creative photographer.
It's funny to me that I still catch myself thinking, every once in awhile, about how I wish I could do a few parts of our wedding differently. It seems kind of silly to have those thoughts seven years later. Daniel and I had a beautiful wedding. It was very "us." The people we loved best, and who love us best, were there. It wasn't stiff, formal, or hectic. It was lovely. I am so thankful for that special day made just for us. And I am really glad it was Daniel waiting at the end of that gorgeous aisle for me.
Just 'cause I'm curious - what would you do differently? Anything?
*Post from 1 year ago today: Can You Feel the Love?
22 Comments:
Would I do anything different at my wedding? Probably not....everything was perfect and I was so very happy.
I would've probably done alot different. The dress is at the top of that list. Like you, it was just a little too overstated...I would've preferred more simple. Although I loved my colors, there just wasn't enough of it. And I would've hired a photographer instead of going the cheap way and having a friend do that.
I could speak volumes here! But the biggest thing I wish I could have changed would have been the photographer. We skimped and it showed. I am kicking myself profusely to this day! Shadows everywhere and not a creative bone in this man's body. :(
Oh well, in the end I got my best friend and after ten years I love him even more. That's the important stuff!
I would have insisted that my vocalists do a run through in the rehearsal. I wanted them to, but somehow it didn't happen and I didn't want to come across as too controlling. They totally messed up and it was dreadful, which is a shame because it was a beautiful and meaningful song to us. It was the only thing I would have changed.
Oh, I think about this all the time! We only had four weeks to plan and everything worked together really well but there are a couple of things that I would have done so differently! I'd have chosen a better photographer...never try to save money here, it totally shows. Also, a lady I worked with at the time gave me a gift certificate to her hair stylist and made an appt for the day of the wedding to get my hair done. I shouldn't have done that. I should have gone to my hair guy who knew me and knew what I liked. I showed up at the church with ugly hair and crying because the lady hurt my feelings. Argh.
Isn't it funny that so many years later, we still think on these things? I bet you our sweet husbands haven't given it a thought!
Actually, no. I wouldn't change a thing. We got married at the courthouse - just the 2 of us. The clerk who married us also served as photographer and he took pictures with a disposable camera.
Afterward, we went to our favorite bar and had cheap champagne and cheese fries. Aside from the births of my children, it was the highlight of my life. I loved every second of it.
Andrea,
I do still think about our wedding, and I don't really talk about it, because I've always sort of prided myself on not being the kind of girl who cared. So thanks for asking =).
The biggest thing I would change: I'd buy an under-skirt for my dress. My grandmother made my dress from a magazine picture I gave her, bless her heart, and I loved it, except that the skirt wasn't nearly as full as I wanted it to be. I didn't know until later that most wedding dress skirts are only that full because of the under-skirt. I still regret that every time I look at the pictures.
I also wish my brother-in-law had already known his now-wife when we got married, because she takes *beautiful* photographs, and I'd rather have had her than our photographer.
I'd have had the women who stood up with me just wear their nicest dress, rather than making them wear brides-maids dresses--or gotten different, less brides-maidy brides-maids dresses.
I picked the church building where we were married solely on aesthetic lines (beautiful vaulted wood ceilings, beautiful stained glass windows in the front, center aisle) but we had never set foot in it before the wedding and we haven't set foot in it since. If I had it to do over again, I might have a smaller wedding so that we could have had it at my parents' house, outside (they live on five lovely, wooded acres). It would just be nice to have the *place* commemorated in the pictures be as dear to us as the people.
Things I'm glad we did:
--Used the traditional 1920 Book of Common Prayer wedding vows, and prohibited the pastor from giving a sermon =).
--I wore the same veil that my mother and her mother had worn at their weddings, and the same tiara that my mother, and her mother, and her mother had worn at their weddings, which my great-grandmother (or great-great-grandmother, I'm a little hazy at this point) made by hand.
--Had my mother and my great-aunt play a violin duet of my favorite hymn during the ceremony.
--Hired a live (and good!) pianist for the ceremony.
--Took Communion together during the ceremony.
--Hired a real DJ for the reception rather than using a friend.
--More or less ignored most of the guests and *danced* for most of the reception. The majority of the guests were our parents' friends--see remark about having a smaller wedding above--and we were glad to have them there. But I have always wanted to dance my feet off at my reception and have a really good time, so I'm glad I got to.
Lucy
I was pregnant on our wedding day, early along so I wasn't showing. We had the ceremony and reception at a local greenhouse. My mom did everything for me - I was so beyond sick being preg with Sylas, I had a PIC line IV and had to hook up to fluids several times a day at home. I was completely exhausted and too drained to plan a thing. Daisies everywhere (my fave flower) and a simply elegant dress. We opted for the lavish honeymoon over a lavish wedding. I don't think I would have changed a thing...Maybe the part where I tried to shove the ring on Chris's wrong finger AND wrong hand. Doh!
Um yeah, I would have done just about everything differently. I really didn't plan my wedding- my Mother did. She even chose my dress. It was a pretty dress but not anything I would have chosen for myself had I really searched more. (I think it was the second one I tried on and that was that)
My biggest regret is that J and I didn't really have time together at all that day. We didn't even have that "first moment" where we saw each other. He saw me in my dress before the ceremony for pictures and it was all rushed and hectic. And it was his first time home in a year (since enlisting in the military) so everyone on earth wanted a piece of him and I felt like OUR relationship was a low priority that night. It was all about his family.
To this day I wish we had done something smaller- just immediate family and closest friends- at a bed and breakfast somewhere. Maybe someday we'll be able to renew our vows in that fashion. That would be wonderful!
Hmm, tough question. At the time I did not regret anything that we did... but looking back I would probably do everything differently.
First off - would be to not get married. Well, not never, just I wish we would have waited. We found out that Marc was going to be deployed during our original date and instead of waiting till he got back, we went ahead and did the justice of the peace thing.
I am glad we did that as I didn't have to keep living in the barracks while he was gone for 6 months. But... I have this great dress that I have never worn, my Dad didn't get to walk me down the isle and I never had that first dance with my husband.
Instead, we went to the JOP with my roommate (WHO WORE WHITE! If you can believe it!) I had on some icky white suite thing, I didn't like my hair (or my shoes) We went out to dinner afterwards and ordered wine, which was nasty (we thought we were cool!) then went to Wal-Mart, came back to my barracks room and fell asleep. Yep - very eventful night.
The worse part - we have one, yep 1, slightly out of focus picture. We had a video, but we taped over most of it with a trip to Sea World.
But, I did marry the most awesome guy in the world! And here we are 13 1/2(!) years later and we have yet to do anything the "conventional" way.
We have talked about having a "real" wedding someday - preferably a Disney wedding, but somehow, I just don't think we will ever get around to it. Maybe for our 25th or something - when I am too old to care how fat I look :)
Alicia
Mike and I always say, "When we get married again..." and usually we fill in the blank with we would get a different photographer. I LOVE photography and have some specific photographs in mind that I still want (yes, two years later). We have even considered redoing them... when I fit back in my dress that is. (Post nursing, it might work. But don't rush me on that one.) I just wanted more candid shots that really captured the feeling of the day and not just the formals. My favorite photographs are ones that others took and just sent to me.
I would have also gotten pictures with just my dad, mom, and all my sisters (in-laws included), also one's with just each set of grandparents. Didn't get any of those and wish we had.
Other than that, really, it was a wonderful day.
Oh and for Mike, he would choose to NOT have a terrible cold on the wedding day. Poor guy!
-Amber
Oh and I would have worn my hair down and slightly curly with maybe a flower tucked up in it. My hairstyle was too stiff for me.
And Mike wouldn't have gotten so short of a hair cut.
Oh, our wedding was great, but I think I would have eloped. The stress of all the wedding what nots was overwhelming and I would rather have been on a beach or something. If not that, definitely a better photographer. Though I still don't know who I would choose in town. But all-in-all, I'm very happy with my wedding day. And my wedding night, now I wouldn't change a single thing about that:) Is that TMI?
Well, this sounds like a PERFECT excuse to renew your vows!! =)
As far as my wedding goes...I would've finished things a little sooner than a few hours before the wedding! But I'm a procrastinator (sp?) at heart and I thrive under pressure...
That and maybe not have "I shot the sheriff" playing 50x on repeat while we were getting ready. haaha!
i think all the same things- i think our wedding was just right for us then, but, man, i am waaaaay more creative and sure of myself now- marriage does that for me- so now i have so many ideas for how our wedding could have been so much better...but of course, i'm not getting married now, so i'm just thankful for the fact that marriage has grown us so much...
Megan
I feel just like Megan - we did the best we knew then, but I am so much more creative and aware of who I am now.
I sooooo wish I had known Carrie then and had her take the pictures! Our pics are BORING. Oh well!
Our tenth is only 3 years away - maybe we could renew our vows then!
I would definitely do things differently.
I would have a smaller more intimate wedding rather than inviting everyone in the world.
I would wear my hair down because that is what my husband likes best.
A different photographer! For sure.
A videographer.
A florist who provides what she says she will provide.
Probably a different bridesmaid color, something classier than bright pink, but then again, maybe not!
Maybe a different dress, at least, I would have looked around more.
But, the biggest thing would be the photographer and secondly the number of invited guests.
And here I thought I was the only person in the universe who ever felt that way. I actually feel guilty sometimes for it! I do understand. Hindsight IS twenty- twenty. I would have done things differently as well in a few areas. The one thing I wouldn't change was our photographer. He was wonderful and we had such a great time with him! He was creative and brought out so many different things in our wedding. I'll have to do another wedding pictures post. It's been a good two years! Thanks for posting about this. I don't feel so badly anymore! :-)
There isn't much that I would change about my wedding but then again I hardly planned any of it (we were only engaged for 4 months and gone for 3 1/2 of those 4 months) So we planned the big stuff that we cared about and left the rest to our mom & my sister. I didn't stress over anything. Some stuff went wrong with the sound system at the reception but besides that it was perfect.
Our wedding was black & white Seth and I both wore white (I'm so glad I talked him into it, it's looked awesome and was so pure!) and the flowers were white then everyone else was in black. It was stunning. I loved it. The fact that I wanted a black & white wedding since I was 10 (I went to a wedding that was like that and loved it) and actually did it and it looked cool made me so happy.
Oh our photographer was horrendous. Picture that my volleyball coach took were better than theres. I would have spent the money and gotten one that knew what they were doing. I actually just went through our wedding pictures b/c I'm wanting to blow some up but I couldn't find any that I liked enough. Sad, very sad.
Tarah
So, I'm behind, but I wanted to share that my colors were red, yellow, and orange, too!
And, although I'm still head over heals for my dress, I don't love the necklace I wore, or how I had my hair done. At least I'm still happy with my choice of groom!
I loved my wedding...everything about it. It was small, simple yet elegant and totally stress free. It was heaven. It wasn't a stuffy, uptight, everyone stressed out type of wedding at all.
But I do love the 2nd dress you posted. I may have looked elsewhere for my dress if I knew that there were some other options...
I have thought that before for sure, even though we only got married 4 years ago there are a lot of things I would do differently. In fact, the other day, just for fun, lol... I not only picked out a new wedding dress but also bridesmaid dresses, centerpieces, tuxes, flowers, etc. online...it was so much fun! Gave me a thrill to put together things that are more "me" (as we were on a tight budget and major time constraints when we got married. Not to mention the fact I involved my MIL WAY too much!)
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