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1. No Boundaries Photography - Kansas
“Planning BEFORE the wedding is always a good thing. Plan to your little heart's content, but once the big day arrives, throw caution to the wind and let it happen!”
- Graciela Stanley, Owner/Photographer
2. LaFleur Plantscapes + Fresh Flora - Arizona
Neil Kreuser Photography
“Research and choose vendors that have a good reputation and that you can trust.”
– Colleen LaFleur, Owner/Principal Designer
3. RS Makeup Artistry - New York
Mark Kopko Photography
After you get engaged, think long and hard about who you are going to choose as your wedding party members - both bridesmaids and groomsmen. At times, brides and grooms feel pressured to include certain friends or family members out of fear of insulting someone. In reality, these people - aside from close family - are the ones who will be involved in all major wedding activities, and usually in the planning process as well. If brides make the smart choice to surround themselves by the people they REALLY want involved in their wedding, they will avoid a lot of drama and thus, a lot of stress." - Rachel Seedorf, Owner/Senior Makeup Artist
4. Moving Picture Weddings - Oregon
“Just to roll with the punches and embrace how the day is unfolding as your own unique day. No matter how much you plan for something there will always be twists and turns. That is all a part of the excitement of your wedding day!" - Laura Daniel, Client Support
5. Texas Old Town - Texas
"Define WHY you want to "I DO" and let that be your inspiration through your planning!" - Martha Boltz, General Manager
6. Photography by Marirosa - Virginia
"There is no right or wrong and there is no impressing everyone else - it's about celebrating your unique love story and if you keep yourself the priority, it will be stress free."
- Marirosa Anderson, Photographer/Owner
7. An Occasion Flowers - Washington
"Go to a wedding show, look at some bridal magazines, check out wedding websites.......then find a florist who understands your vision and who is willing to please YOU. Then quit looking - trust that your flowers will be beautiful and enjoy your engagement. Brides often create a lot of stress for themselves about second-guessing their choices and making changes."
- Sandy Dubsky, Owner
8. Cleveland Bridal Makeup - Ohio
"I always think it's a good plan B to master the smile and nod like you're listening when really you're somewhere light years away! Then walk away with your sanity in check!"
- Bonnie Thomas, Key Makeup Artist
9. Elegant Bridal - North Carolina
"If the wedding date is over 14 months away, do not start dress shopping too early. You may miss a new collection and may become too confused trying on too many dresses too far out. Research styles you may like first and also the cost of dresses from different collections. Educate yourself first and set a budget."
- Ginny Griffin, Owner
10. J. Anne Photography - Nevada
"What I tell my brides in that moment is that her wedding is today. And it is the only day that her wedding day will exist. So...cool your jets, and know that you can always get mad on Monday. Because Monday isn't your wedding day. Today is. Oh, and .... don't forget to go pee before you get into your dress!"
- Jodi Inouye,
Owner/Lead Photographer
11. BeChic Bride - Missouri
Justin with Beau Vaughn Photography
"Don't expect your stylists to convert you into Carrie Underwood. You may have her hair and makeup for your big day look, but be realistic. Embrace YOUR beauty. Relish in your day. Know that there is no one in the world who looks just like you today and you are gorgeous. You don't need to be Jennifer Lawrence to take his breath away. :)"
- Breanna Borlase and Mikayla Crane, Co-Owners/Hairstylists and Makeup Artists
12. Kentlands Mansion - Maryland
"Simple is best. It will create less stress and more of an enjoyable day for you!"
- Kristy King, Community Facility Manager
13. Music Machine DJ - Indiana
"When selecting music for your day, focus on a few key numbers. Do not try to pick every song. That makes it a chore, instead of fun. Pick the special dance songs, maybe 10 must-play tunes, and then be general in the genres you would like to hear. Let your guests make requests and drive the direction your DJ follows. You set up guidelines for you party, the must-play, play-if-you-can and do-not-play songs, but rely on your professional to read the crowd in the moment and trust his selection of the order and timing."
- Paul Chamberlin, Owner/DJ
14. Kristin La Voie Photography - Illinois
Date nights, hands down. It can be so overwhelming planning a wedding, and often times couples may find themselves in a situation where they feel like they are just going through the motions of planning a wedding without really enjoying it! I'm a believer that if something isn't fun or enjoyable, then you shouldn't be doing it! I always tell my couples to carve out time to put down their wedding binders and have a relaxing date night. Time spent together will really help remind them of the purpose of this whole crazy planning adventure and keep everything in check. At the end of the day, all the planning is to celebrate their love for one another. Nothing should get in the way of that. They need to stay true to who they are and what THEY want, too!" - Kristin Garcia, Owner
15. Deerfield - Delaware
"Imagine how important this decision/crisis/choice will be to you in five years. Having a great picture of you and your family on the day of the event with that grandmother you love - very important! The exact shade of the gold foil logo on the cocktail napkins being just a bit off?? You won't even remember that in a month, let alone five years. Be sure you run your every stress through the five-year test!" - Jeffrey Robinson, Director of Sales
16. The Bride's Shoppe - Montana
"Pretend that your wedding is a month before it really is, and have everything done by that date. Then you still will have 4 weeks to relax and actually enjoy yourself!" - Michelle Payton, Owner
17. Studio 29 Photography - Wisconsin
Get a dog and take it for runs daily! ;) Honestly, keep a binder full of your wedding dreams, wishes, fears, plans, contracts, etc. This will help you stay organized, but it will also condense all of you wedding stuff into one place. This binder also represents that you can close it and take a break/breather from wedding planning and make time for yourself. Remember, you do have a life outside of your wedding planning agenda. Do not forget to eat right, get plenty of rest, be good to yourself and relax." - Ren Davis, Photographer/Owner
18. 125 Bridal Boutique - New Hampshire
It is so very important that you surround yourself with people who do not stress you out. If you don't get along with your sister, then don't have her go with you for cake testing. Choose people who are truly there to help and guide instead of take over and be jealous."
- Natalie H, Store Manager/Buyer
19. Brushworx Hair and Makeup - Georgia
Stop looking at hair/makeup pics after you've already had your trial and loved it! It only makes you second guess your decisions and creates anxiety."
- Christine Pay, Co-Owner/Artist
20. Pearl Wedding Photography - Hawaii
Be comfortable with your vendors. And just be who you are." - Jessica Pearl, Owner
21. Wedgewood Wedding & Banquet Centers - California
A Perfect Impression
"A bride getting ready should be a special and relaxing time. Too often we see every auntie, second cousin, and random groomsman’s girlfriend bust their way into the bridal room to hang out. Decide who you want to be in the room with you ahead of time and then assign the job of 'bridal room bouncer' to the biggest loudmouth in your bridal party."
- Julia Henning, Director of Marketing
22. Magic Valley DJ Services - Idaho
Hire the proven professionals - speak freely and honestly to them about your desires and dreams for your wedding, and pay very close attention to whether they are actually listening. And if they are in fact listening and are proven professionals, relax and let them do the work. Trust in them and enjoy your special day."
- Forrest Loomis, Owner/DJ
23. Bridal Xperience - New Jersey
Don't forget about taking time out for yourself. Depending on your situation as far as the condition of your skin or hair due to stress, I give by brides homework prior to us meeting again. Most of the time I share with them some awesome home remedies for deep conditioning treatments and hair masks to try. Or, if their budget allows, to get a facial and a massage for even better results on their wedding day."
- Lissa-Marie Ribeiro, Owner/Hair & Makeup Stylist
24. Motionworks - West Virginia
"Designate someone else to deal with details on the day of the wedding! The bride should never be confronted with little problems like a DJ who gets lost, a stuck bridesmaid's zipper, or an out of control guest. The day can feel overwhelming, so choose a trusted person to deal with anything that comes up."
- Rebecca Moran, Co-Owner
25. The Barn at Lang Farm - Vermont
Have faith that it will all be perfect. Have vendors you can count on and don't obsess." - Jon Lang, Owner
26. jasonrjonas - South Dakota
Simply look around and realize everything is for you . . . enjoy all the hard work. It is Your Day. Let us do the work and you can relive your day forever." - Jason Jonas, Videographer
27. Crown Winery LLC - Tennessee
"Sit back, take off your heels, close you eyes, and think of a peaceful place...the ocean, a beach, a forest, etc.....then breathe deeply and let yourself go there. Being a winery, we can also offer the bride (if she's 21, of course) a glass of wine to calm her down as well as her mother if need be!" - Rita Howard, CEO/Co-Owner
28. Talitha A. Tarro Photography - New Mexico
"I don't think there is any blanket advice to give to brides to cover every personality type. Some brides are calm and roll with the punches, even through rain during the middle of an outdoor ceremony. These brides realize that these little bumps are what memories are made of and laugh through it. Other brides do well hiring a wedding planner who can delegate the details."
- Talitha Tarro, Owner/Photographer
29. Bombshell Bridal Boutique - Michigan
Keep an open mind and remember that this is a NEW experience for you, so it's okay if you don't have all the answers! That's why dedicated, reputable wedding professionals are here to help!"
- Amanda Cover, Owner
30. Halley's Photography - Louisiana
I tell all of my brides that not everything will go exactly like they have planned it, and that is okay. But, I will try my best to "fix" whatever it is that needs to be fix: if that's hair, makeup, if I need to be a bridesmaid, or even bake a cake, I will do it! This seems to calm them down so they can relax and enjoy their day."
- Jennifer Halley, Owner
Fairy Dust Cakes
31. Alvamar Country Club - Kansas
"Published timelines and checklists are a great resource to use as a guide but can overwhelm brides and make you feel like you are behind from the very first day of planning. As long as you give your vendors adequate time to provide you with the best possible service on the day of your wedding, don't let timelines overwhelm you."
- Kursten Minnis, Director of Event Sales & Marketing
32. Nikki Moore Photography - Nebraska
Your wedding day is NOT about the pictures. When I work with a bride on a timeline, I am really careful to ensure we aren't shooting ALL DAY LONG because that's not only exhausting for me and them, but it can really take away from the meaningful parts of the day, and add to everyone's stress. So my advice would be to forget about of any major part of your preparation that is "just for the photos." Don't buy a second dress "just for the photos." Don't spend 30 hours on a headpiece that's "just for the photos." Do the things that you want, but do it for YOU and your own style and personality as a couple! Don't spend a lot of time planning out details just so they'll look good in a photograph - because in that case you're just trying to impress strangers!! Nobody's got time for that! There are millions of wedding blogs and a lot of "noise" out there...and expectations that you will have loads of amazing STUFF for your photographer to capture. Do your best to see past that noise. Find a photographer who sees past it too. You will forget a lot of your day, so focus on creating the elements of your wedding day that will be truly meaningful to you in 10 or 50 years." - Nikki Moore, Owner/Founder/Manager
33. Tuscany Gardens - Utah
"I instruct my brides to play the "Tony Card." When any family member or friend is persistently trying to get the bride to do something with their wedding which they simply do not want to do, rather than contend in stressful disputation, tell the person, "Tony the coordinator doesn't think that will work. Sorry!" The heat gets taken off the bride and placed elsewhere, where it rightfully belongs." - Tony Consolo,
Venue Owner/Wedding Planner/Wedding Host
34. Jeff Achen Videography & Photography, LLC - Minnesota
"Hire people that your heart and your head tell you that you can trust. You need to actually "like" the people you hire for your wedding day. So, get to know them a little bit. Ask them about their family, how they got into the wedding business, and what they love about their job. The answers will tell you a lot about them. And, ask for references!" - Jeff Achen, Videographer
35. Brock Entertainment - Arkansas
"If something goes wrong, most people won't even notice and it just makes for a better story to tell your kids when you are old and gray." - Brock Short
