Over-thinking It = Overdoing it

The holidays are prime time for new engagements, so CONGRATULATIONS to all of you who found that little box in your stocking. You're a bride-to-be, you're ecstatic and you can not wait to get started planning. Please just resist the urge to over-think your wedding. What do I mean by over-think? Let's consider a few examples ...

Example #1: Perusing 100s of wedding blogs and magazines, and attempting to cram 100s of different ideas into your ONE wedding.
Example #2: Selecting an extremely specific color scheme (that could probably only exist on a computer) and demanding that every single aspect of your wedding decor follow it to a "T."
Example #3: DVR'ing 5 different wedding reality shows and pressuring your vendors to duplicate/copy/follow the work of others, ignoring their own individual talent.
Example #4: Giving your photographer 100s of "must-have" photos or providing your DJ with a full 5-hours of "must-play" songs or demanding your wedding planner construct a wedding day timeline that's broken down "by the minute."

It's understandable you take your wedding seriously. After all, it'll likely be the beginning of your forever (unless your name is Kim Kardashian...sorry). But trust me, over-complicating leads to disaster! You could very well end up with a hodgepodge of a wedding that looks and feels busy, or worse, cheesy.

Quite frankly, I fully support the old cliche "less is more" here. Less doesn't have to mean skimpy, certainly doesn't need to mean cheap, and probably shouldn't mean disjointed ... but an easeful, flowing wedding day that appears effortless is better for everyone. You're likely to drive yourself and everyone around you crazy if you stress out about each and every minor detail. So, remember ...

Check out the latest trends, but focus more on who you and your fiance are as individuals and/or who you are as a couple. Let your wedding be a reflection of YOU, not of "Martha Stewart Weddings Volume 343, Edition 7, Adaptation 4590."
If you've always dreamed of a wedding including your favorite color, light blue, go with that and allow for some variation. It's great that you LOVE Pantone 18-4039 "Regatta," but unless your budget is ceiling-less, you won't be able to ensure all aspects of your wedding are exactly in sync.
Trust and respect your vendors enough to produce their own work, not duplicate the work of others. As long as you've done your research and feel confident who the support staff you've selected, let everyone do their job.

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Rashana Anderson
Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

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