just married

we are married! it’s true what they say about everything going so fast, even though it was an island “destination weekend” event. there was always so much to do, and when i wasn’t preparing something, i was visiting with people (of course). then there was the actual ceremony… i wasn’t nervous but i was truly trying to hold back tears the whole time! once we were married, we walked through the trellis on the beach for a few minutes before signing marriage documents and formal photographs, which was really nice. but after the ceremony, i think everyone breathed out a huge sigh of relief that we can finally just focus on celebrating with our friends and family… and eating! (hungry!)

so many great moments, SO much dancing (alex and i danced five hours straight… when was the last time you saw the couple of honor starting and closing out the party?!), and so much love. it was also a true DIY affair. we dj’ed our own party, put together our own bouquets and flower implements, decorated ourselves, hair & makeup ourselves… we tried to save where we could and plunk down the majority of the cash on the things that really mattered; to us, that was photography, catering, and tent/equipment rental. i am so proud of what we accomplished, and when i say we, i mean all of our beautiful friends and family that each lent a hand and made this two day event what it was.

while it’s still fresh and my mind and the photos are still developing, i wanted to give a few snippets of two things that i wish i would’ve known beforehand or things to do differently in hopes that it may help any bride-to-be readers, but before i launch into that, i want to stress that everything really went as it should. it ALL worked out, all the big things were completed, some little things were remembered, and everyone had a fabulous time. but, if i had my druthers, here are some things i would’ve done.

// prepare everything and anything you can beforehand. there were a few tasks that i or my mother thought “oh, let’s just do this onsite, it will be easier”. in the end, it was great to have the help (SO many guests offered their help!) and pretty fun having a crafting session the day before with everyone sitting around the table making paper flowers to hang around the tent and some on the spot drilling and sawing–sort of an ice-breaker, really– but still, i would recommend to ask yourself: can i do this beforehand? i think it is worth it to have as much done as you can so you can spend more time doing things you want to do.

// make your expectations clear to your wedding party. i was a real laid-back bride. so much so that i did fail to communicate my needs to my bridesmaids for what exactly was going down on wedding day afternoon. it was like herding cats. but! any frustration i may have had was caused by my own error in not thinking to communicate and expecting people to read my mind… and fortunately, i realized this immediately. as relaxed as you may be, do let them know exactly what you want their help with the day of the wedding and the exact timeline: when to shower, when to be ready, when and what you need help with. this is essential. 

// circulate even more than you think! i thought i did a good job, but there were still a couple people i didn’t really get a chance to talk to. having a whole weekend rather than one afternoon really helps out in this department, though.

i look forward to talking more about every facet of the wedding in greater depth, but a lot of people told us it was the best wedding they’d ever been to. so that’s awesome. more wedding details to come!

if you are married: what are some things you wish you would’ve known before your big day?

photos by ashley mae scott