Balancing Your Wedding Planning In Our Digital World



Source

While I am completely for the technological evolution that allows people and ideas to be shared almost instantly, I wanted to take time out to advocate for stepping back from the keyboard during wedding planning.  Keeping bridesmaids updated on group emails, skyping dress fittings with out of town VIPs and of course subscribing to wedding blogs for inspiration are the key highlights to be connected online.  I've seen people on facebook sending out requests like "looking for a great caterer/DJ/photographer/site in this city. any referrals?" which is a really great use of getting real client reactions.  Yes, there are many advantages to the social media outlets we all use daily. 

My concern is that brides may be obligated to share every detail and photo on social media which can create many problems.  Here are three basic rules to keeping your sanity in this over-sharing social media world.

1. Limit the information you are sending out
Your betrothed, your families, your wedding party and your wedding planner are the people with whom you should spend the most time discussing wedding plans.  Constant oversharing is already rampant on facebook ("today I ate a turkey sandwich", "I hate when it rains", "I hate traffic, boooo!") much less oversharing of wedding plans.  Offbeat Bride even has a post "how to talk about your wedding on facebook without pissing people off".  How can this be a problem?  Do you have a huge friend/ acquaintance list that may include people who are not invited but assume they are invited since they receive all the updates?  Or are you not inviting everyone to the pre-wedding parties & feel awkward posting a status & photos online for everyone to see?  Posting photos of your linens, the bridemaids dresses or sharing too many details online not only leaves little to the imagination for guests, but it opens up a portal for every 'friend' to give his/her opinion.  There is a delicate balance to this, since I've also heard a lot of brides that complain their out of town relatives ask repeatedly for wedding updates on facebook so they can feel connected.  Each couple has a different comfort level with how much information they are putting online.  Make sure you speak with your beloved before posting wedding info to avoid any unnecessary stress.

2. Don't let social media turn you into a bridezilla
Whether it was on purpose or just an accidental effect, the wedding industry has created this overwhelming competition aspect to planning a wedding.  In addition to scouring wedding blogs, looking at your friends (and friends of friends' friends) wedding photos online can turn any calm, well intentioned bride into feeling like "I must out-do this wedding" or "my wedding is so lame compared to this one".  Every wedding is different because it is a personal reflection of your tastes, families, friends, cultures, religions, and overall couple style.  That is what makes wedding so fun to go to for guests, each one is a new experience.  Step away from the rat race and focus your energy on the aspects that will make your wedding special.

Wedding or Party: Dining

If you did not catch the first edition, this is a game that I created after seeing so much amazing decor that is incredibly versatile.  The kind of decor that could be for a bridal shower, baby shower, fabulous birthday, dinner party, corporate event, or even a wedding.  Test yourself and let me know how you did on Felicity C Weddings Facebook page!  Good luck & enjoy!

Wedding or party?  Here is the answer

 

Wedding or party?  Here is the answer

Wedding or party? Here is the answer

A New Light On Wedding Traditions

When most people think of weddings, they think of wedding traditions.  Whether it be cultural, religious, or family based, I am a huge fan of incorporating meaningful traditions into weddings, the key word being meaningful.  Some couples become so focused on tradition and pleasing everyone, that the couple loses sight of what they want on their big day.  It really is up to each couple to decide where they want to draw the line.  Because really, isn't the best wedding 'tradition' that of joyous, happy couples vowing to share their lives together? 

I recently went to friend's wedding as a guest and had a great time.  It was fairly nontraditional; an afternoon beach wedding in November (in Delaware), a short ceremony, no bridal party aside from the couple's dog, 30 guests, and a casual atmosphere.  At one point the bride asked me what my opinion was of her wedding as a wedding planner.  I told her that it was perfect because it was exactly what they wanted.  And that really is what I want for every couple; clients or friends.  If a tradition is important to you, keep it.  If it is not, toss it.  Brides in particular feel the need to incorporate every detail people throw at them.  Overall comfort (literally and metaphorically) is going to go a lot further than feeling forced into a tradition.  Example A: a lot of couples are opting for outdoor ceremonies which a decade or two ago was unheard of.  Breaking tradition could be as simple as not having a wedding cake or seeing each other before the ceremony (see my First Look post).

My advice is to go online and search through wedding blogs.  I guarantee that you will find some awesome inspiration from brides who did exactly what they wanted.  The website OffBeat Bride in particular is always featuring real weddings that have a whole lot of personality.  Here are a few real weddings that I've found that I hope will give you inspiration to plan your wedding the way you want it.  Enjoy!

 

 Beautiful butterfly bridal dress (say that 5 times fast). Source

Beach wedding in November. Source

Who says all the bridesmaids have to match? Source

Wedding or Party: 1st Edition

As a wedding planner, it is part of my job to stay up to date with current industry trends and ideas.  So, I routinely scan through dozens of blog posts a day (a couple hundred weekly) to get inspired by other planners, real brides, and anyone with creativity.  Not all the blogs that I follow are wedding-based and especially with Halloween recently, there have been a lot of fabulous decor photos floating around online. 

The great thing about modern weddings today is that there are very few rules left and this is so clear is all the different variations I see on these posts.  I have started to see a lot of inventive event decor that I realized could be great for a wedding or a casual party.  Since I could not easily distinguish what type of event it was, I thought I'd make a game out of it.  So look through the following photos and decide if they are from a wedding or just another party.  Be sure to let me know on the Felicity C Weddings Facebook page how well you did!  Enjoy!

 

Wedding or Party?  Here is the answer