Our production assistant, Patrice, is recently married and reflecting on her wedding planning journey. Check back for more real-life wedding planning insights – or follow along here!
For the most part, when it came to planning my wedding, I liked to take the mindset of “no regrets.” You only get to marry this person one time in your life, so I felt like it was okay to go all out. That being said, when it was all said and done, there were just a couple minor things I added to the “regret list,” and surprise, surprise, they were all social media related. Whether you’re trying to execute something you saw on Pinterest or you’re putting together details trying to anticipate how they’ll look on Instagram, your biggest wedding regret will definitely be letting social media drive your wedding.
When we started wedding planning, I swore I wouldn’t get caught up in “doing things for the ‘gram.” And yet I still got pulled in somehow! On the wedding day, I decided to give the bridesmaids and groomsmen custom drink glasses with their names and I have the gals “bridesmaids” tanks. We didn’t have a photographer coming to our getting ready room, and we were way too busy to be snapping pics! And can you guess where all of those custom glasses ended up? …Right in our cupboards. Since most of our wedding party was from out of town, they didn’t even end up taking them!
We’ve written over and over about how you can’t let Pinterest ideals set unrealistic expectations for your wedding day, but it’s hard not to be tempted by those seemingly easy details. In my case, it was bathroom baskets. I had seen them at other weddings in addition to on Pinterest, and I thought it was a really great idea! And while some of the items were used thoroughly (like gum and hand sanitizer), I went way overboard and included too much stuff.
The best way to stave off those social media-driven wedding regrets? Take a step back and really think about what your guests would find valuable. Talk to other former brides about what worked well for them and what they wish they would have skipped. And in the end, remember what this is all about. Years down the road, you won’t remember the little details you did just for social media. What you will remember, are the vows you made to one another and the family & friends that were in attendance to celebrate with you! When in doubt, keep it true to you. Ask yourself, “Would I do this if Instagram didn’t exist?” If the answer is no, skip it!
