20 Things I've Realised Planning Our Wedding.

We're progressing slowly but surely though the planning of our little 'big day' and after giving notice of intent to get married today (EEEEKKKKK!) I thought it'd be a good time to reflect on some of the things I've learned so far with the good intentions that it may either help you OR give you a chuckle. Either way!

1) Weddings are crazy expensive. Seriously consider elopement. Like seriously. It wasn't something we chose as Harps has quite a large family, but there have been times where we've both agreed it would have been much MUCH cheaper to disappear just the two of us.

2) Remember it's just one day of your lives! It is so easy to get carried away and before you know it you're demanding that you simply must hire 10 olive trees at a cost of over £250 for one day. You can live without olive trees if it means you can buy food for a month ok?

3) You simply cannot please everyone. And that's ok! Who cares if your distant relative that you've only ever seen at weddings and funerals isn't high up on your guest list! It's up to you if they're not even on it at all! Which brings me to...

4) There will be a lot of fluttering and influence from family and friends, make sure that the two of you do everything for you and not for keeping other people happy. They'll be happy if you are eventually!

5) Think carefully about the day of the week you're getting married. We just spent over £450 for a legal ceremony on a Saturday! 

6) Hen do's have become hen weekends and hen holidays and hen space trips (ok the last one's an exaggeration) I had no idea of this until I'd started planning.

7) Pinterest is of course a bride's best friend. I have board a plenty! 

8) If you're having a marquee, it isn't as simple as getting a tent (yes I thought it was!)

9) It's so important to get wedding insurance. I compared on MoneySuperMarket.com and got a great deal at Debenhams and a £20 voucher that I used for some bridesmaids shoes!

10) Some wedding dresses make you look all sorts of crazy shapes. It's them, not you and you don't need that kind of negativity in your life or your wedding.

11) If you're not getting married in a traditional venue and need to provide your own booze, it's pricey so think carefully about how to do it.

12) Your wedding dress/outfit should make you feel like a total babe. Fact.

13) Being interviewed to give notice of intent to get married is scary. It may make you doubt your own name and get a little bit quaky when they tell you about bigamacy even though you know you've never been married.

14) Treat yourself to a special book for all your list making needs! I am so pleased that I have everything in one place!

15) Confetti.co.uk knows my love for crafty additions.

16) There is so much choice for everything that planning a wedding is the best procrastination I've ever done. Spending a whole afternoon day looking at different types of table fabric is my idea of important Sunday work.

17) Most people that work in all types of the wedding industry are super nice. They want you to have the best day ever too! In my opinion, anyone at companies you want to get involved that aren't hugely helpful should be dumped. You can find another that you'll be much happier with in the long run!

18) Guest lists are probably the hardest, much more so when over time, people and relationships change.

19) Trying to train your stubborn house rabbit to any ounce of being able to be apart of the big day is impossible. Give up and watch Netflix. He's a rabbit, he can stay home.

20) Enjoy it all. It can be stressful and I've experienced ways why it can be, but at the end of the day, it's about the two of you and if you want pizza and swingball (yes we have both) then goddamit, have just that! It's one day of many wonderful and brilliant days ahead, don't panic!

Have any of you had any big lessons learnt in planning your wedding? Maybe some great advice from someone when you were?

Love Sophie Xx

*There is no affiliations with any of the brands listed, they're all just some I've used!