We’re continuing our monthly series of “What We’d Do Differently” for our weddings today with some wise words from Kim, our Event Designer! Read on to learn more about wedding dress shopping, spending time with guests, and one of the most often discussed vendors (in my experience), a wedding videographer!

So many memories come back looking through our wedding pictures—friends and family coming together, the music and dancing… the 100-degree weather while getting our pictures taken! While we couldn’t have planned for the heat, there were a few other things I would have done a little differently looking back:

Hire a Wedding Videographer

Four and a half years later and this is still my biggest regret. It was one of the things we decided to cut after signing a few vendor contracts and getting a better understanding of how much weddings actually cost. I was getting a bit worried about staying in our budget and was overwhelmed looking for other vendors so, I didn’t do much work in researching videographers who might be on the cheaper end or new to the field. I really wish I had. Even a student videographer would have been better than none! It’s the first thing I tell people when they ask if I had any regrets. I love watching other people’s wedding videos and still wish we had one of our own, but our photographs will have to suffice, which is OK because we loved our photographer!

Wedding dress shopping: more of it, and go it alone

I want to preface this by saying I loved my dress and still do. I went to two boutiques with some immediate family members both times and it was not too stressful to have their opinions. Thinking back though, I wish I had gone once more, alone. I think having a third time with just my thoughts and trying some styles I might not have considered before would have been fun. Whenever someone tells me they’re going dress shopping I get so excited for them and think about sneaking back to a salon and pretending I’m getting married again just to try on a few more ;)

Allow More Time To Visit With Wedding Guests

This might be a common one as Katie mentioned the same thing! For some reason we stayed in a back room while cocktail hour happened. Maybe I was worried we’d get off schedule if we went and walked around, who knows, but I think it would have been fine! We didn’t allocate time to do this during dinner either and I feel like we didn’t see half the people we invited. I know the day is crazy but I wish we set aside time for this. Looking back at our reception pictures it would have been nice for the two of us to be in more of them with our guests and not just each other.

Let the Train of my Wedding Dress Down!

OK, this sounds silly and so small but I noticed in a few of our pictures that I was carrying my train around. I wish I had let it go and trail behind me as it was meant to. I think I didn’t want it to get dirty (understandable) but looking back I only got to wear the dress once and should have showed it off more. Something to keep in the back of your mind while you’re getting pictures taken!

Of course none of these things ruined the wedding entirely—I loved every minute of that day. It’s easy to say I should have done this or that when looking back but, in the moment it all felt like the right choice. Hopefully my look back with give some perspective to current couples in the midst of planning. Whatever you decide, though, just make sure it makes you happy!