Couples sink a lot of time, money and energy into wedding planning. Here’s some advice from recent brides on what they did to plan their wedding:
Married May 21, 2017, at Alpine Grove in Hollis.
What was the best part of your wedding?
Looking around and seeing all of the smiles on everyone’s faces, especially my new husband.
What was the most fun part of planning?
Picking out decorations with my now-husband and putting together a day that would be a symbol of us.
What was the most difficult part of planning?
Trying to please everyone. Trying not to let anyone feel left out or upset.
Did you plan things on your own or did you hire a professional wedding planner?
We planned a lot on our own. Flowers, decorations, DJ, etc. Michelle from Alpine Grove was such a help and pleasure to work with! She helped set up decorations so we could get ready, made a schedule for the day so we knew what was going to happen. We did the planning but she really made sure the day went smoothly, and we are so thankful for her!
Who else was involved in your wedding planning?
My mom, aunt, sister, niece and sister-in-law.
What was a unique feature of your wedding?
My husband and I wore superhero socks. My husband likes comic books and we thought it would be something just between us, and it was very special.
Did anything not go according to plan?
I’m pretty sure it did but we had so much fun, I can’t remember anything.
Did you have to use any “Plan Bs” from your original vision?
We did. As the wedding was fast approaching we realized that the florist may be right to follow her suggestion of her putting together our vases instead of us. We were so overwhelmed and had no one else to put them together in time. We called her up and she was able to go to the venue and put them together so we could focus on getting ready. It did cost a little extra but it was well worth it.
If you had to do it over, what would you do differently?
We have talked about this and we wouldn’t do anything differently. It was a perfect day!
How long did it take you to plan your wedding?
It took a little less than a year to plan the wedding.
Do you have any vendor recommendations?
Alpine Grove is absolutely wonderful! They are friendly, helpful and the venue is beautiful. Five Diamond Salon did an amazing job on hair and makeup. Such nice ladies and so talented. Platinum Entertainment, great DJ service. And Fortin Gage florist did an amazing job on all of the flowers!
Do you have any other advice for engaged couples planning their wedding?
Don’t let other people make the wedding about themselves. Make your own decisions based on your happiness. Enjoy planning and don’t get too stressed out. This is such an exciting time!
Married Sept. 3, 2017, at the Mount Washington Resort.
What was the best part of your wedding?
The best part of our wedding was having all of our friends and family together in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, dancing the night away!
What was the most fun part of planning?
The most fun part of planning our wedding was attending our tasting session at the Mount Washington Resort preparing our five-course meal!
What was the most difficult part of planning?
The most difficult part of planning our wedding was organizing room blocks and coordinating accommodations for our guests.
Did you plan things on your own or did you hire a professional wedding planner?
We planned everything on our own!
Who else was involved in your wedding planning?
Our generous parents on both sides of our family, the day-of coordinator at the Mount Washington Resort, and our rabbi officiating our ceremony.
What was a unique feature of your wedding?
We had a custom-brewed beer in our guests’ gift bags from Night Shift Brewing named after our wedding hashtag, #MashMadeInHeaven!
Did you partake in any special wedding traditions?
We had a Jewish wedding, including a ketubah designed by our family friend and breaking the glass under our birch-tree chuppah!
Did anything not go according to plan?
Our band arrived 30 minutes before our ceremony start time, but everything went off without a hitch.
Did you have to use any “Plan Bs” from your original vision?
We happily held our ceremony inside as a result of pouring rain, and it ended up even more intimate than we could have imagined.
If you had to do it over, what would you do differently?
If we had to do something different, we would better organize the “timing of events” for everyone involved, including the wedding party, family, and vendors.
Is there anything you would make sure to keep the same?
We loved inviting all of our guests up the night before for a welcome dinner of barbecue and yard games to kick off the weekend celebrations!
How long did it take you to plan your wedding?
We planned the wedding in 11 months, consistently tackling tasks the entire time!
Do you have any vendor recommendations?
We loved working with Anne Skidmore Photography, Silver Arrow Band, and Ivy & Aster Florists!
Do you have any other advice for engaged couples planning their wedding?
Be sure to tackle the planning process over time and don’t get overwhelmed with your long lists of to-dos. Try to group small, related tasks to complete together on the weekends. Also, don’t forget that planning your wedding is more than just planning a party, and be sure to set aside time to ensure that your ceremony is personal and meaningful to you both.