12 Tips for a Beautiful and Meaningful Wedding from Newlyweds!
“So you said, “Yes!” and now you are embarking on the wedding journey! Congrats! Marriage is one of the most amazing things EVER and we are thrilled for you! As newlyweds, we put our heads together to come up with “what worked and what we wish we would have known” to help you get started!”
1. INCLUDE GOD FROM THE BEGINNING
Jeff and I got so stressed in the beginning with trying to find a venue in our budget that would work for the amount of guests we thought we would have. It was overwhelming and to be honest, I told Jeff I thought we should just elope. As we were scouring the Internet one night, I felt the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart. “You haven’t included me.” I shared this with Jeff and we both stopped what we were doing and began praying. It was in that prayer that the Lord gave us specific direction. I’m talking He gave us the name of the city to where we should look for a venue. If you want a more in depth story here is my blog post on this miracle. But the point is, invite God in from the very beginning and He will direct your steps!
2. PLAN THE WEDDING TOGETHER
You might be the girl who was planning her wedding since the moment you could play dress up or you might be the guy that just “doesn’t care”, but one of the coolest experiences for us, was that we made our choices together. Sure there was compromise (I can get carried away with gold) but in the end, people kept telling us, “we see you and Jeff everywhere.” The celebration was a reflection of our new lives as one and that is a special experience.
Even if you know this in your head, put extra safeguards around this for your heart. It can be easy to get caught up in the wedding and without realizing it, you have stopped dating and working on your relationship. Have a mentor that holds you accountable, definitely DO Pre-marriage counseling, set dates that are just for you two, and check in with each other on a personal level.
Don’t listen to the wedding dress shops and the venues and the wedding planners—you don’t need a year to plan a wedding. We planned our wedding in 4 months because we wanted to start our lives together. You don’t need to put your lives on hold or compromise your purity because you want the perfect flowers or venue or you want to please everyone in your family.
Seriously. You can’t. Focus on your future spouse, because in the end it is about you two.
I made the mistake of pushing off small tasks, which made us cram a lot of little things in two weeks before the big day. You are going to want wedding week time with family and friends that are in town. Take the small tasks off your plate early!
7. CREATE A SHOT LIST OF PHOTOS YOU WANT
Speaking of delaying small tasks….I wish I had done this. I had it “in my head” but when it came to the day, things were happening so fast that a lot of what I had in my head was lost.
Think about the people you want to hold you accountable, to do life with you, who are going to be there for you through your marriage. Being a member of a bridal party is a big job. Also note, sometimes it’s ok to not ask someone who you know is in a season of life where they would be overwhelmed. Just have a conversation with that person so they know you care and understand it would be unfair to put such a burden on them.
This is what your bridal party is for (and also why you want to be sensitive to the seasons of life people might be in!) They want to help you, so get good at delegating! We both talked about how we wouldn’t have gotten through our wedding without our bridal party. It was like we had a troop rallying around us, cheering us on, selflessly helping us…they were in it.
10. LET YOUR BRIDESMAIDS CHOOSE THEIR DRESS
I highly recommend this. As women, our bodies are different, and the dress that looks good on one girl might not look good on another. Plus it stinks to have to spend so much money on a dress that you won’t wear again! I gave my girls a color palette and told them I wanted it to be long. They chose dresses that were unique to them, which was special to me.
11. IF YOU CAN HELP IT, DO NOT LEAVE RIGHT AWAY FOR YOUR HONEYMOON!
Weddings are emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausting. Give yourself at least an extra day to not have to rush off to the airport and be on an agenda. Process the magnitude of this event, enjoy each other (you probably won’t have seen each other alone the week prior), give yourself time to breathe and relax!
12. DO A WEDDING VIDEO AND HIRE OLSEN MEDIA!
“First of all, I will admit I was on the fence about a wedding video. I figure we were spending so much money on pictures that maybe we could cut the budget. I am so thankful that we hired Eric! Our wedding video is one of my most favorite memories I have! The day goes by so fast, and to relive it was really a gift! Jeff and I are both in the entertainment industry and have been around a lot of directors and DP’s….Eric, blew us away with what he captured. He has an incredible eye and a gorgeous way of telling your story.”
We happen to agree especially with that last point!
Share this with anyone who is planning their wedding and could use some quick tips! Also, click below to check out their incredible wedding in the California mountains:
Emily + Cameron - Downtown St. Paul Winter Wedding
These guys were so much fun to work with! As you can see they never stopped smiling and laughing. Every location was perfect and the whole celebration was incredible. Happy for you guys and thank you for choosing Olsen Media! Music licensed through art-list.io and musicbed.com
Kelly + Tyler - Classic Fall Wedding
These guys were so fun to film! So many smiles makes getting good footage easy and they had a lot to smile about. Congratulations to you both and thanks for choosing Olsen Media
Music licensed through art-list.to and musicbed.com
Cara + Lewis - Wonderful Fall Wedding
The weather was a bit rainy and stormy but there was no way it could dampen the spirits of Cara and Lewis and their celebration. These two are the nicest couple you could meet and are deeply in love. They both were so thoughtful in everything that they did and especially towards each other. What a fun day and wedding to be a part of! Thanks for choosing Olsen Media! Music licensed through art-list.io and musicbed.com
Jacquelyn + Derek - Gorgeous Vineyard Wedding
Chelsey + Dan - Beautiful Fall Wedding
What a treat to film this couple! They were so in love with each other and emotional about their big day. Definitely meant for each other and so happy to be getting married. It was a joyous fall day and who doesn't love Zorbaz?! Thanks for choosing Olsen Media! Music licensed through musicbed.com and art-list.io
Emily + Ben - Wonderful Wisconsin Wedding
How cool are those fireworks! Filming fireworks at a wedding is a first for me but I sure hope it's not the last time I get to. This was a freakishly hot day in September but everyone had such a great time as you can tell! Emily and Ben were so fun to film with and such a great fit for each other, huge congratulations to you both! Thanks for choosing Olsen Media! Music licensed through art-list.io and musicbed.com
Jake + Nikki - Stylish Minneapolis Wedding
Jake and Nikki were such a joy to film on their wedding day! They really enjoy life and each other and have such an amazing story. The Minneapolis skyline was a great backdrop for such a wonderful wedding and couple! Thanks for choosing Olsen Media! Music licensed through art-list.io and musicbed.com
Lexi + Steve - Wonderful City Wedding in St. Paul
What an incredible wedding! Lexi and Steve were so fun to film with and they chose such a unique location which is something I love. Harriet Island Pavilion provided some great city views by day and night and was a great place for a celebration to be remembered. Huge congrats to Lexi and Steve! Thanks for choosing Olsen Media! Music licensed through musicbed.com and art-list.io
Jenna + Cody - Beautiful St. Cloud Wedding
Mallory + Nicholas - Gorgeous Wedding in a Valley
Wow, what can be said about this location! Hidden Meadow Farm in Wisconsin sure knows how to throw a wedding and Mallory and Nick were loving every minute of it. Everything about this wedding was awesome, from the thoughtful and fun decorations to the couple starting the day with a board game! These two are so in love and I had such a great time getting to know them as well as putting together this film. Congratulations to you both and thanks for choosing Olsen Media! Music licensed through art-list.io and musicbed.com
Photography - Angela Kissell Photography
Venue - Hidden Meadow and Barn
Hannah + Brandon - Elegant Wedding in Eden Prairie
Classy and elegant describes this wedding at Bearpath Country Club as well as the couple but what you can also see is their quirky sense of humor and absolute adoration of each other! What a fun couple and hilarious wedding party to film with. Huge congratulations to Hannah and Brandon and thanks for choosing Olsen Media!
Music licensed through art-list.io and musicbed.com
Photography by Electric Lime Photography
Venue - Bearpath Golf and Country Club
Alli + Alex - Awesome Wedding on the North Shore in Minnesota
How incredible is the backdrop for this wedding! Nothing better than a great wedding destination partnered with great people. These guys and their party were an absolute blast to film. Not only were they all fun to be around, they were hysterical! It was all outshone though, by the obvious love that Alli and Alex share with each other. Huge congrats to you guys and thank you for having me film your wedding! Music licensed through musicbed.com and art-list.io
Kayla + Andrew - Wonderful Outdoor Wedding
What a beautiful day to get married outdoors in this idyllic location! Kayla and Andrew were so great to film and it was plain to see how much they cherish each other. Loved the idea of them both reading the same blessing so that we could overlap it in the video. Huge congrats to them and thanks again for choosing Olsen Media! Music licensed through art-list.io and musicbed.com
Leah + Marcus - Incredible Outdoor Wedding at Camrose Hill
Photography - Eric Lundgren Photography
Venue - Camrose Hill Flowers