Soooo, ya. I'm married now. It's pretty surreal but mostly just awesome and fantastic. Granted, this past summer was most definitely my busiest yet but I thrive when I'm busy and I didn't want a long engagement because (ICYMI) being engaged sucks. I was also still hustling tidiness and taking on big jobs with clients so there wasn't a dull moment. But I figured I'd plan a wedding with maximum efficiency because would I have it any other way?! It took four months and honestly, it was absolutely perfect. And note: I couldn't have done it without Tidy Husband, of course. 

So, how did I make it happen? Here are some tips that made it all suuuuuper smooth with only a few minor breakdowns here and there. Seriously. Only a few and they were minor. I consider that an accomplishment.

1) I DIDN'T DRIVE MYSELF ABSOLUTELY BANANAS! I'm pretty sure most brides will tell you that planning a wedding makes you an absolute terror even if you're the least #bridezilla type around. Insert: me. I cared but I didn't care and part of my not caring was that I cared. But with that aside, I kept things simple. I was quick to make decisions and didn't backtrack on them. This is a game changer and the magic potion. Do your best to trust your instincts and figure out decisions based on that. And then stick to them!

2) We sent out evites instead of paper invitations. It's hard for me to understand why paper invites are still a thing in 2017 but whatever. Anyway, I didn't use them! I used one of the many templates on Greenvelope and it was just what I wanted: combo masculine + elegant + super basic. There were no lost envelopes, no stamps, no stuffing paper into other paper. I was able to send reminders to the slackers to RSVP. Evites are the absolute best. 

3) Our hall was a one-stop shop. Since we knew we were having a big wedding but didn't want glitzy chandeliers or ornate finishings, we opted for Factory 220 in New Jersey which is, in fact, a massive old factory. Our contract included food, a fully-stocked open bar, tables and chairs, and waiter service. It was the first hall we saw and we knew it was perfect and booked it a week after the engagement. BOOM! Felt like we could kick back and relax for the next few months (we couldn't, ultimately, but I was delightfully deluded for a minute). I can't even imagine having to reach out to multiple vendors and coordinating all of that. What a headache.

4) I made lots of lists. Every time I had to regain control of what was happening, I made a list and sent it to Tidy Husband so we could accomplish the tasks together. Questions like: What is everyone walking down the aisle to? What are the essentials for our registry? What are our wedding "must haves?" What do we have to bring to the hall day-of? 

5) I was honest and open when I needed help. There were endless questions being thrown at me over the course of the four months. By the end, I felt like my brain was gonna burst and I had minimal strength to make more decisions. So I called for help! I recruited my fashionable friend to help me find the right shoes, I asked my sister to make sure all of the little nieces and nephews were properly dressed, I appointed my mother-in-law to arrange the tables on the groom's side. Basically, I let go of complete control. Another game changer.

6) I got a dress custom-made since I wasn't finding one that I loved. I went into bridal dress shopping feeling totally convinced that I absolutely did not want to get a dress made. But after hitting up three bridal shops and firming up my idea of what I wanted the dress to look like, I decided to get it made instead of continuing to hunt for the ideal dress (that probably doesn't exist). The process involved many trips to New Jersey and hours spent developing the perfect dress, but it was exactly that. My dress fit like a glove and was better than I could have imagined it. 

7) I went into meetings with inspiration photos. I did some Pinterest and Instagram research to figure out what I wanted the flowers to look like, what kind of lighting would work, and how I wanted my hair and makeup done. Again, I didn't drive myself crazy and only spent a bit of time collecting the photos. But they went a long way and helped me express my vision.

8) I worked really hard to make sure I would be present day-of. This was probably the hardest part of all but I didn't want my wedding to pass and feel like I blacked out during the entire thing. So I read excerpts about what a marriage means, blurbs of advice on where your head should be at during the ceremony, and let go of how everyone else was feeling that day. All of this helped me feel like I was the bride at my wedding. It was nearly impossible to believe but I kept reminding myself: everyone and everything today is for YOU and the Future Tidy Husband. Bask in that, TidyT.

Now that I figured out wedding planning, I just need to figure out how marriage works! 

I GOT THIS

Psst...Here are some more pics if you'd like to stalk.