I am so honored to welcome Stephanie A Trexler, CFP®, a previous Andrea Fontana Beauty bride and CEO and Owner of Golden Goose Wealth Planning to the blog! When I got engaged in February, I asked her to share her wealth of knowledge with those of us who are in the planning stages of our weddings! Be sure to check out her business when you are done reading and share this information with anyone you know who is newly engaged! Thank you Steph.

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to weddings and it has been said that weddings bring out the crazy in everyone! Here are a few things I wish I would have known before my big day!

∙ Do research before you set a budget- Do not put the cart before the horse! My husband and I picked a random number for a budget because we thought that is what the wedding SHOULD cost, turns out we were off by $10,000. We had not done our research and taken the time to figure out what the kind of wedding we wanted would realistically cost. It would have had a better idea of a realistic cost beforehand; it would have saved many disagreements in the future!

∙ Get organized- Get a physical wedding planner. My sister gave me a custom wedding planner for our engagement gift. It was super helpful having everything in one place. I carried it around with my in my purse and always had my checklists at my fingertips. You will also want to make a spreadsheet and save it in a place where you can easily share it with your fiancé. You will want to make sure you have the following tabs:

o Guestlist

o Addresses

o Budget & Payment Due Dates

o Day of schedule,

o Vendor contact information

∙ Go to the wedding expos- They might seem cheesy, but they have tons of great ideas and I made a lot of great contacts at the one I went to. This is also a great opportunity to start getting an idea of how much things cost. At the expo I attended, a caricature artist was setting up her business and she was offering a discount if I booked with her that day. This allowed us to add a nice touch to our wedding that was very affordable.

∙ Think creatively where you register-You might think you really need that waffle maker but consider also registering for things for your home such as tools and yard equipment. After you move into your “big-kid home there are a lot of leaves to rake and driveways to shovel. Those gift cards to Home Depot will come in handy in the future and save you money down the line! Consider using a wedding registry website that allows you to register at multiple stores.

∙ Hire a day of coordinator-Yes, it is an extra expense, but 1000% worth it. Skip the Starbucks, work a side hustle, or pick up some babysitting jobs to make it happen! Having a day of coordinator allowed me to relax with my bridesmaids and drink mimosas. On top of that, she was able to take all the decorations I had bought and made and arrange them even better than I ever could have myself. She has an eye for weddings and her personal touch made all the difference! Leave setting up to the professionals and enjoy your day!

∙ Flower Captain-On the day of your wedding, assign someone you trust to make sure everyone including parents and grandparents gets their boutonnieres and corsages. Give that person a list of who’s supposed to get what. I made the mistake of sending the boutonnieres and corsages to the groom’s room, and not all of the grandparents received theirs on time. This is a great job for a significant other of a groomsman!

∙ Allocate extra time- Weddings always seem to run behind. Set yourself up for success and give yourself an extra half-hour buffer between items on your itinerary. Things come up! Someone might need to stop at the store on the way back from the salon, a traffic jam slowed down the trolley or a groomsman needs a belt! Plan extra time into your day to ensure your ceremony and reception do not get delayed!

∙ Talk about money with your fiancé- Money is one of the top fights between couples. There is a good chance you were raised differently and have different values around money. It is ok to have different opinions, the important thing is to understand the WHY behind why your partner thinks the way they do.

∙ Relax and enjoy- Planning a wedding can be a stressful time, but also the most magical. It all goes by so fast. Soak up every bit of it and enjoy the journey. There are very few times in life where all the attention is on you. Everyone will give you their opinion, but just remember everyone is excited and eager to help. Do not forget to take five minutes for you and your husband alone on your big day!

Happy Planning!

-Loyally,

Stephanie A Trexler, CFP®

Stephanie is the CE0 and owner of Golden Goose Wealth Planning. She helps couples plan and save for the future. Be sure to reserve your spot in Stephanie’s Newlywed class today. https://calendly.com/ggwealthplanning/newlywed

The people bring the joy.

Last fall I had the pleasure of doing the makeup for one of my first friends of life, and at her reception, her mother gave one of the best speeches I have ever heard at a wedding. She mentioned that a friend gave her the advice to focus on the fact that while the details can be really special, the people truly bring the joy to the wedding. This may be the only time in your life that all of your favorite people from both sides of your lives will be in one room. That in and of itself is special, so don’t forget it.

Choose bridal looks that make you feel like you.

I can’t recommend enough choosing a bridal look that looks and feels like you. You want your groom to feel like it’s you walking down the aisle, after all he’s marrying you, not some fantasy bridal version of you. You will look at these photos forever, so stick with classic looks that represent the true you. If you don’t like how your hair looks up and never wear it up, don’t choose an updo for your bridal hairstyle. You obviously want to feel special on your wedding day, but in a moment that can feel very surreal, it’s important to love what you see when you look in the mirror. We’ve all had those days when we don’t like our outfit for example, and feel less confident. Don’t let this happen on your wedding day!

Stay organized and do a little each week to prevent stress.

The brides who seem to be the least stressed to me are those who stay organized and do a little bit of wedding planning each week. Obviously if you have a short engagement this might not work for you, but I find that most brides tell me that by making a couple decisions a little at a time, they don’t feel that overwhelmed. I think a lot of wedding planning comes down to what kind of decision maker you are, so lean on those you trust, who are good at it.

Stop caring about what other people think or making decisions to please others.

It’s YOUR wedding day. The day is about you and your partner joining lives together. If you don’t want to do some traditional aspect of a wedding, don’t do it. Your day gets to be as unique as the two of you, so who cares what the people think! If you don’t like the look of a veil, don’t wear one!

Find a moment while you’re getting ready to just sit and think about the day.

Most brides tell me that it doesn’t feel like their wedding day, in the mornings when we’re getting ready. I personally love when the bride can find even just 5 minutes to sit and close her eyes and just soak in the moment. It’s a big day and from what I’ve heard, it flies by in the blink of an eye. At the end of the day, you will be marrying the love of your life and I think it’s really important to find a few minutes and sit and reflect on what that feels like. Often times, brides are bombarded with a million questions as they are getting ready so I think this time is sacred and special.