My wedding... what did I learn? Part 2

Continuing on from my previous post, here are my last 3 key points I took away from my wedding (which I hope you also find beneficial)!

LET’S TALK ABOUT DEBT
Some people choose to take out a personal loan or use credit cards to cover some, or all of their wedding costs. This is completely normal for many couples however, it is so important to make sure that firstly you can afford the repayments and secondly that you pay it off quickly so that you aren’t starting your married life with a big debt hangover. If you are using credit to cover all or part of your wedding make sure that you have a plan to pay it back and stick to that plan. Reward yourself for small milestones along the way and ensure that you are working towards your long term goals as well.

PHOTOS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT HAVE A PLAN
Having photos to remember your day are so special to help you re-live those cherished moments, but you don’t want to spend too much time or energy on the day trying to remember which photos need to be taken. Make sure that you provide your photographer with a detailed plan of specific things and people you would like to capture (or ask if they have a list that they can provide you as a starting point so you can customise it for your special day).  For example, some of the common photos to capture include your two rings, or your veil with your shoes (and, as I unfortunately learnt the hard way, a photo of the back of your wedding dress which we didn’t quite capture).

This photo of my bouquet has my grandma’s earring who has passed away and my mum’s original wedding ring so they were together and with me walking down the aisle. These precious family inclusions also formed part of my 'something borrowed, old and blue'.

Also include a detailed list of family photos to make sure you don’t miss anyone. Set a time limit and make sure that everyone knows where they need to be at what time (better still, give your photo list to the MC and put them to work early to get each family photo organised - you’d be amazed at how quickly they can get families to come together and speed things up!). This then allows you to keep the day on track and get back to enjoying yourself and spend some special time with your new husband or wife and loved ones.

My dad and I – I love this photo as we both look so genuinely happy.. it is such a beautiful memory for me.

YOU’RE MARRIED… NOW WHAT?
I can totally see why people decide to have a baby soon after they get married. You are on this complete roller coaster of excitement for 6, 12, 18 or 24 months leading up to the wedding, and then all of a sudden, IT’S ALL OVER. Pat and I looked at each other after we returned from our honeymoon and the holiday buzz faded and said ‘now what?’. Now, your lives as Mr & Mrs are only getting started! You can finally start working towards your next steps and goals as your own little dynamic duo. For Pat and I, we are planning on buying a house and travelling to Europe to celebrate my 30th birthday (let’s not start on this please or I’ll be back on that emotional rollercoaster again), so we are on the saving bus.

Make sure that you take some time to work out what your goals are, what you as a couple are working towards and put a plan in place to achieve them. If you need some help identifying your goals or putting a plan in place to make them a reality, I would love to help so get in contact with me!

Planning your wedding really is such a special time that can be fraught with stress if you’re not careful. Make sure you have a list of what you need to get done and tick it off as you go (you’d be surprised at the variety of wedding stationery out there to make this experience very appealing!) It is important to remember that life continues before and after your wedding. Set aside some time to make sure that you are working towards your other personal and financial goals so that after the wedding you have other exciting milestones in life to look forward to.

Remember if you need some help setting goals, budgeting for your wedding, or getting back on track afterwards please feel free to get in touch, I would love to help.

Melissa Lloyd (nee Kaponay)