I'm baaaack!
Our wedding day was absolutely magical, and I had the best time! Things definitely went wrong, but SO much of the day felt like a dream! After reflecting on the planning process and end result, this is the advice I want to pass along:
1. Do what YOU want to do (or don't do what you don't want)! There were a lot of things I was excited about that people tried to talk me out of, but when the day came, even the naysayers were on board. This day is about you and your new spouse, so don't let people make your day about them. When the time comes, people are going to be so excited and happy that they won't care that you didn't pick the dress they liked more, that you chose a certain color napkin, etc.
2. Don't over-schedule your pre-ceremony timeline. Our photographers and coordinators built in an extra 30 minutes for us to be done with everything before the ceremony, and we ended up doing things right up to show time. I'm incredibly grateful that we had that cushion so we didn't feel rushed, we were able to make sure we got all the pictures we wanted and had everything together, and we could redo things like reading notes from each other for the videographer to capture. I felt a bit antsy waiting to get my dress, shoes, jewelry, etc. on, but having the time cushion helped a lot.
3. Have some alone time during the day. There is so much going on during the day that you'll need to be present for, but carve out some time for just the two of you! After our ceremony, we were hidden off in a side room while guests left, and it was so nice to have a moment to just us. Our coordinator also scheduled some time for us to have some hors d'oeuvres and drinks alone before the reception festivities. It was great, and I highly recommend it!
4. Kick out your skirt when you walk. I knew I needed to kick out the skirt on my dress so I could walk in it, but I underestimated just how much I needed to do that and had a few moments of less-than-stellar mobility lol.
5. Your photographer should be your best friend. You'll spend the whole day with your photographer (maybe even more than with your spouse!), so make sure you pick someone you enjoy being around. Our photography/ videography team was phenomenal, and everyone who interacted with them loved them. Absolutely worth their weight in gold.
6. Personal touches are what make your wedding stand out! Our biggest goal was to make sure our wedding reflected "us" rather than seem like a wedding that could be for any random couple. While we received tons of compliments on the centerpieces, food, my dress, etc., what really impressed people were the sentimental and personal aspects. These were some of our guests' favorite things: my shoes were teal (well-known to be my favorite color), my dad walked me down the aisle in the same shoes he wore when he married my mom, my mom presented my husband with a Terrible Towel (members of my family are huge Steelers fans), my husband revealed a Superman shirt he had on under his dress shirt for the garter removal (he looks like Clark Kent so much even strangers comment on it), our table names were all special parts of our relationship and the cards had pictures and short descriptions of why the name was special, my dad and I added a softball toss at the end of the father/ daughter dance (that was always our "thing" together), and I'm sure there's a bunch I'm forgetting too. Those all really made our day feel extra special.
7. Pause throughout the day and take it all in. I think this is one of the best pieces of day-of advice I received. There's also a bit about this in The Office when Jim and Pam are getting married. The day goes by so fast and you'll have a million things on your mind, but remind yourself during the day to pause, look around, and just bask in everything finally coming together. During the ceremony, take a minute to look out at everyone, look at your spouse-to-be, and the space that came together. Look around at the bridal party all crammed into a limo together laughing and enjoying the day. Pause during your reception to appreciate your centerpieces, all the people who came to celebrate you, and the first night of your new marriage. It's so easy to get swept up into the day, but taking a moment here and there will help you really enjoy and appreciate the day 
We're still waiting for our professional pictures, but here's a few of the ones we've gotten from friends and family!
