Flowers, invitations, dresses, cakes, shoes, colors, etiquette, female hormones, jewelry… and the list goes on (aka wedding planning) it can be an unrelenting sea of chaos. However, it is possible to navigated these waters with a laid back relaxed attitude. Five years ago I was the bride trying to navigate the sea of wedding chaos along with my husband Brandon.  Hand in hand we dove in head first, so we can relate to what y’all are heading into. We have also shot over 100 weddings and picked up some amazing tips along the way.

HOW does one pull off a deeply meaningful wedding that glorifies God followed by a fabulously swanky soirée while maintaining a mellow attitude and effortlessly beautiful style?

1. Remember the day is about you as a couple becoming one and starting your love story together.
For us, we kept the wedding itself as the main focal point of the day. We wanted to breathe in deeply every single moment of becoming husband and wife; walking down the aisle to the alter, looking into each others eyes, feeling our hands touch for the first time on our wedding day, vowing to love each other from that day forth for the rest of our lives, bringing it all together with a beautiful kiss and uniting our love with God is what we wanted to soak in.  Because the wedding was our main focus that is were we started planning. We selected our readings, the gospel, the songs and how we wanted our wedding party to walk down the aisle. Our church was beautiful already so decorations we kept elegant and simple. Still to this day people comment on how deeply powerful and touching our wedding was.

2. We married each other not tradition.
Along with wedding planning comes a lot if tradition and etiquette, but right from the start we knew we are not traditional in the worldly sense. Everyone was asking all kinds of questions about the reception, as if that was the focal point of the day. Yes… we did have 200 guest, yes we wanted to feed them and celebrate with them but our day focused on the wedding not the party after.  Our tip is to focus on what is important to you, not what the world says you have to do.

3. Delegate
Having a thousand details to worry about the morning of your wedding can cause anyone to stress. This is where communication, trust and letting go comes in. We relied a great deal on our amazing friends, family and vendors to put together the details the day of our wedding. We communicated with in detail with lots of love what our desire was and then put it in their hands with full trust. The moment I walked into the church everything was set up even better then I imagined, it was beautiful, breathtaking and awe-inspiring. As I walked down the aisle towards Brandon the pews were filled with friends and family who had all come together to make the day so truly amazing.

When a momentous occasion is happening in your life true friends and family want to be involved and part of it. When you trust someone with details of a day that is so important to the rest of your life they feel loved by you. Trust them and let them love you.

4. Hug The Imperfection
Imperfections make things interesting, beautiful and comfortable. Along our journey Brandon and I have never been perfectionist. We have always strived to do our best with what God has given us but we know that true perfection can only be obtained in heaven. So while we are here in this world we embrace imperfection and the beauty that it holds. If a stand of hair gently comes loose from your up do don’t panic, see it as romantic and comfortable. And the look of everything being ” too done up” is passé anyway.

5. Budget
Style can be achieved within any budget and simplicity can be even more beautiful. We kept our decorations simple and let the love of our friends and family fill the hall. Crazy as it sounds, our family and friends wanted to make all the food for our reception. Each person brought in enough food for 5 people, it was amazing. We walked into a reception with two 32 f00t buffet tables lined with tons of homemade delicious foods displayed on elegant white linens and plated on beautiful glass and white porcelain serving dishes of all shapes, sizes and hight levels. It looked like a grand buffet that would be presented in a gorgeous castle for thousands of guest. Compliments on the food poured in as guests went back for thirds and even fourths. Our wedding hall dripped of love, family, friends, amazing food, plenty of wine and music. All within a budget.