When it comes time for the wedding planning process to commence, it can be overwhelming to even know where to begin. The dress. The venue. The date. The vendors. The invitations. The guest list. Oh my!
The fact that we can now create wedding boards for our dream Pinterest wedding may help our vision unfold in some ways – but it also stretches the to-do list with must have wedding day poses, a very specific dress, and DIY everything. The pressure is on.
Regardless of the overwhelming nature that unfolds with this seemingly never ending to do list – most brides at least have a pretty specific idea of what is most important to them. Those details that absolutely have to be nailed down first, whether it be the epic venue, the rockstar photographer, or delicious food.
However, it is often said that hindsight is 20:20. Sometimes the things that feel the most important initially prove to be dispensable. And often, things that prove to be very important in the end get pushed to the back-burner, or pushed out completely, due to budget and time constraints.
Many a past bride has stated that their number one regret after their wedding was not hiring a wedding videographer. Being that I’m part of a wedding videography team, this may sound quite bias coming from me.
Thus, in addition to my own insight, I have polled various brides from all over the country who have gotten married within the last 5-6 years to determine what their top three priorities and expenses were for their wedding day, and in looking back, if there is anything they would have done differently.
See how your current priorities match up, and if their insight in retrospect challenges you to approach any specifics of your own wedding day through a different lens:
Question 1) What were your top three priorities/expenses for your wedding day?
Question 2) Looking back- would you have prioritized anything different?
1) Dress. Photographer. Convenience for guests (many whom were coming from out of town).
2) Less time/money on Wedding Invitations and Better quality video footage.
-Elisabeth
1) To keep it simple, Keep cost down, Christ-centered
2) I definitely would have put more thought into photos and video
-Caroline
1) Photographer, Reception venue rental, Food
2) Yes, I wish I had a videographer. One of the things I wish I didn't do was have the girls get their hair professionally done. So probably not enough to cover a videographer, but something! (probably close to $500).
-Hannah
1) Venue/food, then my photographer, then my dress, in that order.
2) Initially I was thinking, “no I wouldn't prioritize them differently”, however, had you told me, “you can only have either a videographer or a photographer”, knowing how the results turned out, hands down I would pick [my videographer] and would pay more if I had to because we are that pleased with how our video turned out... You can't capture in photos what was captured on film...
-Megan
1) The most expensive part of my entire wedding was the cake, then probably the table/chair rental, and the photographer! I tried to go as cheap as possible and had 200+ guests while spending less than $5000 all together.
2) I wish we had prioritized getting a professional videographer instead of just trusting this friend of friends.
-Heather
1) Enjoying engagement and the wedding itself – LOW STRESS 2. Photography 3. Dress
2) My pictures turned out “ok”. I wasn’t disappointed, but I wasn’t in awe either. I got what I paid for. I thought I was just getting really lucky with a good find, but I was trying to just “go with the flow” and not over stress by killing myself in the search. I wish I would have waited to commit and looked a little harder and paid a little more. Videography was not at the forefront of my mind, but only because I didn’t know how we’d afford it.
-Nicole
1) Our top three priorities/expenses were the food, venue and photographer
2) Looking back I wish we would have picked a bigger reception venue. Also, we did not have a videographer although I sort of wish we had.
-Jess
1) Honeymoon, Videographer/Photographer package, Food
2) Not at all! I found a good deal on our videographer and photographer package. I have friends who ask if they should spend the money on these things because they can be expensive. My answer is YES! If I didn't get a video I would be so sad because when I watch it, I get all those feelings from that day back again.
-Cara
1) A big dance party 2) the venue 3) having as many people there as possible
2) I don't think so. I feel like the dance part was the portion of the wedding when I could relax and see and talk to my friends. So I wanted it to last a long time and be good and it was! I loved it.
-Laura
1) Photographer, Entertainment, Food
2) I would have loved a videographer, but when we looked at the budget it was something we couldn't invest in. I would have liked to spend a little more on some accessory things for the wedding and my dress and things like that.
-Megan
1) 1. Dress 2. Venues for ceremony and reception 3. Music
2) YES! I would have let go of so much need for control and just enjoyed the process! I would have prioritized the honeymoon over the wedding; I wish we could have relaxed more and enjoyed a beautiful place like an all-inclusive resort or something simpler than our trip.
-Meredith
1) Venue, Photography, Food
2) I actually think we would have considered a videographer. A lot of our friends had beautiful, professional, wedding videos and I hadn't even really considered that was something I wanted until after the fact. Pictures are nice, but it's also wonderful to be able to hear what was said on that day as well.
-Katie
You see, no matter what, there will be a lot of time, money, and resources put into your wedding day. BUT, it’s important to note that there is almost a unanimous consensus that the best way to capture the sights, sounds, emotions, time, effort and money you put into your wedding day is to have it on video.
The priorities of every bride will vary (which is a wonderful thing!). Make your wedding day your own. Enjoy the process. Stay Calm. Have fun. And don’t lose sight of the reason you’re planning the wedding in the first place.
Oh, and make sure you hire a videographer to capture it all on camera, so you can avoid post wedding regret AND revisit the epic-ness of your wedding day for generations to come.
*Thank you to all the brides who contributed to this post. I so appreciate your insight and am grateful you agreed to share what you learned.