Now that everything is over and done with, I can look back and smile. The Big Day was all I dreamed of and more. I honestly cannot believe the little things I spent time worrying about that didn’t even matter and then there were some things I didn’t even think about at all until later. Fortunately, I was in good hands but for those of you who don’t have a coordinator as a good bye, I’ve put together a little list of things I learned looking back on the planning and the Big Day.

• Make sure and eat. I cannot stress enough how important it is to eat on our wedding day. Don’t worry about if you’re going to bloat or if you have time. Make time to sit down and eat. You are going to need your energy.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Or at least change into comfortable shoes for the reception portion of the wedding. I’m so glad I ended up wearing my Tom’s wedges. I was able to dance all night and I never stumbled. You don’t want to spend your whole day worrying about if you are going to trip or putting bandages on blisters. Stay true to who you are. If you are comfortable wearing stilettos, then I say go for it. If not, wear what feels right. 
• Make arrangements for your dress and bouquet. At the end of the night, you won’t feel like tracking down your bouquet or you might not even remember it. Put someone in charge of taking it home for you or getting it preserved. Also, if you plan on changing dresses like I did, make sure you put it back in your garment bag and have someone in charge of grabbing it. Mine did not get left, but could easily see how this happens!
• Take a piece of cake to go. During the festivities, you might not have a chance to sit and enjoy a slice of your wedding cake. Have your caterer or planners wrap you up a piece to take with you to your hotel. Trust me, you will be hungry later and that cake will taste so good late at night or even for breakfast the next day. So glad I got to enjoy our delicious red velvet cake even after the wedding was over : )
• You can repurpose your wedding décor. I incorporated my wedding décor through our house. It’s a great reminder of the Big Day, plus you get to reuse lots of things you spent a chunk of money on. We have our arch banner hanging over our backboard to our bed. The glass bottles we used as vases are arranged on our dinning room table. 
• Hire a planner. Trust me, it makes everything come together seamlessly and cohesively. Having a planner helped me find vendors that matched my style and tastes. We had a wedding that perfectly matched our personalities from the flowers to the escort cards. Yes, I’m lucky to have a sister who is a wedding planner. But, she was also my maid of honor- so it was great to have Ellen there on the day of to keep things flowing properly and deal with the vendors. I didn’t have to worry about a single thing all night. 
• Don’t worry about things you can’t control. Ok, this one is easier said then done. But looking back, I spent way to much time and energy worrying about the weather (seriously, it hadn’t rained in 116 days and it was raining). It was out of my control the whole time anyway. Your energy is better spent living in the moment and focusing on things you can control. Plus, this is why you hire a planner to worry about those kinds of things!

I hope you lovely readers learned something from me along the way or at least had fun reading my posts. I’ve enjoyed chronicling my wedding adventures along the way and am going to miss posting here. If you’re worried about having Jessica withdrawls- good new for you, I’ve started my own blog where you can follow my adventures of married life and maybe catch a few sneaks of my wedding and honeymoon photos at Float On Blog. Hopefully, Kate and Ellen will have me back to guest post again soon!

{All photos captured by Sunday Romance}