My Williamsburg Wedding: What I Wish I Knew Beforehand

Getting married is, up to that point, the greatest and most important day of your life. You’ve long dreamed of your wedding day, you’ve spent countless hours planning the perfect Williamsburg Weddingand the day is finally here! We know that wedding day can fly-by in an absolute blur, so we took the time to ask some recently married couples what they wish they would have known about their wedding day prior to the actual wedding day. Let’s take a look and hopefully you’ll come away with a few ideas to help your Williamsburg wedding day be amazing!

Have a "Day Of" Coordinator

Many couples choose to handle all of the wedding and reception planning themselves. Some do it to save on costs while others are the more Type A personalities that thrive on planning. When you plan a wedding yourself, it is very easy to overlook who will coordinate everything from the wedding party’s arrival to when the caterer sets up, to when the ceremony starts. As one bride we spoke to put it,

I spent so much time planning every minute detail in my wedding that I completely forgot to have someone takeover and run things on the actual wedding day. Obviously with getting ready and, you know, the actual wedding itself, I couldn’t do it all myself.” -Andie C.

If this is the case for you, we highly recommend that you select a close friend (who isn’t involved in the wedding party!) that can coordinate set up, arrivals, start times, and tear down on your wedding day. Trust us, you’ll have plenty on your mind on wedding day, the last thing you need on your plate is why the caterer is 10 minutes late!

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Save a Plate for Yourselves!

Whether you choose to go with buffet style or a traditional sit-down dinner for your wedding meal, you’re likely going to be spending a pretty penny for your catering. So don’t miss out on it! All too often we hear of couples who never even have one bite of the food they’re paying for!!

I think our first meal as a married couple was at a Wendy’s drive-thru. We got in the car after the reception on the way to the hotel and realized neither of us had eaten the prime rib buffet we had at our reception. Oops!” – Lauren K.

Amidst the excitement after saying your “I do’s” and the hustle and bustle of post ceremony photos and guest meet and greets, it is easy to forget about eating your dinner. Have the Best Man or Maid of Honor make a plate, or at the very least a to-go plate, for you both. You chose your caterer for a reason, you should enjoy every bite!

Roll With The Punches

No matter how much time you put into you planning your wedding, something is bound to go wrong. It is just a fact and part of the rite of passage into married life. While we try to do everything possible to ensure a perfect, stress-free day, accidents happen or hair & make-up appointments take longer than expected. In the case of one gentlemen we spoke to…

Two days prior to our wedding I lost my wallet. Not usually a big deal to lose a wallet…except the morning after our wedding we were getting on a plane and then going on a cruise; which required ID and credit cards. My passport had expired and my new one hadn’t arrived yet. Instead of enjoying the day before my wedding with out-of-town friends on the golf course, I spent all day at the DMV and bank getting a new ID and credit/debit cards. Super fun.” – Kyle W.

Thankfully for Kyle, 4 years later, he can laugh at this moment. And his wife even “commemorates” this event by getting him a new wallet every anniversary! If, rather when, things go wrong, be it on wedding day or wedding week, do your best to keep perspective. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you’ll be married to your one and only…and that’s all that matters!

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Take Time to Smell the Roses

Wedding days go by in a blur! You spend all those months and countless hours planning, and when the day gets here….it feels like its over just as quickly as it began. Be sure to slow down, take a few breaths, and appreciate the moment. As one of our brides put it,

We were very intentional on taking a step back while our guests were enjoying cocktail hour and eating. We were finally married! Looking across the property together, as husband and wife, we were overwhelmed by who came to celebrate us and the love our guests gave us.” -Stephanie W.

Soak up every moment of your wedding day. Take time like this couple did to get away from the party and enjoy the atmosphere. Find joy in the moment when you take time to “smell the roses.”

Get Started Planning Your Williamsburg Wedding Today

The Maine of Williamsburg can host your wedding or event. Contact us if you have any questions and be sure to check our wedding venue availability in Williamsburg.