Got married a month ago. Some initial thoughts on what I’d do again/skip

Now that I’m a little over a month out from our wedding, I’ve been reflecting on what was worth it, what I’d skip, and what I wish I’d done differently. A lot of the things I initially felt guilty splurging on turned out to be some of my best decisions and honestly, my bigger regrets are about what I didn’t do.

What Was 100% Worth It

Hiring a content creator. This was one of the best choices I made. We had vertical, documentary-style footage of our entire day within 48 hours. It was so grounding to be able to relive the day right away everything felt like such a blur in the moment. Watching it back helped me process what actually happened versus how I remembered it.

For example, I tripped going up the stairs during our exit in my head it felt like a dramatic, slow-motion disaster. Watching the footage, it’s literally two seconds and barely noticeable. Being able to compare memory vs. reality was strangely healing and helped me lock on to the day tighter while it was fresh in my mind.

Also having no phone all day was freeing. Most who did take photos or videos didn’t ever really shared them afterward so I’m especially grateful we had professional coverage. Still waiting on wedding video from the videographer and the photos were a fast turn around after a few weeks but having that instant gratification and something to watch and share so quickly was wonderful. It felt like over kill to have all three mediums for coverage when I booked it but in the end was so happy I did and I think because it’s a newer service the pricing was very reasonable and fair.

What I Regret Spending On (so far)

Bouquet preservation. I haven’t seen the final result yet, but it ended up being very expensive. In hindsight, I’m not as sentimentally attached to the physical items from the day as I thought I’d be. I already have so many other meaningful keepsakes photos, video, invitations, décor so I probably didn’t need preserved flowers on top of that.

What I Wish I Hadn’t DIYed

I wish I had DIYed less. At the time, saving a few thousand dollars felt smart, but in the end, the hassle wasn’t worth it.

For example: I bought my own table linens for around $500 instead of paying $1,200 to rent them. But now I realize that rental costs include someone else storing, cleaning, setting up, and packing them away. My bridal party ended up spending part of the wedding morning ironing linens — and afterward, I had to deal with all the storage, cleaning, and reselling.

Sometimes, you really are paying for peace of mind.

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the middle of planning don’t feel guilty for investing in the things that make your day feel easier or more meaningful. Looking back, the best money we spent was on anything that reduced stress and helped us actually be present. My other as advice is that stuff will go wrong and you can’t change what happens but you can change how to react to it no one cares about your wedding day as much as you do and that is true for both what is perfect and what goes wrong.

Congrats to all the brides and grooms out there looking forward to your big day! I’m so happy to have married my person but will oddly miss all the build up and planning.