Nicole Frail - The Little White Book of Wedding Planning Wisdom

Copyright 2015 by Nicole Frail

Illustrations copyright 2015 by Kerri Frail, except OlgaLebedeva.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Kerri Frail

Cover photo credit ThinkStock/kameshkova and ThinkStock/OlgaLebedeva

Print ISBN: 978-1-63220-277-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-0065-9

Printed in China

To my grandmother, Rachel Nardone, who told my high school boyfriend to propose.

And to Matthew, for eventually doing as he was told.

Contents

Introduction

W hen I started writing this book, I had never been married nor engaged; however, I knew a proposal was coming, and I had teased Matthew, my then-boyfriend of nine years, that I had two introductions planned: one in which I got to talk about planning my own wedding, and one in which I didnt.

Hint hint .

But he didnt need the hint; hed already bought the ring. On the last day of summer 2014, he lit every candle we owned, got down on one knee in our living room, and the rest is history.

And so here I am, writing a book about wedding planning as I dive into my own plans. In an effort to be completely honest, Ill let you know that Im not a wedding planner by trade. However, after writing this book, everything so far has been be a breeze! (Knock on wood.) Ive asked all the questions Ive told you to ask, Ive followed all my own advice, and Im attempting to go against the grain and tradition as often as I can. Hopefully you and I will get through this together without any disasters or too many tears!

This book is smalltoo small to contain every little bit of information youll need while you plan. I havent included lists of flower types and in which seasons they bloom; I havent created a complete checklist for your day-of emergency kit; I havent provided you with every single itty-bitty step of the process. Think of this book as a good starting point, an overview.

If youre the type of bride who simply wants to get some ideas and then take off on her own, this book is for you. If youre the type of person who likes to buck tradition, I have tried my best to give you some alternatives to the expectations that surround the typical wedding. I have also tried to make this book all-inclusive. I want every type of bride marrying the love of her life to be able to use this book. (All bridesmaids, bridesmen, groomsgals, groomsmen, best men, best women, and maids/matrons/men of honor are also welcome to flip through the pages while helping their brides and grooms plan for their big day.)

I am also making the grand assumption that youre reading this book because youre planning your first wedding. However, we all know what happens when we assume... and I do hope that if this is your second or third or even fourth celebration, theres still something in here that maybe you didnt think of the first time or a new idea that you can play with and make your own.

As you read, youll find that Ive incorporated a variety of quotes throughout the book. Some are from celebrities or professional wedding/event planners, and others are from men and women like you and me. These former brides and grooms (current husbands and wives) have been through it all and have volunteered, via social media, to help us on our journeys by sharing tips and lessons they learned during their own planning processes.

Whether the advice is on love, marriage, or weddings or comes from Emily Bronte, Vera Wang, Christina M. in Florida, or me, I hope you find it helpful. I hope your wedding planning process is painless, exciting, and fun. And I hope you realize that you really shouldnt sweat the small stuffif a napkin is folded incorrectly or a centerpiece is off-center, youre most likely going to be the only one who notices. Focus on the big stuff: youre getting married! Enjoy it and everything that comes with it!

Congratulations, and good luck!

The Engagement

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.

EMILY BRONTE

F or one of two reasons, you picked up this book: 1) youre engaged (and, if so, a heartfelt congratulations to you is in order) or 2) you know someone who is (and youve been suckered into helping them plan the wedding-to-be).

Lets assume for this chapter that you have a new ring on your finger and youre dying to tell everyone about it and get the party (literally) started!

But before you book your dream venue, start arguments over napkin folding, and drag your fianc or maid of honor all over town to listen to every local band known to man, lets just take a deep breath and...

Enjoy the moment!

I realize that in todays technological world, you have the ability to take a photo and upload it for the world to see while your guy or girl is still on one knee, but... that doesnt mean you have to. If thats going to make both of you happy, then go for itpost the photo, blog about the proposal, hashtag the hell out of every status you post for the next week.

However, many wedding resources stress the importance of taking the time to reflect on whats happened before you share your big news with the world. Im not telling you to rethink your acceptance of the proposal (although, you definitely want to make sure this is what you want before you say yes!), but spending a few hours (or even days, if youre so inclined) with your fianc dreaming up your perfect future and wondering who to share the news with firstand howmay be a good idea.

Remember, youre getting married because you want to spend the rest of your lives together. You value the idea, practice, and act of marriage, and you want to show each other how much you love, respect, and honor one another other. You dont need to prove your commitment or love to anyone else.