You might remember the bride we featured last year- Abbey (if not, refresh your memory!) Well she’s coming back down to earth and I asked her about her wedding day in hopes it might help future brides!

Abbey

What was the best part of your wedding day?

Besides marrying my husband, the best part was sharing my day with the people I love. I was so amazed how many family members and friends were prepared to travel to celebrate our day. There was not a single moment I didn’t enjoy!

I also loved walking down the aisle while my friend who I have known since I was seven, played the violin. That was really special!

What was totally unnecessary?

The outdoor settings! We went through this huge drama about whether or not to get them, and decided we would get them for the smokers. It was an extra expense and no one used them because it was raining!

What would you change? Any regrets?

I don’t think there is anything I would change, it was the day I imagined and I was really happy with the way it turned out. I love the fact the decorations weren’t traditional wedding, and that it was relaxed while still going through the usual motions.

What was unexpected that you loved?

My cousin, the bartender did an amazing job on his own! I can’t believe he volunteered for the job. The speeches were good and I loved seeing everyone getting up to dance!

What are your favourite memories?

I have so many! I like the funny moments that I wasn’t expecting! I love thinking about my panic attack I had before the ceremony and how my bridesmaids looked after me.

I loved it when we were posing for photos and it started to rain and the girls started running, with the photographer running along next to us trying to get a snap and us giggling like crazy.

I loved dancing with my new hubby, and with my dad who I don’t get to see often. All the planned events were great, but it was the unplanned moments that were my favourites.

Is there anything you wish you had spent more time on?

I wish we had organised a better sound system for both the church and the reception. Although we couldn’t have predicted the weather, it drowned out the music and the speakers at the back of the room. We were also disorganised with our song choices!

I also wish we spent more time on our ceremony…it was a bit messy but it was fun!

Is there anything you wish you had spent less time on?

I don’t think anything deserved less time, it takes a lot of work to get things the way you want.

Any unexpected surprises?

My mum! All the build up to the wedding made her have an emotional mother of the bride moment. She completely broke down in tears and had to take some time out. She can’t believe it happened, but she tells me we had been planning it for so long that she could finally relax and it all caught up to her. Dear old mum!

Apparently it is a regular occurrence, so look out for it if you are getting married!

What’s your number #1 tip for brides?

I have lots of tips! The most important is doing what you want! So many people will have an opinion and that is ok, as long as you don’t feel pressured into anything.

If I had of fallen to the pressure my day would have been completely different! Instead of our country wedding with my dream dress, it would have been at a golf course, with me in a long sleeved dress (with a high neck), platform shoes and balloons galore!

The other one is to make yourself cry before you get your makeup done! Lets face it, you are most likely to cry sometime during the day because there are a lot of emotions, but I forced myself to cry beforehand and got it out of my system!

Oh yes, don’t forget to breathe! I almost fainted when we were getting ready!

We taught ourselves to dance (very basic) by watching a few videos on YouTube…I am glad we had some kind of routine otherwise it would have been chaos with limited space.

How did you feel after the wedding?

It was really strange the day after the wedding. It felt very surreal and for quite a while I was very happy, while also being glad I no longer had to plan for it!

I love being a wife, and now that we have our wedding photos I can look back and enjoy the memories!