A bride and groom exit the reception

2 Wedding Planning Resources You May Not Know About

I like my advice to come from real brides and wedding pros

I have been so impressed with the posts coming out of two of my favorite wedding blogs. Sure there's the super duper sites like the Knot, Brides, and WeddingBee that offer advice, but I find those mega sites difficult to navigate, and I never really know where advice on the Know and Brides comes from. Journalists? interns? real brides? Yeah, um, as the Hindsight Bride, I prefer my information to come from real brides and wedding professionals. So here are two of my favorite professional wedding advice givers.

A bride and groom exit the reception
Image from Kristen Vining via Style Me Pretty

 

Bonafied Bride header

wedding ceremony site lit with candles and draped with fabric streamers
Styling by Joy Thigpen. Image from Tec Petaja via Bonafied Bride

Bonafied Bride: Kristen, the mastermind behind Bonafied Bride is a wedding planner for Bella Bridal Consultants. She's also recently-married, which means she can give advice from both perspectives: the seasoned professional, and the {sometimes harried} bride. Her wedding planning advice is bar none. A few I think every one should read are:

  • The Difference Between a Wedding Planner, Event Designer, and Other Professionals: If you're thinking about using the venue's "wedding coordinator" as your event planner, read this first. There's a huge difference between a full service wedding planner and the venue coordinator!
  • Seven Secrets to Conquering the Guest List: Kristen goes beyond the A-list/B-list advice and gets down to the nitty gritty of who gets on any of the lists in the first place and what to do  about self-inviters.
  • How to Deal with Momzilla: It's the happiest moment of your lives, so why are some conversations a total struggle? Even if you wouldn't classify your mom as a momzilla, Kristen offers some great advice on talking to your mom about what 21st century weddings look like, and who gets the most say in certain circumstances. (Hint: "She who pays, says")

 

Valley and Co header

black and white of bride and groom's first dance
Photo by Jeremy Leffel via Valley & Co.

Valley and Co. In addition to serving up some of the best style on the web, event planning duo, Nick and Aleah have recently been sharing some of their wedding planning advice and insights. Check these gems out:

  • Valley and Co Wedding Enjoying The Big Day: This post is nothing short of brilliant. So you've made it to your big day. Everyone tells you it will go by so fast; that it will be a blur. SO how to you slow it down so you can savor every moment? Nick and Aleah pull from their experience and serve up four specific tips for enjoying your wedding to the fullest.
  • Wedding Planning Tips: Ham It Up: We're talking photo shoots here. This tip not only relieves stress and helps you enjoy your photo shoot, it also makes some of the most memorable images. Think of those iconic images of brides and grooms jumping, playing, and (sometimes) splashing together. Too sweet!
  • Wedding Planning Tips: Enjoy the Process: This is the most basic, and perhaps the most important wedding planning advice I've come across. It's also the most difficult to follow some times. Nick and Aleah offer 4 concrete tips for savoring the wedding planning process. My favorite? "Plan surprises."