Wedding Do-Overs

My friend got married last weekend and we had an absolute blast at her beautiful wedding. On the drive home, Flavio and I were reminiscing about what we loved about our day, but also what we might do differently in hindsight. Here's what we came up with.

Things we'd do differently:

We both agree we would've skipped the portraits immediately after the ceremony and instead would've joined our friends for the cocktail hour. We had a mariachi band and fun appetizers going on, and we missed the whole thing to go to the beach for photos. If we had a re-do, we'd do separate bridal party and family photos before things started, and then just a few quick pics together post-ceremony.

{bridal party en route to photos after ceremony, La Jolla}

We also wish we'd had a little more time for just the two of us right after the ceremony. We walked back down the aisle and were alone for about one minute hugging in total omg-we-are-husband-and-wife! bliss when someone came in to whisk us off for photos. It was such a special moment, and it would've been nice to savor it together for a few minutes quietly. A private post-ceremony champagne toast to celebrate together would have been perfect.

{exchanging rings}

We wish we had given a toast to guests. At Liz's wedding last weekend she and the groom gave heartfelt toasts, thanking everyone and expressing their joy. Somehow, it never occurred to us to speak at our wedding. Instead, our maid of honor, best man and my dad gave toasts. It would've been nice to say a few words.

{cheers!}

Things we'd do exactly the same:


Write our own vows. We re-read our vows on our anniversary, and they really outline our unique promises to each other. It was important to us to speak our hearts, and to make the ceremony "us" instead of repeating the prescribed I-Dos, and I'm so glad we did.

{vows}

Not see each other until the ceremony. A friend of mine did her wedding photos with the groom before the ceremony, and I really feel that once she finally walked down the aisle after an hour of sweaty outdoor pics, some of the magic was missing. Seeing Flavio for the first time on our wedding day as my dad walked me down the aisle is a moment I'll never forget. Definitely, not seeing each other pre-ceremony was the way to go for us.

{first look tears}

Hire a videographer. We almost didn't because we felt photos might be enough, but I am so glad we have our wedding video. It captured the day in a way photos never can, and is so fun to watch.

{photos are fun, too}

Keep our wedding size exactly the same. We had 75 people, which felt intimate and just right for us.