DIY Bride's Fairy Godmother

The DIY Bride’s Fairy Godmother

Making the DIY Bride’s Dreams Come True

I recently had a bride who went above and beyond for everything. 

She had every little detail planned out.  Thankfully, COVID restrictions were relieved the day before her wedding, and she was allowed to have over 150 guests!  She had ordered the tent and rented the tables, the chairs, the plates, the silverware, the glassware. Her mother purchased the linen and the napkins.  Every decoration about this wedding was above and beyond anyone’s expectation, and she had planned every detail super carefully.  She worked with her Maid of Honor, and had every little item budgeted and planned.  Nothing was to be missed.

That’s when the Maid of Honor came to me.  About 3 weeks before the wedding, the MoH was having a glass of wine with me in the evening, and we got to chatting about this wedding that she was going to be in.  She had known the bride her whole life, and wanted nothing but the best for her.  She had been by the bride’s side throughout the whole planning process.  She knew the bride had taken on every tiny detail herself.  She knew she had every little thing planned.

The Maid of Honor especially knew that weddings don’t go as planned.

I came in as a wedding gift to the bride from the Maid of Honor and her family.  That night, while we were having a glass of wine, I confirmed my availability and quickly made a phone call to one of my team to make sure he was available too.  As soon as we knew we were available, the MoH called the bride to make sure it would be ok to bring me in.  I made it extraordinarily clear from the beginning that I was not overriding any decisions she had already made, and I was only coming in to help.

I remember my first meeting with her.  It was a dive-in, all inclusive meeting, and her fiance even grilled us dinner!  We went through every last detail that she had planned… and boy was she a planner!  (I wish she lived closer, because I would hire her to be on my team!)

I got to one question that I ask all of my brides. 

“What do you worry about most on your wedding day?” 

Her response struck me.  She worried that even though her family was more than willing to help, that the vision in her head was not going to come to life.  That struck me hard.  Not only should you see the wedding in your head come to life on your wedding day, but it should be above and beyond anything you ever imagined.  I knew in that moment that this was the best gift her Maid of Honor could’ve given to her.  

Oh how I loved working with this bride!  She was absolutely the ultimate DIY bride!  She had every little thing planned and prepared and labeled.  But, on the day of the wedding, the family knew to come to me.  Not her.  She and I, in only 3 short weeks, had built a relationship so strong that I knew she was confident in me and my team to make her dream come true.  

Yes, I did incorporate her family that day.  One family member after another showed up all day long to help, and I put them to work as they were able… even the little children!  They loved helping, and they loved being a part of this special day, but they had a leader.  While the bride was getting ready, they knew I was in charge of the setups.  I was warned ahead of time that certain members of the family may be likely to take over.  While I find that may be true, I am not pushed over easily, and I got along wonderfully with these specific people.  

The DIY Bride tends to forget one major aspect - you need someone outside of yourselves. 

The people who are closest to you want the best for you… but they also have to get ready!  They have to get their hair done, their makeup done, get dressed up, and take photos.  These people will inevitably be pulled away for something at any given time.  You need someone who can pull it all together, be the go-to person, and make your dream come true.

You want someone who you just click with who can understand your vision, and you truly feel confident that they will make your vision come true.  You need to have someone behind the scenes who is putting out all the small fires that you don’t want to deal with.  You need to have someone who will make your vision not only a reality, but make it above and beyond anything you ever dreamed of.

It’s your wedding day.  You are allowed to enjoy it!