Tips on How to Navigate the Expectations of Loved Ones While Wedding Planning
Wedding planning often involves navigating the expectations of loved ones and dancing around personal desires and accommodations. Family and guest requests, though sometimes challenging, are an inevitable part of the process. As your planners, we’re here to help guide you through this process and provide some advice on how to navigate.
Understanding the Dynamics: When It Matters
As the wedding planning journey begins, it's crucial to determine when family and guest expectations become necessary in the decision-making process.
Factors like financial contributions from parents, significant dietary restrictions of guests, and cultural or traditional needs, carry a good amount of weight. We find that these take thoughtful consideration.
In these instances, finding a way to accommodate a solution is the key to ensuring the planning process continues in a comfortable way.
A Collaborative Approach: Navigating Reasonable Requests
We understand the importance of certain requests - our goal is to guide you through these requests and expectations while staying true to your needs and desires. Our collaborative approach encourages open communication.
We like to have you address the needs and desires of all who are involved, as well as sharing your own. Together, we can find a balance that honors your preferences and reasonably accommodates the expectations of others.
Tips on How to Navigate the Expectations of Loved Ones
1. Set Boundaries: What Are Your Priorities?
Make a list of your priorities for the wedding. These could be elements that hold sentimental value or what you’ve always dreamed of for your wedding. Don’t want to get married in the church? You want your bridesmaids to wear all black? Pretty much anything that is true to YOU and YOUR wedding vision - all is important to jot down.
By identifying aspects of your wedding that are non-negotiable for you and your partner, you can go into each conversation confident and true to yourself.
Starting the conversion with what is most important to you will allow your family to see how you feel and understand that it isn’t a fight. Before they even said anything you’ve shared your priorities - it is up to them to respect those desires.
2. Open Communication: Your Not-So Secret Weapon
It seems to be a common trend that when someone shares the secret to marriage, their response is “communication” (or that the woman is always right lol). This has proven to be true in relationships (intimate or familial) - wedding planning is no different.
Open, honest conversations with both your family and your partner are essential. Clearly express your desires, listen to theirs, and work together to find common ground.
3. Seek Compromise: Finding Middle Ground
In situations where differing expectations arise, seek compromises that honor both your vision and the desires of your family and guests. Finding middle ground often involves creative solutions that satisfy everyone involved.
Going back to number 1 - If you don’t want to get married IN the church but are open to a religious ceremony, compromise with your family. Seek an officiant with religious affiliations or have your family’s pastor marry you.
Mother-In-Law doesn’t like the bridesmaids in black? Remind her that those in the wedding party, though important, are not the highlight of the wedding day. The important factor is that they are enhancing the look of the couple, while still feeling comfortable in what they are wearing.
4. Trust Your Wedding Team
Your wedding planning team, including Celebrations! Weddings & Events, is here to support you. Trust in their expertise to navigate challenging conversations and provide solutions that align with your overall vision.
Sometimes it can be best to have an outside party consider all of the possibilities. We get to know our couples very well throughout the planning process. We like to think that we know your vision just as you do and can confidently chime in to support your claim, or play devil's advocate. Sometimes the opposing opinion to our couples is actually a valid point. Trust your planning team to know what works best on wedding day and allow us the grace to share solutions to conflicts for what works best for the overall wedding and your vision.
Ultimately, it's crucial to remember that your wedding day is a celebration of BOTH of YOU - your love and commitment to each other. While navigating family and guest expectations is a part of the process, maintaining your priorities ensures that the wedding day reflects you both as authentically as possible. You may consider compromising on small details to satisfy mom and get her off your back, but overall, we want the day to be 100% you. We’ve got your back!
Stay connected with us for more wedding tips and inspiration by bookmarking our Real Weddings Blog and following us on Instagram! Let Celebrations! Weddings & Events guide you through the intricacies of wedding planning, ensuring a harmonious and joyous celebration. Let's create magic together!
VENDORS:
Photos 1-2: Hennessey Photo Co.
Photos 3-4: The Lemons Photography
Photos 5-7: Lifelong Photography Studio
Photos 8-10: Jessica Jones Photography