I know how wedding planning goes. It’s been almost 6 years, but planning my wedding was super stressful. My parents weren’t planning on helping us much. I was still paying off mounds of credit card debt, and wasn’t making much money at my job. Luckily, we got married before Pinterest was really a thing and I didn’t have any desire to have mason jars, or burlap, or lace. That craze really hadn’t happened yet. Our wedding was small, not many people, and in my in-laws backyard, and I loved it. It can be hard to disregard everyone’s opinions are you are in the middle of planning a HUGE moment in your life, but here’s just a few ideas of when to say no when wedding planning.

No to Kids at the Wedding

So this one wasn’t an issue for me. Since our wedding was small, and I knew it would be short, and there wasn’t any drinking or crazy party-goers, and between just my family there was around 20 kids, this wasn’t an issue for us, but for many people it is. It can be stressful if during your wedding all you hear is screaming babies. It can be tough if you really want it to be adults, but the best part is, it’s YOUR wedding. You can tell your guests “no kids!” if that’s really want you want! They’ll understand, and may even be grateful to have a night off! 🙂

No to +1’s

You may want your friends to be able to bring their significant others, or you may not. When you’re feeding everyone and a plate is upwards of $35, add a few plus ones, and that racks up quick! Don’t feel bad. Reassure your friends that they will be sitting by friends or family, and they will be sure to have a good time, even without their significant other!

No to Devices

This one is HUGE! I love me a good “unplugged” wedding. Partially because I think we are becoming so enthralled in our social media life that we forget that real life still exists. We are trapped behind our devices or our phones far too often and aren’t able to enjoy the moments as they happen! If you want to tell your guests to keep their phones and cameras away, then do it! Your photographer won’t only be appreciative, but your ceremony photos will look SO much better without everyone staring into their screens instead of at you.

No to “Traditions”

If you don’t want to wear a white dress, then don’t! If you don’t want a bouquet or garter toss, forget about it. If you don’t want to carry flowers, but puppies instead (this literally just happened at a wedding in Pennsylvania, and i’m DYING for it to keep happening!), then do it! Don’t let pressure from others around you dictate how your wedding day needs to go. Unsolicited advice is probably the worse thing to get when wedding planning, and say no when you really aren’t feeling the vibe that said person is dishing out.

It’s like drugs. Just say No! 😀

There are so many other things that you can say no to when planning your wedding, but one of the best tips that I have is remember that it’s YOUR wedding. It’s about you and your spouse, and the other fancy stuff really won’t matter at the end of the day. If you don’t want it, don’t do it.