5 No-Cost Ways To Have a Beautiful Wedding
Last weekend my sister got married in the most beautiful winter wedding you could imagine. It felt like a fairy-tale! As the weekend went on, I realized that so much of the bride and groom’s beauty stemmed from who they were more than how they looked. And in fact, so much of the most beautiful aspects of the wedding had nothing to do with how fancy and nice it was, but rather came from the heart. In other words… they didn’t cost a thing! Here are my takeaways for what they did to make their wedding so beautiful.
5 Ways to Make Your Wedding Beautiful
1. Be The Most YOU Version of You
I stole this line from a groomsman’s speech, because I think it’s the perfect way to describe someone at their best: be the most YOU version of you.
So often a wedding can feel like it puts a lot of pressure on a bride or groom to be perfect, or even something that they’re not. But when I look back at my favorite aspects of weddings, it’s usually unique aspects that specifically celebrate the personality of the bride or the groom. If your loved ones really love you, they love you for exactly who you are—quirks and all. And it’s fun to celebrate those quirks!
For example: My sister and her now husband love the city, so they chose a venue in a downtown-like area. They also love the winter, hence the winter wedding. Their favorite drinks to make together are Moscow Mules, so that was their specialty cocktail, and mule cups were the favor. One defining feature of my sister is her beautiful curly hair, so she made sure to wear it down and curled as a nod to her natural hair. The list goes on… but you get the idea.
I absolutely love it when I’m at a wedding and I realize the meaningful connection between a design choice and the bride and groom’s personalities. It’s fun to celebrate the people you as the people that they truly are. So rather than forcing yourself to be something you’re not, embrace who you are, and in fact, make it the most YOU it can be. It’s YOUR wedding; lean into it.
2. Lean Into The Season
Another easy thing to lean into is the season. When you let the natural season lead the decorations and design, it just feels right. Let a spring wedding be spring, and a fall wedding be fall. Be outside when it’s nice, inside when it’s not. It’s best to not try to force a theme or palette that doesn’t fit with the season.
I loved the way that my sister leaned into the Christmas season for this winter wedding, with Christmas trees as the main backdrop for the ceremony and then later head table, igloos outside of the getting-ready space, and so much more. I mean, look at how cute those gingerbread bride and groom are! Everyone was admiring, and it was an easy choice, because it fit right in with the current December vibes.
3. It Takes A Village
No one single person can do it all. And that it especially true on your wedding day! The more you delegate, whether that’s to professionals or family and friends, the more free you will feel and the more smoothly the day will go. Delegating is not as easy as it looks, though. Delegating requires more work up-front (i.e. communication), but it pays off at the event because the work is handled.
I recommend creating a schedule and/or task list in the form of a matrix so that each individual knows their exact role at each moment of the day. It is not over-bearing to make decisions for other people; it’s helpful. See my “Day-Of Schedule” in my wedding planning resources post for an example of how I delegated and communicated for my wedding.
4. People Over Perfection
I am not always the best at this, so I have to constantly check myself, but my sister is great at it, and it sure showed on her wedding day: PEOPLE over PERFECTION. With all of the anticipation on a wedding day, it’s easy to get caught up in the details and visuals… How does my hair look? Is my makeup smudged? That hug smashed my flowers! But those things do not matter much at all in comparison to the relationships with the people who are there to share in your celebrations. The more you are able to let the little things go, the more the big things will shine. And that’s where the true beauty is!
5. Joy Comes From The Lord
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17 NIV
Above all, true beauty and true joy comes from the Lord. God is unchanging in His perfect love and power. When we are rooted in Him, we get to join in with His perfect love. God’s love is not cheap love; it is costly. It is sacrificial love that requires patience and forgiveness. But that’s what is so beautiful about it. And so the most beautiful marriage is a marriage with God’s love at the center.
It was such a joy to get to witness a marriage like this last weekend! Congrats, Mr. & Mrs. Cole!
If you are planning a wedding, be sure to check out my free wedding planning resources! Best wishes!
