30 Real Brides Share Their Wedding Advice

If you're looking for suggestions and reassurance that you're doing the right thing straight from the source, you're in luck. We've gathered the best wedding advice from a number of real brides featured in some of the latest issues of Inside Weddings magazine to lend their wisdom.

Future brides-to-be: read these tips to ensure the planning process goes smoothly and your wedding day is the best day of your life. Click the brides' names below to see their gorgeous real weddings for more inspiration!

Read the best advice from 30 real brides featured in the 2018 issues of Inside Weddings below:

Take a Breather

"Breathe! Enjoy the process." - Morgan

Be Yourself

"Remain true to yourself as a couple. This is your wedding – make sure it is a day which reflects the both of you. No wedding should be generic, but personalized. Incorporate details that are unique to your relationship. Your guests will notice and appreciate it." - Nicole

Plan It Together

"Listen to your spouse. Communicate. Genuinely listen to your family (to a degree). Be mindful of others, but also remember that this is your day with your spouse. Take time to sit back and appreciate the meaning behind this amazing party that will be thrown." - Chelsea

Be Smart with RSVP Cards

"Use invisible ink to mark numbers and associate those to the guests you send RSVPs to. That way if it comes back without a name then you can always go back and figure out whose it is." - Aysha

Enjoy the Moments

"I really focused on enjoying the process. I think it is so easy to get caught up in the details and stress yourself out. I didn't want this to be a dreadful time for anyone after seeing what wedding planning can do to people and their families, so I tried to also keep the planning light and fun." - Marlee

Don't Overthink Anything

"You can’t make everyone happy. Just do what you feel is best and make the day about the two of you." - Angela

Be Prepared & Research

"Be organized, do your research, and be consistent! Being organized makes everything easier and you won’t fall behind on deadlines! Research helps you get a good idea of general market costs for a budget tailored to you. Research can also determine what kind of vibe you want to portray on your wedding day. Being consistent in every way is important – you wouldn’t spend $30,000 on alcohol but only $5,000 on food, would you? Know your audience, and this will help you budget correctly." - Bela

Work Together

"Plan an event that is truly for the two of you and what you want – and be willing to compromise. I think too often a wedding is seen as the 'bride’s day' when it should really be an event that reflects the style, personality, and of course love of the couple rather than just one half of the couple. This makes it easier down the line when you ask 'why on earth are we spending so much on XYZ' and the answer is because you both wanted to." - Hannah

Pay Attention to the Rehearsal Dinner

"We did not think of this in time, but we would highly suggest recording the rehearsal dinner especially if family and friends are going to make speeches in a more intimate setting." - Portia

Keep the End Goal in Mind

"What lipstick you wear and what meal options you serve your guests won’t matter in 10 years, let alone one year (or even a day come to think of it), so don’t let wedding planning get between you and your significant other. It's all about the celebration of your love with that person so try and remember that." - Kallen

Be Realistic with Your Budget

"You are going to spend more than you expect! Be realistic with your expectations and what you really want. What we thought we would spend is not even close to what we did; however, we both wanted it to be very special and this is something we are only doing once." - Brittany

Personalize Your Big Day

"Stay true to who you are as a couple, adding little nods to what makes you happy throughout the day. Not everything has to be customized – and I will admit that I did find it hard the closer we got to the wedding not to go overboard on personalizing each element of our day – but making sure your first dance song is one you love or having a favor that showcases your hometown or where you met can go a long way." - Carolyn

Keep Smiling

"No matter what goes wrong on your wedding day, always smile. Your photographer and videographer are capturing every moment and those memories last forever." - Susan

Tackle the Guest List Early

"The guest list is the hardest part...just remember that at the end of the day, the result is you’ll be marrying your best friend. Have each other’s back and be each other’s support system through it all." - Shayla

Stay True to Yourselves

"My advice would be to trust your gut and to try not to second-guess your decisions. You want to do what feels like you. If a certain tradition or custom doesn’t work for you, throw it out. Not a fan of cake? Donuts work, too! You want 13 bridesmaids? Do it!" - Suzanna

Don't Overthink

"Don’t have a long engagement. I feel that having a shorter engagement  made the wedding planning so much easier because I didn’t have all the time in the world to overthink anything or change my mind." - Adrienne

Hire a Team You Trust

"Hire help... its impossible to juggle it all on your own. Consider a hotel ballroom or specific wedding space as a venue if you want to save money because doing it in the middle of nowhere brings with it a lot of extra costs – restrooms, shuttles, building a kitchen, chairs, cutlery, and lighting just to name a few." - Jillian

Keep Your Priorities in Line

"If you don’t want opinions from your family and friends, don’t ask for them. I have seen countless brides get consumed by the thoughts and ideas of others. I am a firm believer that if you stay true to you and your fiancé’s priorities for the wedding, everyone will have a great time celebrating with you." - Madeline

Focus on You

"Don’t sweat the small stuff, at the end of the day no one will remember what font was used on the escort cards, or if the cocktail napkins were monogrammed. There are an infinite number of decisions to be made, so focus on the things that matter to you." - Lauren

Hire a Wedding Planner

"If you’re not the detail-oriented type of person, it’s best to hire someone to plan – or at least help you partially plan. It can get very stressful when you don’t really have experience handling the details." - Wendy

Create a Wedding Shot List

"Enjoy yourself and make sure to have a list for your photographer for the photos that must be done!" - Alyza

Be Fully Present

"On your wedding day, be present in the moment from the time you wake up that morning of your wedding to the moment you say goodbye to your family and friends for the evening, the experience is but a blink of an eye!" - Sophia

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

"Remember this day is about the love you share with your partner. Don’t get caught up on the stupid things on your wedding day because it goes by so fast. Put your full attention on each other." - Bentley

Watch Your Consumption

"Don’t drink too much. You want to be as present as possible and recall every detail of the night. Plus, it goes by so fast as it is! Not drinking helps it feel longer, which is ideal as you’ll never want the night to end!" - Veronica

Don't Take Yourselves Too Seriously

"Enjoy it! It’s really easy to get caught up in the details, but remember that at the end of the day, it’s a celebration of starting your life together. The actual day goes so quickly, so you have to have fun with the process as well! I think we did our best to remember that whenever we started to take things too seriously." - Melissa

Stay Positive

"Keep a positive mindset and realize there will be setbacks along the way – it’s normal! Not everything will go perfectly and that’s okay, it’s still the best day of your life!" - Bethany

Schedule a Private Moment

"Take a moment after the ceremony to be alone with one another to take in the magnitude of this day." - Alexandra

Focus on What Matters Most

"Pick a few things to care about and try not to sweat the small stuff. If the band is good and there’s plenty of booze, everyone is going to have a great time. Nobody cares as much as you do about the flowers and the place settings and the exact placement of all of the beautiful lanterns you picked out. Obviously, this is easier said than done." - Blake

Don't Expect Perfection

"Expect one thing to go wrong on your wedding day. I had a bride tell me this a few months before our big day. It was so important to set this expectation because, chances are, something will not go quite as planned. The good news is that no one usually knows the difference. In the end you will be married, which is the most important part." - Kristin

Take It All In

"Take a moment on your wedding day to look around and just watch and enjoy all of your favorite people in the same place. I remember watching friends and family members from all different paths of our lives enjoying one another, laughing, singing, and tearing up the dance floor. I'll never forget how special that was to take in." - Amy

For more wedding advice, discover more wedding tips from real brides and advice from real grooms, find out what these brides found to be the most surprising parts of wedding planning, and read tips from expert wedding professionals!