{Erin's I Do's} On planning backwards

Within five hours of being engaged I had emailed my dream venue to set up a tour, scribbled a to-do list on the back of The Camas Hotel stationary and had my bridal party all picked out. I didn’t sleep at all that night. 

 
In between late night reruns of VH1’s Scream Queens (don’t judge; it’s the only thing on at 3 am), I planned colors and timeline. I dreamt of what it would be like to finally be a bride and a wife. I didn’t have my computer, so I used my phone to google “how to plan a wedding.” I was so excited!

 
That weekend, after a much needed nap, I bookmarked almost every webpage that I could find about wedding planning and Portland weddings. I found amazing pictures of yellow and green color schemes that fit perfectly with what I had envisioned in my head. I talked Robert’s ear off about his opinion on everything from different venues to food to what he wanted to wear. 

 
After an entire weekend of hearing nothing but wedding, Robert sat me down and explained that he loved me and that he was excited to get married, but he honestly didn’t have much of an opinion on the wedding itself. He was totally fine if our wedding was a BBQ in our backyard (fun option, but not enough room for all of our friends and family). 

We made a deal that I wouldn’t talk wedding after 9 pm, unless it was an emergency. His part of the deal was that he would give me his honest opinion on details if I asked for it.

 
Very quickly, I learned to stop asking for opinions and just go with what felt right. So when we visited the venue that I had dreamt about since high school and it wasn’t quite right for us, I immediately moved onto the next options without a second thought. 

When I found a ribbon design at Wal-mart that I absolutely fell in love with, I bought every roll in stock. I found one main design that spoke to me and worked the rest of the wedding around it.

 
Almost every wedding planning website will tell you to pick the venue first, then build the theme and feel of your wedding from there. I did what you’re not “supposed” to do. I focused on a very specific detail as minuscule as a ribbon and built up from there. I listened to my gut. I could not be happier with how it’s all working out. 

 
Don’t be afraid to plan your wedding backwards. Do what feels right to you. If something leaves a strong positive impression on you, go with it. The best piece of advice that I’ve been given so far is to focus on making sure that your wedding reflects your love and who you are as a couple.

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